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The 2025 F1 Hungarian GP is going to be the last race before the paddock heads for a mid-season break. There are a lot of things that have happened this season that have come as a surprise. The dominance of McLaren and the exaggerated nature are two of them.
As we head to the F1 Hungarian GP, there are arguably only two drivers who are in with a shot for the title, and they both drive for McLaren. Oscar Piastri is coming to the spot where he won his first-ever F1 race and is leading the championship by 16 points over Lando Norris.
With that being said, what can we expect from the F1 Hungarian GP? Let's take a look.
#5 The 'racing' issue will pop up again
The one thing that stood out in Spa was the lack of racing during the race. Let's get one thing clear though, it was down to Pirelli not going a step down completely and the FIA keeping the shortened DRS as well. As we head to the F1 Hungarian GP, the tire configuration is the same as last season.
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Well, we saw last year as well that the cars ended up being a handful to overtake during the race. With the dirty being an even bigger factor this time around, expect racing to be under the scanner once again this weekend.
Of course, all of this goes for a toss if we have rain.
#4 Alpine and Haas should have a better one
Alpine and Haas have often been right at the fringes of points in the last few, and for one reason or another, results have deserted them. At the F1 Hungarian GP, the track demands mean that the power unit is not a major factor, something that plays into the advantage of the French team, while the lack of fast speed sections means that the American team's major weakness is not a factor.
The F1 Hungarian GP might just be one of the opportunities for these teams to get some points on the board.
#3 Max Verstappen doesn't finish on the podium
Well, Max Verstappen is going through his worst run in terms of podiums since 2019. The driver has not been on the podium for three consecutive races. This is something that hasn't happened with the driver since then, but for the F1 Hungarian GP, we're heading to a track where Red Bull could potentially struggle, as the medium-speed sections and big bumps just don't go with the car.
With rivals expecting a better race, the outcome might be another podiumless race.
#2 Ferrari is a dark horse for the race
Even before Ferrari successfully tested the new suspension, the F1 Hungarian GP was one race that the team would have earmarked on the calendar as one where it could challenge for the win.
It's hard to pinpoint what is going to happen, but the aggressive kerbs and the slow-to-medium speed nature of the track are something that plays right into the strengths of the car.
#1 Oscar Piastri wins the F1 Hungarian GP
The battle for the win is going to feature the McLaren duo, and if rain is a factor, it would further enhance the advantage the team has with this car. Having said that, just like the race in Spa, this is a race that's going to be won by clinching the small battles. These battles are arguably the start of the race and the final push lap in qualifying.
As we've seen this season, one of the reasons why Oscar Piastri is in the position he is in right now is because he makes sure he wins these small battles time and again. Hence, for this weekend, we're going with the Australian for the win.
