Mercedes targets error-free Hungarian GP weekend before F1 summer break
Mercedes says its car has the pace but self-inflicted mistakes have cost points, and it wants a clean result in Hungary before F1's summer break.
- 40th
- 307 km
- 4.381 km
- 600th
What Happened
Mercedes heads into the Hungarian Grand Prix determined to deliver a faultless and reliable weekend after admitting it has not converted its car's performance into results. Toto, in the team preview, says the W17 has shown the necessary pace at every race but that self-inflicted problems have cost points. The Hungaroring, with its high energy-recovery potential, demands a different approach from Silverstone and Spa. The team's goal is to take the points the car is capable of before the summer break.
“We have lost points through problems of our own making and we are aware that we need to improve. The team is working at high pressure to understand the problems, fix them and ensure that we give both drivers the means they need to get the most out of every race weekend.”
Mercedes' third driver will take part in Friday's first free practice, returning to the W17 to gain more experience. The third driver describes the Hungaroring as similar to Monaco because of its high energy-recovery potential, with teams running maximum downforce and using full power for the entire lap. The circuit demands constant concentration and offers little rest, and hot weather often adds to the challenge.
Free Practice 1 (third driver in W17)
Free Practice 2
Free Practice 3
Qualifying
Grand Prix (70 laps)
- Track length: 4.381 km; 70 laps; 307 km race distance
- 14 corners (6 left, 8 right); 440 m from pole to first braking zone; pole on the left
- Pit lane: 365 m speed-limited; 16 seconds at 80 km/h
- Braking: 4 events above 2G, 2 above 4G; medium brake energy
- Expected top speed: 317 km/h
- Lap records: 1:16.627 (Hamilton, race, 2020); 1:13.447 (Hamilton, qualifying, 2020)
- The Hungaroring celebrates its 40th anniversary this year; Hungary joined the calendar in 1986 and has hosted a race every season since.
- The circuit has 14 corners, six left and eight right, many in quick succession, so a well-balanced car is key.
- The distance from pole position to the first braking zone is 440 meters.
- Good traction is essential because of the many slower corners; rear tires are heavily stressed.
- George Russell took his first F1 pole position here in 2022.
- Mercedes-Benz Power achieved its 600th F1 podium at the 2024 Hungarian Grand Prix.
- Mercedes at Hungaroring: 16 starts, 5 wins, 14 podiums, 9 poles, 15 front rows, 5 fastest laps, 4 retirements
- George Russell at Hungaroring: 7 starts, 0 wins, 2 podiums, 1 pole, 1 front row, 2 fastest laps, 0 retirements
- Kimi Antonelli at Hungaroring: 1 start, 0 wins, 0 podiums, 0 poles, 0 front rows, 0 fastest laps, 0 retirements
- MB Power at Hungaroring: 32 starts, 15 wins, 33 podiums, 16 poles, 30 front rows, 9 fastest laps, 26 retirements
- Mercedes overall (F1): 351 starts, 139 wins, 323 podiums, 153 poles, 284 front rows, 120 fastest laps, 62 double wins, 87 front-row lockouts
- Mercedes since 2010: 339 starts, 130 wins, 306 podiums, 125 poles, 264 front rows, 111 fastest laps, 57 double wins, 83 front-row lockouts
Why this matters
This is the last race before the F1 summer break, so a strong result would send Mercedes into the pause with momentum. The team openly says it has lost points through its own problems and wants an error-free weekend to score the points its car is capable of. The Hungaroring's tight layout, high energy-recovery demands and heavy rear-tire stress make it a very different challenge from Silverstone and Spa.
Terms in This Story
- Power unit
- The hybrid engine and energy recovery system in a Formula 1 car.
- Pole position
- The first starting spot on the grid, earned by the fastest qualifier.
- Rekuperation
- German for energy recovery: harvesting kinetic energy during braking to recharge the battery.
Summarised from the linked release; details can be imperfect — always verify against the original source.