Budapest (AFP)
From the Red Bull Ring to the Hungaroring: after two first races in two weeks on the Austrian track, F1 is racing this weekend in Hungary, on a circuit on which Lewis Hamilton and Mercedes are used to shining.
After a comeback inside two weeks ago in Austria, sanctioned by two penalties and a fourth place, the Briton set the record straight the following week by offering himself with ease pole position and victory on a track that does not not one of his favorites.
On the Budapest Hungaroring, it's a different story: since his debut in 2007 (thirteen seasons), the six-time world champion has won there seven times - a record - and has signed six poles.
Only Michael Schumacher did better with seven leading positions, but this is another record from German legend that the Mercedes driver is aiming for this year: that of seven world titles.
Winner of the first Grand Prix in 2020 and second in the following, his Finnish teammate Valtteri Bottas occupies first place in the championship, with six points ahead, but the paddock almost unanimously expects to see this situation quickly reversed after the third round of the season, still run behind closed doors because of the new coronavirus pandemic.
- "Take out the big game" -
To stand on the road of the Briton, we wait for Max Verstappen, but the Dutchman estimated at the end of the two Austrian races that his Red Bull was "just not fast enough" to beat the Mercedes.
On a different route, can the outcome also be? "I could tell you a great story, tell you that it's a circuit that values engine power less, that I signed pole (its first in F1, editor's note) and finished second last year, but I don't am not like that, "swept Verstappen at a press conference on Thursday. "It's too early to know."
Bottas believes that the pace of the Silver Arrows is "encouraging", when Hamilton expects it to be "tighter, a good battle" with Red Bull against whom it will be necessary to "take the big game" .
Another strong image of the last GP of Styria, much less glorious, however, than the arch-dominance of Hamilton: the clash from the first lap between the Ferraris of Charles Leclerc and Sebastian Vettel. The Monegasque has apologized and both say that the incident is "behind" them.
The Scuderia did not leave the inn: especially in qualifying, its SF1000 was outdone not only by Mercedes and Red Bull but also by Racing Point, McLaren and Renault.
"We know that the performance level of our car is not up to our expectations or those of our fans, admits the main team Mattia Binotto. But we are working very hard at all levels to progress as quickly as possible . "
This is essential so that Leclerc's second place during an inaugural GP enamelled with abandonment does not remain exceptional.
- "Triple header" -
Fatigue, finally, can it make a difference this weekend? Not so much that of the pilots but that of their teams, on the bridge for almost three weeks ...
The first "triple header" (three races in as many weeks) in the history of F1 in the summer of 2018 had left the staff of the teams bloodless, but it was another time.
The season had started several months ago and it had been necessary to swallow many kilometers between France, Austria and Great Britain. This time, the championship started more than three months late due to the Covid-19 and only 400 km separate the Red Bull Ring from the Hungaroring.
And Hamilton to conclude: "after our wait to start the season, everyone is still very enthusiastic. It is not a problem for the moment but it could become it during the next two + triple headers + on the calendar" in August and September.
© 2020 AFP