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The grid for the 2022 F1 Hungarian GP is in place now, with George Russell starting the race in an unlikely pole position. This will be the first career pole position for the Mercedes driver and what this does is it throws a spanner in the works for teams like Ferrari and Red Bull that were planning to win the race on Sunday. Having said that, what we have in front of us is a mixed-up grid that should yield good action in the race.
So, who will win the 2022 F1 Hungarian GP? Where will Max Verstappen and Lewis Hamilton finish in this race? We've got you covered with the answers to all these questions. So just sit back and relax as we take you through the predictions for the 2022 F1 Hungarian GP.
#5 The 2022 F1 Hungarian GP could be a snoozefest
Apologies for putting a damper on things, but there is a very high possibility that this could happen. The storm that was supposed to stay during the 2022 F1 Hungarian GP qualifying passed before the session and we had a dry one. In all likelihood, we are going to have a dry race as well on Sunday.
By the looks of it, the temperature should be high and that could mean tire management will be key. Having said that, this was also supposed to be the case in the 2022 F1 French GP as well, a race where drivers did find it hard to pull off overtakes.
Hungary is notorious for not being so conducive to overtakes and even though both Max Verstappen and Lewis Hamilton will start in the midfield, we could see a repeat of Circuit Paul Ricard where despite having better speed, the chasing car is unable to pull off the overtakes. Whether this will happen or not is a question mark, but it surely looks plausible at this stage.
#4 Sebastian Vettel scores points
Sebastian Vettel will start the 2022 F1 Hungarian GP in 18th position. Now, it does seem like a bit of a bold prediction to expect the German to make his way through the field. Aston Martin's long runs, however, were impressive on Friday and Vettel could opt for a strategy similar to what he employed at Silverstone, where he pitted early and then ran a long second stint.
With the German notorious for managing the tires and Aston Martin supposedly having a strong long-run pace, it won't be too big a stretch to expect Vettel to finish inside the top 10 in tomorrow's race.
#3 A Max Verstappen podium
Starting from P10 in the 2022 F1 Hungarian GP with both the Ferraris and both the Mercedes cars ahead of him, a podium would be a tough ask for Max Verstappen. Having said that, Red Bull's long-run speed has arguably been its strength throughout the season.
Although making the jump on drivers like Lewis Hamilton and Fernando Alonso on the track would be difficult, if Max Verstappen can show the long-run speed that he's had all season, the team can employ alternate strategies and help him gain a few positions as well. Verstappen is a once-in-a-generation talent and at the 2022 F1 Hungarian GP, we're expecting his talent to propel him to the podium.
#2 An inevitable Ferrari implosion
Ferrari's lack of aggression and hunger when it comes to aligning all the resources behind Charles Leclerc in the fight for the championship is astonishing. If we are brutally honest, Charles Leclerc is the driver that can lead them to the title considering the situation the team finds itself in.
Ferrari, however, won't pull the trigger as it became clear when Mattia Binotto clarified the same earlier this weekend. For the 2022 F1 Hungarian GP, both Charles Leclerc and Carlos Sainz have been very close to each other in terms of speed. Having said that, unless either of the two drivers jumps George Russell at the start, it would be very hard for them to pass him on the track.
What would be required in this situation is teamwork of the highest order, something that Ferrari hasn't made its name in this year. For the 2022 F1 Hungarian GP, expect Ferrari to do something similar to what it has done all year and make a mess of a great opportunity presented to it on a platter.
#1 George Russell wins the 2022 F1 Hungarian GP
George Russell's pole position is not only surprising, it also sets up a position that Mercedes would have dreamed of finding itself in. The German giant has a car at the front of the grid on a track where overtaking is not the easiest of things. To add to this, it's not the phenom that goes by the name of Max Verstappen with his well-oiled Red Bull team that starts alongside Russell. It's the beleaguered, error-prone, and down-on-confidence Ferrari that is starting alongside the Mercedes driver.
While overall in terms of pace, Mercedes is a step behind Ferrari but in race trim, the gap is not too big and that kind of gap can be managed at a track like Hungaroring. For the 2022 F1 Hungarian GP, we're going with George Russell as our pick to win the race.
