Despite a shaky start to 2021, Ferrari seems to have found its groove. After Charles Leclerc was finally on the podium at the British Grand Prix, they are only 15 points behind McLaren in the constructors’ championship. Your progress is a pleasant surprise given the disastrous 2020 season.
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In fact, Leclerc held the lead for most of the race at Silverstone, even though Ferrari was slower than Mercedes. At this weekend’s Hungarian Grand Prix, the Maranello team could assess their chances of upsetting Red Bull and the Silver Arrows.
Can Ferrari disrupt the established order of Mercedes and Red Bull in Hungary?
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Ferrari ended the 2020 season with just 131 points. 10 races into 2021 and they have already exceeded this mark with 148 points. While their status as a championship team has taken a big blow after 2020, they seem to be on their way back to the top starting this season.
Leclerc took pole positions in Monaco and Baku. Although he couldn’t convert them into race wins, his teammate Carlos Sainz finished on the podium in Monaco. This demonstrated their competitiveness on street circuits that support low downforce setups.
Formula 1 F1 – Great Britain Grand Prix – Silverstone Circuit, Silverstone, Great Britain – July 18, 2021 Charles Leclerc of Ferrari leads in front of Lewis Hamilton of Mercedes in the REUTERS / Peter Cziborra race
Over the years, the Hungaroring has had a reputation for favoring low downforce setups. However, the modern F1 car has changed the way drivers manage the track. Indeed, Lewis Hamilton’s dominance on this track speaks volumes about how Ferrari pales in comparison to a top team on this track.
Despite her success at Silverstone, Sainz believes this weekend could be a tough outing for her. He said, “When you look at Monaco and Baku there are corners in second or third gear, but Budapest these days with these crazy high downforce cars has a middle sector where you are constantly in fourth or fifth gear.
“So it’s not a pure low-speed track like it used to be. I don’t think it will be such a good track for us. “
DIVE DEEPER
Leclerc and Sainz believe they will end up behind the top two teams this weekend
Despite the improvement on the SF21, Sainz believes Red Bull and Mercedes will have the edge this weekend. He said: “I think it’s a great opportunity to be right behind Red Bull and Mercedes, but the downforce is still king and we can see from the data that these guys are still ahead.”
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Leclerc also admitted that ending up behind both teams would be a good result. “We’re in a good mood, but I have a feeling that victory in Budapest could be a bit optimistic. So I think realistically that I’ll be happy if we’re just behind the two top teams. “
It is not uncommon for a team to downplay its chances, especially if it has not yet won a race. However, a Ferrari to be the first to cross the checkered flag in Hungary could be more realistic than ever in 2021.
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The post Predictions for the Hungarian GP: are Ferrari F1 no longer the dark horses on the Hungaroring? first appeared on monter-une-startup.
