F1 fever to continue in Hungary this weekend

By Can Erozden

ANKARA (AA) — The Hungarian Grand Prix, the Round 12 in this season's Formula One World Championship, will take place on Sunday.

The race will be run over 70 laps of the 4.381-kilometer (2.72-mile) Hungaroring in Mogyorod, Pest County.

The first Grand Prix at Hungaroring was held in 1986.

Red Bull Racing's Max Verstappen, a back-to-back F1 champion from the Netherlands, has 255 points to lead the 2023 Driver Standings.

Verstappen's Mexican teammate Sergio Perez has 156 points and is in the second position. Following Perez, Aston Martin's Fernando Alonso has 137 points.

Mercedes driver Lewis Hamilton is placed fourth with 121 points, while Ferrari's Carlos Sainz comes fifth with 83 points before the Hungarian Grand Prix.

The 2023 Constructor Standings is led by Red Bull, who have 411 points after winning all 10 races this season. Verstappen was victorious in eight Grands Prix, and Perez won twice.

In May, Formula One canceled the Emilia Romagna Grand Prix, the sixth race of the season, due to flooding in northern Italy.

Mercedes have 203 points to be in the second spot in the constructor standings.

Aston Martin are third with 181 points.

Fourth-place Ferrari have 157 points, and their nearest opponent McLaren are ranked fifth with 59 points.

- Hamilton on pole after long time

Mercedes' Hamilton, a seven-time F1 champion, on Saturday qualified in pole position for Sunday's Hungarian Grand Prix.

The 38-year-old British driver took the pole for the first time since the 2021 Saudi Arabian Grand Prix, when face masks had to be worn and COVID-19 restrictions were in place.

He last celebrated his pole position 33 races ago.

On Saturday Hamilton beat Verstappen by 0.003 seconds, winning the third qualifying period (Q3) with a time of a minute and 16.609 seconds.

So, Hamilton will start Sunday's race as a leader. His rival Verstappen will line up second, and McLaren's Lando Norris will begin third in Mogyorod.