Hungarian GP Preview

The buzz going into this years Hungarian Grand Prix is whether Lewis Hamilton and his Vodafone McLaren Merecedes can make it three in a row. He is definitely coming off a hot streak and not many people are willing to put their money against him winning. However, I do believe that one of the Ferrari's or both will fight for victory. My money this weekend will be on Raikkonen winning as he is due a victory, but ruling Massa out will be a mistake too.

The Hungarian GP is normally one of the least interesting races on the Formula One calendar, with regards to the track, but off the track I believe Budapest is one of most interesting cities to visit. The Hungaroring is a tight and twisty track where overtaking is close to impossible and often turns out to be a processional race. The circuit is pretty similar to Monaco, minus the glitz and glamour. While the Hungaroring might not appeal to some drivers, it has been witness some of Formula One's most memorable moments.

Hungaroring has been witness to the classic duels between Senna and Prost, Mansell's tyre blow which cost him the F1 Championship, emotional debut wins for both Fernando Alonso (2003) and Jenson Button (2006), and more recently the falling out between Alonso and Hamilton, which exploded during last year's qualifying. 2006 probably had the best F1 race in Hungary, the only time a wet race took place, which saw Championship rivals Alonso and Schumacher starting from the middle of the pack and carving their way up the field, until both retired in the finishing stages of the race.

This year's race will definitely be a crucial race as the Championship gets tighter. McLare are sure to be favourites after they trounced the opposition, including Ferrari at the last race in Hockenheim. McLaren normally do well here and to add to that Hamilton is looking as confident as ever, and will be looking to repeat last year's success at this circuit. Both Raikkonen and Massa have been under fire, following their disappointing performances at the last race, but expect them to bounce back with a bang. With chances of rain being very low, it will definitely be a McLaren vs. Ferrari battle.

Behind the leading pack, look out for the battle between Renault, Red Bull and Toyota. Alonso has been extremely unlucky in the last couple of races and is due for a good result, at one of his favourite circuits. Glock returns from his horror crash last week, while Webber and Coulthard will be aiming for a good finish here. Lastly watch out for Sebastian Vettel, the Toro Ross driver has been hugely impressive in the last couple of races and will be hoping to go even better here.

Qualifying and strategy will be crucial here so let us see which team can master the conditions this weekend...