Mercedes is on a winning streak—the first Formula One team in 2024 to get both drivers a victory in the star-studded grid. The next venue in the Formula One calendar is the Hungarian Grand Prix. Mercedes Legend Lewis Hamilton is an eight-time winner of the Hungarian Grand Prix however last season Max Verstappen won dominantly and has been at the top step in Hungry for the previous two years and last time out Hamilton made history by winning his ninth British Grand Prix. Could history repeat itself two weeks later?
Can Mercedes Make It a Triple?
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The shock rebirth of Mercedes has been a present surprise for Formula One Fans. The collision in Austria between Lando Norris and Max Verstappen changed the tone of the F1 season allowing George Russell to win the first of what is now two in a row for Mercedes. Then two weeks ago Mercedes did not need such luck as the race in Silverstone was dominated by the Mercedes.
This weekend Mercedes has the opportunity to be the first team that isn’t Red Bull since 2021 to win three races in a row that was done by Hamilton himself. Should Hamilton win this weekend it will be the ninth win in Hungry. No driver has ever won at a track nine times except for Hamilton who accomplished that record two weeks ago.
The secret to the Mercedes’s success is the flexible front wing. Since the upgrade in Monaco Mercedes has surpassed Redbull in speed and even with McLaren. Since the upgrades, George Russell has captured two poles in Canada and Silverstone. Russell told the media about the rejuvenation of the Silver Arrows factory:
If you told us at the start of the year we’d be going into Hungary fighting for three wins in a row, we wouldn’t have believed it, And, you know, we’ve led the last four races since the upgrades, which is an incredible turnaround for us. Everybody’s super motivated.
Who Can Stop the Silver Arrows
That elusive third victory will be hard to capture as the top three teams are within tenths of one and the other. The Red Bull struggles are well documented as for the first time in three years Red Bull is chasing the fasted car. Verstappen is still competitive but his teammate Sergio Perez has been absent from the front and in most races over the last few races absent from the points at all.
The upgrades from McLaren have been the most notable from their seemingly sudden rise to the top of the grid. McLaren would have multiple wins this year had it not been for strategic failures of Silverstone and unfortunately timed safety car in Canada. If McLaren can put a full race together then the Luxury car brand can be the ones to know about the Silver Arrows.
The Pit Strategy
The Strategy for Hungry this weekend will be two stoppers. Four of the top five strategies in last year’s grand prix have been starting on the mediums then pitting for hards around lap 17 to 25 then coming down again for mediums around lap 42 to 52. However, the other strategy could be starting on hard tires then moving mediums around lap 25 then a new set of mediums around lap 40.
Pirelli is bringing the softest compounds available C3, C4, C5. The Mediums are three-tenths slower than the softs and the hard tires are almost nine-tenths slower than the softs. Verstappen is the two-time defending race winner, McLaren and Mercedes have shown to be faster on track than Verstappen, Red Bull’s saving grace is that they have the best strategist in Formula One.
The weather has been a factor in the past, however, the meteorologists predict 34 degrees Celsius (93 degrees Fahrenheit) with virtually zero chance of rain. The race will be on ESPN on July 21st at 9:00 am Eastern time also available on F1 TV in the United States. Can Max Verstappen end his longest winless drought since 2022 (two races), Can Mercedes make it three in a row, can McLaren win their second win of the year or do we get a complete shock with a win out of nowhere?
