MOGYORÓD, Hungary — Formula 1 heads to the Hungaroring this weekend for the Hungarian Grand Prix, the 11th round of the 2026 season and the final race before the championship enters its annual summer break.
Practice begins Friday with two one-hour sessions before qualifying takes place Saturday. Sunday’s 70-lap Grand Prix is scheduled to start at 3 p.m. local time (9 a.m. ET) on the 4.381-kilometer (2.722-mile) circuit just outside Budapest.
Mercedes enters the weekend with the momentum after Kimi Antonelli captured victory in Belgium, extending his championship lead to 45 points over teammate Lewis Hamilton. Mercedes also leads Ferrari by 73 points in the constructors’ standings entering Round 11.
Hamilton returns to one of his most successful circuits looking to make history. The Ferrari driver owns a record eight Hungarian Grand Prix victories and nine career poles at the Hungaroring, where tight corners and limited passing opportunities place an even greater emphasis on qualifying and race strategy.
Ferrari arrives with confidence after Charles Leclerc’s recent run of form, while McLaren is expected to debut a significant aerodynamic upgrade package. Aston Martin also brings one of its biggest updates of the season in hopes of climbing from the bottom of the constructors’ standings.
The Hungaroring has hosted Formula 1 every year since 1986 and remains one of the calendar’s most technical venues. Often compared to Monaco without the walls, the narrow layout rewards precision, tire management and track position, making Saturday’s qualifying session one of the most important of the season.
After Hungary, Formula 1 will pause for its traditional August shutdown before returning later next month for the Dutch Grand Prix at Zandvoort.