Wwelcome again to our coverage of the 2022 Hungarian Grand Prix from the Hungaroring in Budapest. The big news this week is Sebastian Vettel’s announcement that he will retire at the end of the season.
The four-time world champion has won two Hungarian Grands Prix in his illustrious career, but Aston Martin is having a disappointing season, so it’s safe to say he’s unlikely to say goodbye to this circuit with a third win.
Someone who wants to take his chances this weekend is Charles Leclerc. The Ferrari driver led the French Grand Prix last week and was on course for consecutive wins until he hit the barriers on lap 17. Max Verstappen took advantage of Leclerc’s mistake to win the race and extended his lead at the top of the championship to 63 points with ten races to go.
However, there are positives to be taken from last week for Ferrari. The car’s speed in the corners served them well and Carlos Sainz did well to work his way from his starting position of 19th to fifth. He finished third in the race at one point, but Ferrari made the decision to retire late in the race, something Sainz disagreed at the time.
On another day, with fewer mistakes from Leclerc and better decision-making from the team, Ferrari could have possibly had two cars on the podium. But again, if Leclerc made fewer mistakes and Ferrari made better decisions, Verstappen and Red Bull would not lead the Drivers’ Championship with 63 points and the Constructors’ Championship with 82 points.
Ferrari has another chance to plug the gaps this weekend, as the twists and turns of the Hungaroring mean they have to have the faster car again. Last year, Esteban Ocon won his first Grand Prix in a race marked by a frenetic first lap. Both Leclerc and Verstappen were hit in the chaos, with the former having to stop and the latter saving a point in tenth place. They both hope this year’s race isn’t nearly as exciting.