Mercedes holds a comfortable lead over Ferrari in the Formula 1 Constructors Championship.
But Ferrari has outscored Mercedes over the past two race weekends, trimming the lead from 98 points after the Austrian Grand Prix to 73 points after last weekend’s Belgian Grand Prix.
The upcoming Hungarian Grand Prix could give Ferrari an opportunity to further close the gap in the Constructors’ Championship. It could also give Lewis Hamilton a chance to put a dent in Kimi Antonelli’s 45-point lead in the Drivers’ Championship.
Mercedes’ biggest advantage in 2026 is their power unit. That gives them an edge on tracks with long straights and more flat-out zones due to their superior energy deployment.
Ferrari, meanwhile, has had an advantage in the corners due to their superior chassis.
This makes Ferrari the stronger team on paper heading into Hungary. The Hungaroring only has one long straight and many slow-speed corners, making a strong chassis more important than a strong power unit.
The Hungaroring has been referred to as “Monaco without walls,” due to the lack straights and prevalence of tight corners. Hungary also has a narrower track compared to other purpose-built tracks such as Silverstone or Spa-Francorchamps.
That makes overtaking difficult, with the only real opportunity coming at Turn 2. Because of that, qualifying and pit strategy have an added importance.
That could pose a challenge for Ferrari. Mercedes has taken pole in all 10 Grands Prix in 2026. Hamilton did grab pole for the sprint race at the British Grand Prix.
Despite the emphasis on qualifying, the Hungarian Grand Prix has not been won from pole the last five years, which is the longest active streak on the Formula 1 calendar.
Pit strategy can also play a big role. Track temperatures at the Hungaroring tend be the highest recorded during the Formula 1 season, which can lead to tire degradation.
Pit strategy decided the 2025 Hungarian Grand Prix. McLaren’s Lando Norris qualified third but dropped to fifth after a poor start. He came back to win by pulling off a one-stop strategy while polesitter Charles Leclerc and teammate Oscar Piastri opted for two-stop strategies.
Also working in Ferrari’s favour is that Hamilton is the most successful driver at the Hungaroring. Hamilton holds the record for the most poles (nine) and wins (eight) in Hungary, though he finished 12th in 2025.
Antonelli finished 10th in Hungary during his rookie season in 2025. He qualified 15th after struggling with track limits in Q2.
Antonelli’s teammate George Russell’s best result in Hungary is third, which he’s done twice, including in 2025.
Ferrari’s Leclerc has never finished on the podium in Hungary, though he has finished fourth three times. Leclerc’s most recent pole came in Hungary in 2025.
McLaren has finished first and second at the past two Hungarian Grands Prix. Piastri took his maiden Grand Prix win in 2024, while Norris won in 2025. McLaren does have upgrades planned for the weekend which could allow them to challenge Mercedes and Ferrari for the win.
Ferrari has benefited from bad luck for the Mercedes drivers over the past two race weekends. Antonelli was catching Leclerc for the lead at the British Grand Prix before having to pit because of a broken left wheel shield. Russell was knocked out of the Belgian Grand Prix during the first lap after a collision with Hamilton.
Mercedes has only had one points finisher in each of the last two races, during which Ferrari’s worst finish was Hamilton’s fourth in Belgium. That allowed Ferrari to cut into Mercedes’ lead in the Constructors Championship, while Hamilton overtook Russell for second in the Drivers’ Championship. That’s despite Silverstone and Spa-Francorchamps being tracks that favour Mercedes over Ferrari.
With 11 races remaining after the summer break, a win in Hungary for Ferrari could set up an exciting second half of the season.
