Steve Starr
- Max Verstappen and Charles Leclerc are the favorites to win the Hungarian Grand Prix
- Seven-time world champion Lewis Hamilton has won the event a record eight times
- The race will take place over 70 laps on the 2.72-mile Hungaroring near Budapest on Sunday, July 31
Max Verstappen remains the heavy favorite to win his second-consecutive Formula 1 Drivers’ World Championship heading into Sunday’s Hungarian Grand Prix. It would be the 24-year-old’s first career victory at the Hungaroring, a circuit that has been dominated by Mercedes’ Lewis Hamilton over the past 15 seasons.
Before engines start roaring for Round 13 of the F1 season, let’s check the latest odds on the race in Mogyoród. Here’s also where you can find the top betting sites for Formula 1 in 2022.
2022 Hungarian Grand Prix
What happened in 2021?
Max Verstappen would probably rather forget last year’s Hungarian Grand Prix. Leading the standings heading into the day, the Dutchman was one of five drivers forced to retire after a first lap collision caused by Valtteri Bottas. The drama only continued from there. A massive tactical error from Mercedes cost Lewis Hamilton the chance to set the all-time record for the most times a driver had won the same Grand Prix. In this case, it would have been the Brit’s ninth-career title at the Hungaroring.
All this chaos led to the first-career Formula One victory for both Frenchman Esteban Ocon and his Alpine team.
Hungarian Grand-Prix 2021 Highlights pic.twitter.com/IyDNfV2yA6
— François (@FrancoisRJ_) August 1, 2021
The Hungaroring in Budapest
Built just outside Budapest in the community of Mogyoród, the 70-lap, 2.72-mile Hungaroring has hosted F1 races since 1986. And will continue to do so until at least the end of 2027. Often compared to a karting circuit because of its lack of straights, the circuit strings together multiple corners. It rewards driver who can find a nice rhythm.
In the past, teams have opted for the same levels of downforce used at the Monaco GP, a race won by Mexican driven Sergio Perez in late May. The track also demands a well-sorted chassis, instead of raw horsepower, as the short straights rarely allow racers to get up to top speed.
Who will win the Hungarian GP?
Max Verstappen has taken the checkered flag at more than half of the season’s races to date. However, his Red Bull teammate Sergio Perez could fair equally as well on Sunday given his success at the Monaco GP, a course that demands similar downforce.
While Charles Leclerc and Carlos Sainz have each been plagued all season by Ferrari’s strategic blunders and engine troubles, they seem to have the fastest cars when conditions are perfect. Don’t forget, the Scuderia have claimed poles in the majority of races this season.
Max Verstappen quacks at Christian Horner pic.twitter.com/PPS5R8x18b
— F1 To Rule Them All (@F1RulesMedia) July 13, 2022
Seven-time world champion Lewis Hamilton has been a regular on the podium lately after a horrific start to 2022. His teammate George Russell has also made a habit of finishing in the top-five this year. Having closed the gap to the front to “two or three tenths” per lap in Austria, it’s possible that Mercedes will mount a challenge to Red Bull and Ferrari over the second half of the season.
See below the top sportsbooks where you can wager online and choose the best one for you:
