2025 F1 Hungarian GP: Race predictions

The grid for the F1 Hungarian GP is set, and we have Charles Leclerc on pole position, followed by Oscar Piastri in P2. The second row will feature Lando Norris and George Russell in P3 and P4, respectively, while there is the all-Aston Martin third row.

The race at the Hungaroring does not tend to be the most action-packed, as there aren't many areas to pull off the overtakes. The long DRS straight could be the one where we could see something, and if you add the threat of rain, then we have an enticing prospect in front of us.

Charles Leclerc has now secured his first pole position of the season and will have the dominant McLarens alongside him. Can he pick up a win? Could Lewis Hamilton score points? So, what can we expect from the F1 Hungarian GP? Let's take a look.

#5 Unless it's wet, the race is going to be processional

The tires seem to be holding up well, irrespective of them being medium or soft. This does indicate that we are more than likely heading for a race where tire management is not going to be a factor.

As a result, a track where other than the DRS overtakes are going to be hard, we're possibly looking at a race that might be a bit processional.

Of course, if it rains, things could change completely, and different strategic variables could come into the picture.

#4 Yuki Tsunoda doesn't score points while Lewis Hamilton will struggle to crack the top-8

Lewis Hamilton sounded quite downbeat after the F1 Hungarian GP qualifying, and there's reason to be that way. The biggest of them is the fact that, unlike Spa, you do not have as many zones to pull off overtakes.

At the same time, the pace gap between the cars is not so significant that you could end up pulling off overtakes down the straight. It's going to be a toil for both him and Yuki Tsunoda, who starts further down the grid, to make his way through the field.

Lewis Hamilton should get into points for the F1 Hungarian GP, but anything better than a top 8 result is going to be a miracle. Yuki Tsunoda, however, is going to struggle to score points as the pace is just not there for Red Bull.

#3 No top 5 for Max Verstappen

Max Verstappen would start his race in P8, and while one should never write off the F1 champion, the Red Bull appears to be completely out of sorts. The car is just not in the position to challenge for much. At the same time, the drivers ahead of Max are not in slow cars either, and hence it would take strategic wizardry to pull things off and gain positions.

#2 The top 3 drivers would pull away from the chasing pack

The top 3 drivers are Oscar Piastri, Charles Leclerc, and Lando Norris, and throughout the race weekend, these three have been a class apart. They've had the pace in the bag, and at the same time, they've had an edge over the chasing pack.

Rain or sunshine, they are probably going to pull away after the first lap from the chasing pack, and it would be interesting to see how they eventually do in the race.

#1 Oscar Piastri wins the F1 Hungarian GP

Well, while it would be nice to see a Charles Leclerc win at the F1 Hungarian GP, it is highly unlikely that we will see one. The Ferrari is just not on the level of the McLaren, and while the Hungaroring is narrow and there are only limited opportunities to pull off overtakes, the performance gap is a bit too big.

While we do expect the top 3 to pull away from the chasing pack, it would be hard to see Leclerc hold on to the lead, as even if he is able to hold off the advances on the track, there's always the strategy to pit at different times and use the car's performance in that manner.

Hence, although we'd love a Charles Leclerc win, we're going with Oscar Piastri utilizing McLaren's strengths and getting the better of the Ferrari driver and winning the F1 Hungarian GP.

Edited by Charanjot Singh Kohli