Bottas on Sauber's F1 downfall: 'When Vasseur left, it all fell to pieces'
Since the departure of team principal Fred Vasseur, Sauber's Formula 1 team has crumbled — leaving Valtteri Bottas to struggle for a return to the front of the grid
F1 heads to Hungary this weekend for a 70-lap tour of the Hungaroring — a circuit which often delivers plenty of racing action despite its narrow street-like nature.
Viewers in the UK will be able to watch every session live on Sky Sports F1, with FP1 marking the start of on-track activity at 12.30pm on Friday, followed by qualifying on Saturday at 3pm and the Hungarian Grand Prix on Sunday at 2pm. Channel 4 will also be providing highlights of the weekend, which race fans can watch for free.
For perhaps the first time since 2021, the battle at the front could be led by Mercedes which enters Hungary off the back of successive race wins at the Red Bull Ring and Silverstone. its winning streak could continue here too, as just last year Lewis Hamilton scored an unlikely pole position — a feat team-mate George Russell also achieved the year before.
On both occasions, Max Verstappen ultimately reached to the front when it counted. But with Red Bull currently struggling for performance, will Mercedes’ current run of form go unchallenged, or can McLaren step up following on from missed opportunities in Canada, Austria and Britain?
With Ferrari also in the mix and the midfield hoping to benefit on chaos at the front, the 2024 Hungarian GP won’t be one you want to miss.
All times in BST
Qualifying Saturday 20 July |
Hungarian GP Sunday 21 July |
|
Session start time | 3pm | 3pm |
Live coverage Sky Sports, Sky Go, NowTV, Channel 4 |
2.15pm | 1.30pm |
Highlights Channel 4 |
6.30pm | 6.30pm |
Each minute of every F1 session will be broadcast live in the UK, for paying subscribers only.
Live TV: All on-track sessions will be broadcast live on Sky Sports F1 starting with the only Free Practice session of the weekend on Friday at 1.30pm. Subscribers also have access to onboard streams from each of the 20 cars, including radio messages, allowing them to follow a favourite driver on their phone while watching the main feed on TV. The onboard streams are also available on TV, as is a ‘Battle Channel’ offering split-screen coverage of the best fights for position.
Live stream: Sky Sports F1 subscribers in the UK can watch all the running live on the Sky Go app. Now TV subscribers can also see live coverage of every session via Sky Sports F1. It also offers onboard views of each driver through in-app bonus streams for monthly subscribers. These can be viewed concurrently with the main stream on a separate screen.
Live timings are available through the F1 app.
Highlights: Channel 4 will show highlights of the weekend, with action from Saturday’s qualifying session and Sunday’s grand prix available on the corresponding day of each event.
Despite it’s “Monaco without walls” reputation, the Hungaroring has produced its fair share of memorable moments as a grand prix venue, from Nigel Mansell‘s triumph over Ayrton Senna in 1989 to Max Verstappen’s spin-and-win in 2022.
Since its debut on the calendar in 1986, the 2.6-mile, 18 corner circuit located just 20km from the centre of Budapest has produced a unique challenge for drivers, with its narrow, tight and twisted layout often prompting many to channel the talent from their karting days — especially when Hungary’s unpredictable climate rears its head.
A singular DRS zone on the pit-straight often results in wheel-to-wheel action through Turns 1 and 2. With few opportunities to overtake throughout the rest of the lap, a good qualifying position combined with a solid strategy is often the key to success.
The current forecast suggests that clear and sunny skies are to be expected over the 2024 Hungarian Grand Prix weekend, with on-track temperatures predicted to reach a scorching 31°C.
As well as being possibly uncomfortable for the drivers, the Hungarian heat could also pose a problem for the tyres too, which could wear excessively and force teams to make extra stops if they’re not looked after.
All times in BST
Friday 19 July | Saturday 20 July | Sunday 21 July | |
F1 | Free Practice 1 — 12.30pm Free Practice 2 — 4pm |
Free Practice 3 — 11.30am Qualifying — 3pm |
Hungarian Grand Prix — 3pm |
Since the departure of team principal Fred Vasseur, Sauber's Formula 1 team has crumbled — leaving Valtteri Bottas to struggle for a return to the front of the grid
Max Verstappen drove Lando Norris off the road in the past two GPs and did the same to Lewis Hamilton in 2021. It's an effective tactic, even when penalised, says Mark Hughes. So F1 stewards need tougher sanctions
Picture the scene. You're in the depths of a Sao Paulo nightclub, surrounded by hundreds, when suddenly you're transported back through F1 history as the voice of Ayrton Senna begins…
Ayrton Senna won the 1991 F1 championship with McLaren's MP4/6, the only V12 car to win the title. Team members tell James Elson of the chaotic efforts to defeat the superior Williams — a fight where Senna made the difference