Hungarian Grand Prix: Stage Preview

This year, the Hungarian stage breaks stereotypes. Usually everyone came with suitcase mood and hotel reservations for the summer holidays to the Hungaroring, saying goodbye to Formula 1 a month before the Spa stage. This year there is only one week between Hungary and Spa, and only then is there a holiday.

Traditionally, the Hungarian race is one of the most boring, although the stands are always packed there, and the atmosphere is compared to the best stages, and not because on the days of the weekend, as in the eighties, the local authorities declare amnesty for girls of easy virtue.. This time is irretrievably over. However, the girls definitely stayed.

This is now a normal, ordinary European stage. Buses with Russian and Finnish fans no longer stand around with cans of cheap and tasty Hungarian wine, the euphoria of which reached its peak at the start of the race. No one else passes ten on two tickets as the check is now automatic. And the competition for the longest rod with the flag, in which ours always won, is no longer either.

Those who have the option can choose, and the sun-drenched Hungaroring doesn’t seem like the best choice. But there is something else special about this phase.

The Hungarian Grand Prix, as before, closes the first half of the season. Of those that have taken place, this is the 11th stage, followed by 11 more. Formally, the winner of the title and the constructors’ championship has not yet been determined, but in fact the cups can already be handed out to put the battle behind them, which causes surprises this year.

Given the experience and great technical resources of Mercedes, everyone expected the most serious progress from them, but (with the same engines) first Aston Martin, and now McLaren. And the story of the experience and skill of Mercedes engineers somehow got lost, faded into the background, as others managed to achieve more.

After the illness and death of Niki Lauda, ​​Mercedes’ results slowly rolled down. It will probably be the same with Red Bull Racing after Helmut Marko’s departure. It is clear that they have no direct influence on the results. On the one hand they are the talismans of the team, on the other hand they are key employees who influence the making of the most important decisions. And if there are no such employees, then there are no such decisions.

Lauda was much needed by Toto Wolff who is just a cool manager. Marco is much needed by Christian Horner, who is just a manager, especially after the death of Dietrich Mateschitz. Without these variables the equation doesn’t work, and without them there are many other contenders in our sport for a place at the top.

And yes, an invitation to the team, and then the dismissal after ten Grand Prix of Nick de Vries is another mistake by Marco. Still, Red Bull was against calling the Dutchman, but Marco insisted. Well, it’s not his decision anymore.