F1 Braces for Bad News as Hungarian GP Fears Dramatic Qualifying Twist

Green lights finally shimmered over the Hungaroring circuit as F1 flagged off what was the 38th Hungarian Grand Prix weekend on Friday. Yet again, Budapest lived up to its expectations, with the sun beating down relentlessly along with high temperatures, as the drivers continued to show a tinge of discomfort. Well, heading into the final practice session, we’ve got good news and bad news.

The good news is that the weather on Saturday could be an absolute contrast to what we witnessed on Friday. Temperatures are set to drop by over 10°C with the wind picking up drastically as well. Hence, it will be an extremely tricky FP3 and, most importantly, qualifying, for the drivers. That is, if it happens.

Well, we’ve given you a modest hint of the bad news that’s to come. Yes, quite unfortunately, the stewards may not flag off the crucial FP3 and qualifying sessions after all. Why you might ask? Multiple weather models suggest that Saturday could witness extreme rainfall coupled with lightning and thunder.

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What’s more, the expected quantum may even lead to localized flooding, which leaves a huge question mark over any F1 action, let alone the support races.

Pirelli F1 acknowledges harsh weather for Hungarian GP qualifying

Mario Isola, Head of F1 & car racing, Pirelli, revealed that he had a conversation with Meteo France, which did affirm the bad news. “I spoke with Meteo France, there is a 80% rain prediction already starting from tomorrow morning. I hope qualifying is not delayed too much but there is a lot of rain coming,” he said.

But, that’s not it! Alfa Romeo sporting director, Beat Zehnder, also reportedly told Sky Germany that the stewards might close down the entire circuit on Saturday. So, if that ends up being the case, qualifying will most likely take place on Sunday morning, hours before the main race.

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Overall, it is expected to be a nervy Saturday ahead for the entire F1 community that is yearning to enjoy a thrilling qualifying session. As of now, looking at the pace difference between Red Bull and Ferrari, rain remains the only factor that could spill a bit of mystery into the weekend. Hence, will the stewards take the gamble and let the drivers show their racing prowess on a hydroplane-prone Hungaroring today? Well, we’ll know soon enough.