Racing
© fuji.tim
Kimi Antonelli arrives at the Hungarian Grand Prix with a chance to tighten his grip on the 2026 Formula 1 title race, heading to the final round before the summer break after his sixth win of the season in Belgium and with a 45-point lead over Lewis Hamilton and a 50-point advantage over Mercedes team-mate George Russell.
That makes the Mercedes driver the clear reference point at the Hungaroring, where one strong qualifying lap can shape the entire weekend. Antonelli won at Spa-Francorchamps last time out, and multiple reports point to him as the favorite again in Budapest as Mercedes tries to carry its momentum into the shutdown.
Hungary tends to magnify the importance of Saturday. The 4.381 km circuit has 14 corners and runs over 70 laps, but its narrow, twisty layout leaves few real overtaking chances. That is why the Hungaroring is so often described as Monaco without the barriers, and why grid position can matter almost as much as outright race pace.
The main threat to Antonelli’s run at the front could come from Ferrari. The Hungaroring’s corner-heavy profile is widely seen as a better theoretical fit for the SF-26, and both Ferrari drivers bring reasons for confidence. Hamilton sits second in the championship, while Charles Leclerc has built momentum with a win at Silverstone and second place in Belgium, where he finished close to Antonelli.
If Ferrari can turn that promise into pole-position speed, it could disrupt Mercedes at exactly the kind of track where controlling the front is everything. That is the question hanging over the weekend: whether Ferrari can finally convert a favorable circuit into a direct challenge to Antonelli’s recent authority.
McLaren should not be overlooked either. The team has been especially strong in Hungary in recent seasons, with Oscar Piastri winning there in 2024 and Lando Norris in 2025, while another report noted McLaren scored 1-2 finishes in each of the past two years. On a circuit where track position is king, that recent form matters.
The Hungarian Grand Prix runs from July 24 to 26, with practice on Friday, final practice and qualifying on Saturday, and Sunday’s race scheduled for 15:00 local time. By the end of it, Antonelli could head into the four-week break with Mercedes’ momentum intact and the championship picture tilted even further in his favor.