Strange things have been happening this Formula One season, one of which includes a love in between arch rivals Toto Wolff and Dr. Helmut Marko. When earlier this season there was talk of Verstappen leaving his Red Bull team, Wolff attempted to woo the current world champion together with his mentor.

With Dr. Marko and Max Verstappen inseparable, the Mercedes boss suggested he had a role vacant in Brackley which was a perfect fit for the 81 year old Austrian.

“We’re missing our old mascot anyway. Then we’ll just take Helmut. He’s the right age. He doesn’t have a red cap, but then he’ll come to us,” Wolff joked.

 

 

 

Wolff courts Dr. Marko

He went on to compliment Marko as bring “a real racer”, concluding, “If the [Red Bull] team loses Helmut, it will certainly be a loss for Red Bull and for the team.”

The silver arrows F1 team come to the Hungaroring on a high having won back to back races for the first time since 2021. Lewis Hamilton finally broke his 56 race win drought and became the only driver in F1 history to win nine times at the same circuit.

Hamilton could equal that record this weekend in Hungary, another of his favourite circuits over the years. Yet Dr. Helmet Marko believes in inherent probe with the W15 car will prevent Lewis from reaching this milestone and it appears Toto Wolff agrees with him.

Ahead of the Hungarian Grand Prix, Dr. Marko does not believe Mercedes will be the biggest threat to Red Bull and Max Verstappen this weekend if the race is ‘normal’, unlike at the recent British GP where changeable weather played havoc with the field.

Russians threaten Haas F1

 

 

 

Red Bull consultant “is right”

The temperatures expected this weekend will be the hottest of the year to date which is something Mercedes have struggled with in recent years. Marko believes this and tyre degradation will be troublesome for Mercedes and Toto Wolff appears to agree.

“The doctor is not wrong,” Wolff toldOE24. “But if we prove the opposite, then that would confirm the positive development we are having.”

Mercedes claimed the last two pole positions in Hungary, although in Friday practice both drivers appeared to be lacking in one lap pace. While the circuit plays to Mercedes’ advantages requiring higher downforce setups to cope with the tight and twist g layout of the track, the hotter temperatures may mitigate this advantage as the W15’s tyres degrade.

The race simulations were not encouraging for Mercedes either. Hamilton on the soft tyre averaged a time of 1:24:796, while Russell on the medium was quicker with 1:24:403. Yet Sergio Perez was quickest on the long runs on the same tyres as Russell he clocked up an average time of 1:23:939.

Alpine block Sargeant mid-season replacement

 

 

 

Mercedes prove hot weather Achilles heel

Russell confirmed Marko’s observation after FP2 when he told Sky Sports F1: “In the race run, Lando and Max look a little bit out in front. We need to understand because in the hot conditions of Austria and Barcelona, we were off the pace of those two drivers.

“In the cooler conditions of Silverstone, we were ahead of those two. That’s something we need to work on,” admitted Russell.

George is correct in identifying Barcelona and Styria as venues where Mercedes struggled more and in Spain Norris and Verstappen’s race pace was within one hundredth of a second of each other. Mercedes quickest driver was lewis Hamilton, and he was 0.3 seconds of the pace of the leaders.

In Austria the tale was similar with Norris being under a tenth of a second slower than Verstappen, while Russell the quickest amongst the Mercedes drivers was 0.4 seconds slower than Verstappen.

Verstappen publicly defends Perez

 

 

 

Hamilton struggles with ground effect cars

Again in FP2 at the Hungaroring, Russell was four tenths down on the benchmark set by Sergio Perez on the medium tyre, which is expected to be the favoured tyre for the Grand Prix.

Mercedes trackside director of engineering Andrew Shovlin has revealed why Lewis Hamilton is suffering a 10-2 deficit to his team mate this season in qualifying. Despite holding the record for the most F1 pole positions of all time, Hamilton has only qualified once at the very front of the grid, since the introduction of the new style cars in 2022.

“George has always set a very high bar in qualifying,” Shovlin explained. “And as soon as he was in F1, he was impressing. Even in the Williams, he was doing some pretty impressive qualifying sessions. So we know that he’s very quick.”

“Lewis hasn’t disguised the fact that Saturdays were his tough day. He’s struggled with this whole generation of car, really, not suiting his style. He’s been working on how he drives.”

Ricciardo confirms his targeting Perez seat

 

 

 

Little to change going forward

Hamilton has decided to leave Mercedes for Ferrari based on the belief the Italian team were his best hope of a record month drivers’ world title. Yet the Scuderia have slipped from being Rede Bull’s closest rivals at the start of the season to now just fourth quickest team over the past six racers.

Charles Leclerc has repeatedly revealed the Ferrari cars are on a knife edge, which is something Hamilton doesn’t like and as he ages his split second reactions may just be letting him down.

With no regulation changes until 2026, at present Hamilton will suffer the same ‘lack of feel’ he has at Mercedes now when he arrives in Italy next year.

There’s little respite for Lewis come 2026 given the regulations will retain the underfloor method of creating down force, which is something Hamilton is known to dislike.

Big Red Bull development in Hungary

 

 

 

FIA investigating ‘cheating’ team’s front wing

As Formula One rolled into Hungary, the paddock was awash with talk of cheating. Red Bull started the year as they finished 2023 and it looked by the end of their 1-2 at the Chinese Grand Prix as though this would be another season of domination from the World Champions.

Yet the RB20 car proved fatally flawed for the streets of Monaco and there was no podium for the team again in Austria, although for different reasons. Whispers abound in Budapest that behind the scenes the FIA intervened some weeks ago over suspect components on the Red Bull car. Since then its performance has dropped off, is the explanation offered.

The same could be said of Ferrari who since their Barcelona upgrade have looked a different outfit. Outscored by Mercedes, McLaren and Red Bull over the last six races, Ferrari hopes a revision to its floor this weekend will solve the problems the drivers have been facing since Monaco… READ MORE