What to watch for at Budapest

The FIA Formula 2 campaign returns for Round 8 at the Hungaroring, but what should you be watching out for this weekend?

Every point counts

Nyck de Vries will look to strengthen his stranglehold at the top of the Championship at Budapest, having come away from Silverstone without a win to his name. What he did continue was his run of consecutive podium finishes, which now stretches to six in as many rounds.

He highlighted his Championship credentials by producing a result against the odds when his ART machine proved less competitive than in recent races. His third placed finish is a tribute to the remarkable consistency that he has shown all season and his ability to eek every last drop of performance out of his car.

His tally of 107 points is identical to George Russell’s this time last year, with the Briton going on to take the crown in Abu Dhabi, securing an F1 seat with Williams in the process.

Perseverance pays

Luca Ghiotto put a stop to a string of poor form in Austria, two rounds ago, and then followed up two podium finishes with his first ever Feature Race win in Silverstone, an apt reward for his stubborn perseverance when things weren’t going his way.

Having put that period behind him, the Italian will be looking to continue his upward curve of form and further cut the gap between himself, Nicholas Latifi and leader De Vries. His UNI-Virtuosi team were the ones to beat in Great Britain and will hope to carry that form into Round 8, ahead of the August break.

When, not if?

Guanyu Zhou has been top of the rookies pile so far this season, scoring points in every round bar Baku, when he suffered a DNF in the Feature Race and narrowly missed out on the points with 10th in the Sprint.

However, unlike fellow rookie Anthoine Hubert, who has two wins to his name, the 20-year-old has yet to stand at the top of the podium. It looked as if that might change at Silverstone, when he claimed an emphatic pole position in Qualifying, becoming the first rookie driver to do so this season. However, it was not to be as teammate Ghiotto wrestled the position off him at the race start and he eventually finished in third, behind Latifi.

It is surely only a matter of time before the burgeoning young talent gets a win, right?

Overtaking opportunities

Qualifying is supposedly crucial at the circuit nicknamed ‘Monaco without buildings,’ but the track has undergone various alterations since it was first introduced to the Formula 1 calendar in 1986 and as far as F2 goes, has produced some great spectacles. Think Lando Norris’ charge through the field last year, from sixth to second, or De Vries’ win from third, and you’ve already got plenty of reasons to get excited.

The 4.381 km is beloved by drivers for the technical challenges that it poses, with tight, twisting corners that leave little room for error. The extended run-in to Turn 1 makes a quick getaway crucial, while the restructured Turn 12 provides further opportunity to overtake, with a 90-degree right-hander.