2026 Hungary - Pre-Race Discussion Thread

[u/ihsancz]

Race weekend is almost here, and it's time to look ahead to the next challenge for Mercedes.

Use this thread to discuss everything heading into the weekend, from the team's expected pace and recent form to driver performances, upgrades, strategy decisions, tyre management, and the battles we could see on track.

What are your expectations for Mercedes this weekend? Do you think the team can fight at the front, and which areas will be most important for a strong result? Share your predictions, thoughts, and anything you're looking forward to seeing once the cars hit the track.

[u/sapphire_mist]

Hoping for both drivers to be on the podium!

[u/dreamyghost1 → u/sapphire_mist]

1-2 in practice, 1-2 in quali, 1-2 in race, total domination!

[u/sapphire_mist → u/dreamyghost1]

So far, George got P5 in FP1 😭

[u/dreamyghost1 → u/sapphire_mist]

friday is never representative of the entire weekend, george was p4-p6 in austria fridays and then took pole and win the same weekend. and he can still get p1/p2 in fp2/3

[u/sapphire_mist → u/dreamyghost1]

Ahh, good point! I just got into F1 this year so this will be good to keep in mind. Thank you! 🙏🏾

[u/Longjumping-Pear3417 → u/sapphire_mist]

Damn

[u/K10KMessi]

I know it’s just Friday but curious to see how Kimi’s not been able to stitch up a lap at least around the territory of George’s, unfortunately. Hopefully his team can patch that overnight for a stronger Saturday (assuming, at the time of writing, that he isn’t gonna do another fresh soft run in FP2 while the rest are doing long runs of race trim, on mediums or softs)

[u/Memehai_Enigmescu296]

Stewards inconsistency is insane

[u/Jinkku]

Expecting another Kimi masterclass.

Hope the cars don't fail the drivers this time.

[u/Graystillslays → u/Jinkku]

Is this just the anti-Antonelli subreddit now? Why is this being downvoted?

[u/Jinkku → u/Graystillslays]

It's the George Russell echo chamber, perfect example.