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The grid for the 2024 Hungarian GP is set. Lando Norris will be in pole followed by Oscar Piastri alongside him. In P3, there will be Max Verstappen, and he will have Carlos Sainz alongside him in the second row.
There are multiple drivers starting in positions one wouldn't ideally find them. George Russell and Sergio Perez will not be in the top-15 on Sunday. Nevertheless, the first focus would be on the weather. The weather has not been the best for anyone, as the forecast had a minimal chance of rain even in qualifying.
If it continues to be dry, it will start favoring a few teams. On the contrary, if it rains, the strategy becomes pivotal. So, what can we expect from the F1 Hungarian GP? Let's take a look.
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#5 Aston Martin would be a midfield contender
It appeared on Saturday that Fernando Alonso and Lance Stroll had the pace to compete against Lewis Hamilton, at least in qualifying. Sunday is going to be somewhat different, though, as Aston Martin tend to take a step back in the long runs.
The car has taken a step forward compared to its recent form, and that's encouraging, but expecting it to challenge the top-4 might be a step too far.
#4 George Russell scores points, Sergio Perez doesn't
It might be an indictment of how poorly Sergio Perez has performed this season because, even though he starts the race in the vicinity of George Russell, one doesn't expect him to score points.
Hungaroring is a track that's notorious when it comes to pulling off overtakes, and that's going to hurt Perez, especially as he has generally not shown the pace to make fast gains through the field.
Russell, meanwhile, had a comparable long-run pace to McLaren and Red Bull (maybe a couple of tenths down but not more than that), and that should help him find his way through the field. Eventually, expect the better driver to get the result, which should be Russell.
#3 If rain makes an appearance, it will aid Mercedes
Rain was a surprise in the Hungarian GP qualifying, and it certainly was something that caught a few teams off-guard.
If there's rain on Sunday, one team it will favour more than anyone else is Mercedes, who re maybe half a step behind Red Bull and McLaren in dry weather, but if it rains, the gap will close.
Lewis Hamilton cannot be counted out if there's rain on the horizon.
#2 The race might turn out to be processional
This might be a slightly pessimistic view of what's going to happen in the Hungarian GP, but the race could prove to be just a procession, and there are elements that could lead to it.
McLaren appear to have the edge over Red Bull in terms of pace. They have the front row locked out, and if both drivers are 1-2 at the start, it's going to be very tough to chase them down unless something strange happens.
The track layout is not the most conducive for wheel-to-wheel battles. It's also not the best when it comes to red flags or safety car stoppages. There's definitely a possibility that we might see a race where things are processional in nature.
#1 Lando Norris wins F1 Hungarian GP
Finally, when it comes to predicting the winner of the Hungarian GP, we're going with Lando Norris. The young driver has been undeniable this weekend, and he starts the race in pole position.
There have been far too many races recently where things haven't gone his way. This time, the stage is set for Norris to take the bull by the horn and dominate to get the result.
It could be a battle for the win at the front or could be a one-sided dominance for Lando Norris as he wins the Hungarian GP.
