Updated

Updated · Formula 1 · Jul 23

Ferrari Trails Mercedes by 73 Points as Hungaroring Fight Tightens Before F1 Break

Updated

Updated · Formula 1 · Jul 23

Ferrari Trails Mercedes by 73 Points as Hungaroring Fight Tightens Before F1 Break

Q: Will Ferrari's cautious optimism at the twisty Hungaroring finally shatter Mercedes' dominant streak before the summer break?

Ferrari has a real chance in Budapest, but Mercedes still enters the weekend as the safer bet. The Hungaroring should reduce Mercedes’ usual power-unit advantage and play more to Ferrari’s strengths in slow- and medium-speed corners. Ferrari’s recent form supports that optimism: Leclerc won at Silverstone, finished second at Spa, and took pole in Hungary last year. The team has also narrowed the constructors’ gap to 73 points and may gain a little more from its updated rear-wing package. But Ferrari’s caution is justified. Monaco was also billed as a Ferrari-friendly track and it did not deliver. In Hungary, raw pace alone will not be enough. Track position is critical because overtaking is difficult, and Mercedes has been the more reliable qualifier across the season, taking pole at every grand prix so far in 2026. If Mercedes locks out the front again, Ferrari’s path to victory becomes much harder. Tyres and execution may decide it. Hot conditions, soft compounds and high degradation put a premium on tyre preparation and race management, areas where Mercedes has generally been more consistent. Ferrari can absolutely win if it qualifies on the front row and gets the strategy right, especially given how often Hungary produces results that do not simply follow the pole-to-win script. So Ferrari’s optimism is credible rather than wishful. This looks like one of its best opportunities before the break to stop Mercedes, but it is not yet enough to make Ferrari the favourite.

3 articles · Updated · Formula 1 · Jul 23

Ferrari arrived in Budapest believing it can challenge Mercedes for victory at Formula 1’s final race before the summer break, even with the Silver Arrows still leading the championship.
73 points separate the teams in the constructors’ standings, but Ferrari has shown race-winning pace in the last two Grands Prix and converted one of them when Charles Leclerc won at Silverstone.
The Hungaroring’s tight, twisty layout is seen as better suited to Ferrari, reinforcing that optimism after Leclerc also took pole there last year.
Leclerc said Ferrari should be closer than in the previous two races, while warning against overconfidence after Monaco proved far worse than expected.
The weekend unfolds as the Hungarian Grand Prix marks its 40th anniversary, adding extra attention to a paddock already focused on the Mercedes-Ferrari duel.