The last race before the F1’s summer break awaits this weekend as the teams travel to the Hungaroring. To ensure you catch all the action, here are the UK start time, channel, and extra F1 details for the Hungarian GP.
This week, Formula 1 fans received the shock news that four-time World champion Sebastian Vettel will retire from the sport. The Aston Martin driver will wave goodbye to F1 at the end of 2022, leaving a driver spot open for next season’s grid. As a result, the driver move rumour mill has had an early start this year.
Elsewhere in the paddock, several teams have brought numerous general and track-specific upgrades to Hungary. Most notably, Haas have added significant upgrades to Kevin Magnussen’s car only for the weekend. Their car has a revamped floor, as well as a redesigned sidepod and cooling system, among other changes.
Unfortunately, like many new parts in F1, Haas’ upgrades have brought controversy. Rival teams suggest that the US outfit has copied Ferrari’s sidepod design. Considering that Haas has a technological link with Ferrari, they may have a visit from the FIA to rule out any shady business.
But this does not bother team boss Guenther Steiner. His defence of the “white Ferrari” look is that you should copy off the fastest teams in order to improve.
“If you copy something, you copy the best you can,” said Steiner via Motorsport.com. “And, at the moment, it’s Ferrari and Red Bull.”
Despite the off-track circus, fans should still expect plenty of wheel-to-wheel action at the Hungaroring.
UK start time for the F1 Hungarian GP
UK F1 fans still get the welcome relief of a European race – so the Hungarian GP start is at a viewer-friendly time. The race starts at 2pm on Sunday 31 July, meaning British race fans can have a lovely lie-in before lights-out.
On Saturday, qualifying begins at a slightly later time of 3pm. This is a more traditional Grand Prix weekend. Therefore there is no sprint race in Hungary.
But where can you watch all of the racing?
How to watch the Grand Prix
Sky Sports is the home of all Formula 1 races on British TVs, with the Hungarian Grand Prix no different. This weekend’s race is on Sky Sports F1, which is channel 406 for Sky customers. For Virgin media users, this is channel 506.
Unfortunately, the F1 channel requires an additional subscription on top of your Sky contract. A Sky Sports subscription, which includes Formula 1, currently costs £25 a month extra.
However, you can also view Sky Sports via Now TV. You can stream this to your TV or watch across multiple devices. Currently, a day pass is available for £11.99. Alternatively, a monthly subscription costs £33.99 a month.
F1 Hungarian GP highlights
Don’t want to part with any money? No problem. Channel 4 show highlights of every race this year, meaning you can see all the key action of the round. Qualifying highlights are on at 7.30pm Saturday, with race highlights at 6.30pm the next day.
Current standings
Reigning champion Max Verstappen heads into Hungary on the back of yet another win last time out. He cruised to victory at the French Grand Prix, taking first over Mercedes’ Lewis Hamilton. The Dutchman now has a comfortable 63-point lead over Charles Leclerc in the drivers’ championship.
Leclerc may actually be looking over his shoulder at the driver in third in the standings. Sergio Perez is just seven points behind the Ferrari ace. Meanwhile, Leclerc’s teammate, Carlos Sainz, sits fourth, a further 19 points back from Perez.
Rounding out the top five is Mercedes’ George Russell. His impressive consistency lands him just a point behind Sainz, although teammate Hamilton is gaining on him.
Below is the top five, including driver point totals:
- Max Verstappen, 233 points
- Charles Leclerc, 170 points
- Sergio Perez, 163 points
- Carlos Sainz, 144 points
- George Russell, 143 points
Featured image credit: Getty
