The good fortune Red Bull needs to overthrow Hungary favourite Ferrari

From the scorched yellow grass, shirtless fans on the banks and countless sweat patches in the paddock, it’s not difficult to tell that the heat at the Hungaroring has been searing on Friday. For second practice, even though the sun was beginning to set, the mercury touched 34 degrees Celsius. Yet, this time tomorrow, the meteorologists are predicting a downpour. So much so, there’s hushed talk of qualifying being postponed until Sunday morning. And a washout seems to be Red Bull’s best bet of dragging itself back into contention in Budapest.

Historically, these 2.72 miles and 14 corners have been Red Bull territory thanks to the high downforce requirements. But coinciding with the switch to ground-effect for 2022, the inverse is now true. Tighter tracks that dictate more bursts of low-speed acceleration have proved to be happy hunting grounds for Ferrari and its eager engine. The RB18s have, instead, come to the fore at the open, faster sweeps of Jeddah, Baku and Montreal thanks to the top-end punch of its rebadged Honda power unit.