As we head into the second half of 2017 Formula One season at Hungarian Grand Prix, the races for both drivers' and constructors' championships are still wide open.
While Ferrari, in the new season that has seen faster and meaner engines, dominated the initial part of the year by winning three of the first six races, they have fallen behind without being able to finish on the top step of the podium in the last four races.
Mercedes has picked up steam with Lewis Hamilton and Valtteri Bottas, winning three of the last four races. The Silver Arrows are leading the constructor standings with 330 points, 55 more than Ferrari.
Also, Hamilton reduced Sebastian Vettel's lead at the top of driver standings down to just one point when he set the British Grand Prix on fire earlier this month.
Facing constant pressure from Mercedes drivers, the latter would want to take a healthy lead yet again, but history favours the Brit at Hungarian Grand Prix, which will be the 11th race of the ongoing season.
Notably, Hamilton has won five races at Hungaroring, more than any other driver in the sport's history, with his last victory coming in 2016. Given, the Brit's recent form, he will be the best bet in the 70-lap race.
Emphasis will be given on practice races in the lead-up to the qualifying race on Saturday, July 29, as overtaking is a tough ask at Hungaroring. However, Hamilton winning the race even after conceding last year's pole to Nico Rosberg proves his command over the track.
Also, Ferrari has been maintaining that Mercedes has been holding an advantage in the pre-race sessions due to its advanced qualifying engine modes. It might very well come into play as Hamilton and Bottas will be looking to dominate proceedings once again.
On the other hand, Red Bull, who had lagged behind Mercedes and Ferrari in the recent past, are looking a stronger team this time and Daniel Ricciardo's win at Azerbaijan is a testament to it. It will be interesting to see how they perform at Hungaroring, which favours their strengths.
Hungarian Grand Prix schedule
Practice session 1 - 10 am local time, 1:30 pm IST and 4 am EST.
Practice session 2 – 2 pm local time, 5:30 pm IST and 8 am EST
Practice session 3 (Saturday) – 11 am local time, 2:30 pm IST and 5 am EST
Where to watch - TV and live streaming information
India: TV: Star Sports SelectHD2. Live Streaming: Hotstar.
UK: TV: Sky Sports F1. Live Streaming: Watch Sky Sports.
USA: TV: NBCSN. Live Streaming: NBC Sports Live.
Asia: TV: Fox Sports. Live Streaming: Fox Sports Play.
Australia: TV: Ten HD. Live Streaming: Ten Play.
Canada: TV: TSN, TSN 2, RDS
