Ferrari's F1 turnaround in Hungary track specific - Mercedes
Mercedes boss Toto Wolff is convinced Ferrari's return to form at the Hungarian Grand Prix is track specific, rather than a sign it has made big progress with its car


Ferrari put a host of updates to good use on the tight and twisty Hungaroring track, which better suits its SF70H car, to lock out the front row for the first time since Monaco in May.
But while Lewis Hamilton feared that Ferrari's progress was real and it had moved forward, Wolff believes that circuit characteristics are the real reason behind his team being beaten in qualifying.
"I think it is track specific," said Wolff, when asked by Autosport why he felt Ferrari were so strong this weekend.
"There are three tracks that are similar, high downforce tracks, Monaco, Budapest and Singapore, and we are starting to see a little bit of a pattern.
"The DNA of our car just seems to be running more stable on the faster circuits, and Ferrari is doing very well on the twisty slower circuits."
Wolff said he took encouragement from the fact that Mercedes was closer to Ferrari than it had been in Monaco.
"In Monte Carlo we had problems much worse than here," he said.

"We have solved the problems - and this is what I take positive from the day: that we have become much closer to Ferrari on this type of circuit."
Although the difficulties of overtaking at the Hungaroring mean Ferrari is clear favourite for victory in the race, Wolff still senses opportunities for his drivers.
"There is definitely an opportunity off the start," he said.
"If you have a good getaway, the straight line is 600-700m [610m], there is an overtaking opportunity.
"And around Turn 1 and Turn 2 there are opportunities. But from then on it becomes a bit more difficult.
"For me it is still motor racing, a lot of things can happen during the race and we will see what end result it will be.
"From the pure car performance it is about damage limitation."
HUNGARIAN GP GRID
Pos | Driver | Car | Time | Gap |
---|---|---|---|---|
1 | Sebastian Vettel | Ferrari | 1m16.276s | - |
2 | Kimi Raikkonen | Ferrari | 1m16.444s | 0.168s |
3 | Valtteri Bottas | Mercedes | 1m16.530s | 0.254s |
4 | Lewis Hamilton | Mercedes | 1m16.707s | 0.431s |
5 | Max Verstappen | Red Bull/Renault | 1m16.797s | 0.521s |
6 | Daniel Ricciardo | Red Bull/Renault | 1m16.818s | 0.542s |
7 | Fernando Alonso | McLaren/Honda | 1m17.549s | 1.273s |
8 | Stoffel Vandoorne | McLaren/Honda | 1m17.894s | 1.618s |
9 | Carlos Sainz Jr. | Toro Rosso/Renault | 1m18.912s | 2.636s |
10 | Jolyon Palmer | Renault | 1m18.415s | 2.139s |
11 | Esteban Ocon | Force India/Mercedes | 1m18.495s | 2.219s |
12 | Nico Hulkenberg | Renault | 1m17.468s | 1.192s |
13 | Sergio Perez | Force India/Mercedes | 1m18.639s | 2.363s |
14 | Romain Grosjean | Haas/Ferrari | 1m18.771s | 2.495s |
15 | Kevin Magnussen | Haas/Ferrari | 1m19.095s | 2.819s |
16 | Daniil Kvyat | Toro Rosso/Renault | 1m18.538s | 2.262s |
17 | Lance Stroll | Williams/Mercedes | 1m19.102s | 2.826s |
18 | Pascal Wehrlein | Sauber/Ferrari | 1m19.839s | 3.563s |
19 | Paul Di Resta | Williams/Mercedes | 1m19.868s | 3.592s |
20 | Marcus Ericsson | Sauber/Ferrari | 1m19.972s | 3.696s |

McLaren eyes September deadline for 2018 F1 engine decision
Ricciardo: Red Bull F1 team-mate Verstappen 'amateur' in collision

Latest news
Why F1's nearly man is refreshed and ready for his return
He has more starts without a podium than anyone else in Formula 1 world championship history, but Nico Hulkenberg is back for one more shot with Haas. After spending three years on the sidelines, the revitalised German is aiming to prove to his new team what the F1 grid has been missing
Daytona 24, Hour 15: Porsche takes lead amid trouble for MSR Acura
Porsche Penske Motorsport moved to the front of the Daytona 24 Hours in the 15th hour after the erstwhile-leading Meyer Shank Racing Acura developed an oil leak issue.
Vandoorne: Dashboard, steering wheel glitch caused Diriyah FE attack mode penalty
A blank dashboard caused Stoffel Vandoorne's 24-second Diriyah E-Prix penalty, as an electronics glitch on his DS Penske Formula E car meant he couldn't arm attack mode.
Five things we learned from Vasseur's first Ferrari F1 press call
Ferrari has undergone a winter of upheaval ever since it was announced that boss Mattia Binotto was stepping away from the Formula 1 squad.
Why F1's nearly man is refreshed and ready for his return
He has more starts without a podium than anyone else in Formula 1 world championship history, but Nico Hulkenberg is back for one more shot with Haas. After spending three years on the sidelines, the revitalised German is aiming to prove to his new team what the F1 grid has been missing
The potential-laden F1 car that Ferrari neglected
The late Mauro Forghieri played a key role in Ferrari’s mid-1960s turnaround, says STUART CODLING, and his pretty, intricate 1512 was among the most evocative cars of the 1.5-litre era. But a victim of priorities as Formula 1 was deemed less lucrative than success in sportscars, its true potential was never seen in period
Why Vasseur relishes 'feeling the pressure' as Ferrari's F1 boss
OPINION: Fred Vasseur has spent only a few weeks as team principal for the Ferrari Formula 1 team, but is already intent on taking the Scuderia back to the very top. And despite it being arguably the most demanding job in motorsport, the Frenchman is relishing the challenge
The crucial tech changes F1 teams must adapt to in 2023
Changes to the regulations for season two of Formula 1's ground-effects era aim to smooth out last year’s troubles and shut down loopholes. But what areas have been targeted, and what impact will this have?
Are these the 50 quickest drivers in F1 history?
Who are the quickest drivers in Formula 1 history? LUKE SMITH asked a jury of experienced and international panel of experts and F1 insiders. Some of them have worked closely with F1’s fastest-ever drivers – so who better to vote on our all-time top 50? We’re talking all-out speed here rather than size of trophy cabinet, so the results may surprise you…
One easy way the FIA could instantly improve F1
OPINION: During what is traditionally a very quiet time of year in the Formula 1 news cycle, FIA president Mohammed Ben Sulayem has been generating headlines. He’s been commenting on massive topics in a championship that loves them, but also addressing necessary smaller changes too. Here we suggest a further refinement that would be a big boon to fans
How can McLaren keep hold of Norris?
Lando Norris is no longer the young cheeky-chappy at McLaren; he’s now the established ace. And F1's big guns will come calling if the team can’t give him a competitive car. Here's what the team needs to do to retain its prize asset
What difference did F1's fastest pitstops of 2022 make?
While a quick pitstop can make all the difference to the outcome of a Formula 1 race, most team managers say consistency is more important than pure speed. MATT KEW analyses the fastest pitstops from last season to see which ones – if any – made a genuine impact
Subscribe and access Autosport.com with your ad-blocker.
From Formula 1 to MotoGP we report straight from the paddock because we love our sport, just like you. In order to keep delivering our expert journalism, our website uses advertising. Still, we want to give you the opportunity to enjoy an ad-free and tracker-free website and to continue using your adblocker.
You have 2 options:
- Become a subscriber.
- Disable your adblocker.