Hungarian GRAND PRIX BETTING TIPS: McLaren to dominate

The competition has been hotting up in Formula 1 and promises to hit new heights in this weekend's Hungarian Grand Prix on what is forecast to be a scorching weekend in Budapest.

As the second half of the season kicks off three-time world champion Max Verstappen holds a massive 84-point lead in the title race - but that is in no way reflective of the battle on the track in recent events.

The last seven races have seen five different drivers claim victories - there were only three different race winners in the whole of last season.

Red Bull ace Verstappen arrived in Hungary last year gunning for a seventh straight victory but this time he has not won either of the last two races, a situation he has not experienced since the middle of 2022.

Despite a dominant start to the season, Red Bull have come under increasing pressure from McLaren, Ferrari and now Mercedes, who have won the last two races.

The season has seen six different winners from four different teams and it is not at all unlikely that we will see at least one more new driver take the top step of the podium before the year is out.

TIP 1 - OSCAR PIASTRI TO WIN @ 8/1

Despite a vastly improved car, McLaren are showing their inexperience of running at the front and have missed out on several possible wins.

Lando Norris scored his maiden victory in Miami and pushed Verstappen all the way next time out in Emilia Romagna. He left it too late to make a pitstop behind the safety car in Canada, fluffed the start from pole position in Spain, was taken out while trying to pass Verstappen for the lead in Austria and threw away victory through poor strategy in Britain last time.

Under slightly different circumstances, Norris could have won six of the last seven races.

His young team-mate Oscar Piastri has had his share of woe too. A good second in Monaco, the Australian should have inherited the victory in Austria after Norris and Verstappen's clash but a contentious grid penalty left him starting seventh and on the back foot.

He was one of the five drivers in with a realistic shot of winning at Silverstone but a disastrous strategy call from the team cost him around 25 seconds in the race. Despite that, he still finished fourth.

Piastri ran second in Hungary last year until the first round of pit stops and has been getting closer to Norris's level of performance.

Budapest offers a unique challenge and several drivers have taken their first wins at the track including future world champions Damon Hill, Fernando Alonso and Jenson Button.

Piastri could become the latest to join that illustrious list.

TIP 2 - CHARLES LECLERC PODIUM FINISH @ 3/1

With a strong outing at Imola and victory at Monaco Ferrari looked to be on the verge of recapturing their glory days - but it has all fallen apart since then.

Monaco winner Charles Leclerc has recorded just one points finish - fifth place in Spain - in the four races since that success.

The team's latest upgrade has made the car unstable at high speed. That is something which particularly would have hurt in Austria and Great Britain but which shouldn't prove too much of a hindrance at the twisty Hungaroring.

It can be dangerous to compare Monaco and Budapest from a form study point of view, but both have low average speeds, low top speeds and long periods where the car is turning.

Certainly the circuit should suit Ferrari better than any since Monaco and, while a return to the top step may prove beyond them, Leclerc is worth a bet to pick up his sixth podium finish of the year.

TIP 3 - VALTTERI BOTTAS TOP-15 FINISH @ 11/10

It has been a difficult season for Sauber, who are the only team yet to pick up a point this year.

The team will be taken over by Audi for 2026 so the current owners could be forgiven for not putting too much effort into developing the car - but they certainly aren't tailed off at the back of the field.

Valtteri Bottas sits 21st in the standings despite only 20 drivers starting each race - the result of Ollie Bearman's points-scoring cameo for Ferrari early in the season.

The veteran Finn is a changed character since leaving Mercedes, and has borne his fate with good humour and some strong performances.

He qualified 10th in China but suffered mechanical issues in the race, and finished 13th in Canada despite starting from the pitlane.

Bottas finished 13th in Monaco and 15th at Silverstone last time and odds-against could prove generous for another top-15 finish this week.