Formula One returns to a fan-favourite track this weekend as the Hungaroring Circuit in Budapest hosts the Hungarian Grand Prix.
Lewis Hamilton claimed his first victory in 31 months last time out at the British Grand Prix in Silverstone, holding off a late charge from Max Verstappen for a famous ninth win at his home race.
Nonetheless, Verstappen has an 84-point lead in the F1 world championship at the halfway stage of the season, with Lando Norris in second as he targets another win following a handful of near-misses in recent weeks.
Mercedes, meanwhile, are eyeing a third consecutive victory this weekend after George Russell’s win in Austria, while Ferrari are looking to return to form following a torrid triple-header in which Charles Leclerc and Carlos Sainz struggled for pace. Verstappen won last year’s race in Budapest by a comfortable margin.
Follow live updates from the Hungarian Grand Prix with The Independent
F1 HUNGARIAN GRAND PRIX – LATEST UPDATES
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Kieran Jackson19 July 2024 13:49
F1 Hungarian Grand Prix: Carlos Sainz quickest in FP1!
Max Verstappen goes close late on, on his soft tyres, but he can’t usurp Carlos Sainz on top!
Sainz set a 1:18:713, 0.276 secs ahead of the Dutchman! Charles Leclerc was third, 0.298 secs behind his team-mate, with George Russell in fourth (+0.424) and Zhou Guanyu fifth (+0.467).
6-10: Norris, Piastri, Tsunoda, Stroll, Hamilton
Kieran Jackson19 July 2024 13:33
F1 Hungarian Grand Prix: FP1…
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Kieran Jackson19 July 2024 13:25
F1 Hungarian Grand Prix: Carlos Sainz quickest in Ferrari one-two!
Carlos Sainz now quickest with a 1:18:713, 0.298 secs quicker than his Ferrari team-mate Charles Leclerc!
George Russell is third, with Zhou Guanyu a surprise name in fourth for Sauber
Lando Norris is fifth, half-a-second off the pace!
6-10: Sargeant, Gasly, Magnussen, Bearman, Ocon
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Kieran Jackson19 July 2024 13:16
F1 Hungarian Grand Prix: Virtual safety car!
VSC briefly enforced due to some debris on track!
Think it’s some bodywork from Alex Albon’s Williams – but a marshal quickly runs out to pick it up and it’s green flag conditions again!
Kieran Jackson19 July 2024 13:04
F1 Hungarian Grand Prix: Ollie Bearman in P8!
Just 0.070 secs behind his team-mate Kevin Magnussen on the same soft tyres – and eighth on the leaderboard!
Plenty switching to softs now, though Piastri has just gone P2 with mediums behind Verstappen.
Some solid laps being done across the board right now…
Kieran Jackson19 July 2024 13:01
F1 Hungarian Grand Prix: George Russell and Yuki Tsunoda come close!
A close shave between the Mercedes and the RB cars on track!
Russell: “Yuki wasn’t looking in his mirrors!”
Tsunoda’s fault, though think his team should’ve let him know over the radio!
Kieran Jackson19 July 2024 12:53
Max Verstappen quickest after 15 minutes!
The Red Bull top of the charts early on, though he is the only driver on soft tyres – Verstappen 0.252 secs quicker than George Russell in second, with Lando Norris two-tenths further back in third.
4-10: Bottas, Hamilton, Albon, Leclerc, Gasly, Ricciardo, Piastri
Kieran Jackson19 July 2024 12:47
F1 Hungarian Grand Prix: Kevin Magnussen on the brakes in his Haas car..
“Terrible, really bad.”
Meanwhile, a problem with Zhou Guanyu’s Sauber car has sent the Chinese driver back to the pits.
Most of the pack on mediums right now..
Kieran Jackson19 July 2024 12:39
F1 Hungarian Grand Prix: Ollie Bearman in FP1!
Ollie Bearman is filling in for Nico Hulkenberg at Haas for this one session – one of his six FP1 sessions allotted at Haas this year.
Bearman will be driving for Haas next year.
Kieran Jackson19 July 2024 12:35