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Allan McNish expects to see a battle between Red Bull and Mercedes at the Hungaroring this weekend.
After a strong showing in Monaco earlier in the year, the BBC analyst expects the Austrian team to again perform well at the comparable Hungaroring.
Red Bull is the only team to have won besides Mercedes this season, but Max Verstappen's triumph in Spain only came after a clash between Lewis Hamilton and Nico Rosberg. Nevertheless, Daniel Ricciardo seemed on his way to victory in Monaco, until a bad pit stop spoiled his day..
Mercedes has already indicated that they see Red Bull as a serious threat, and McNish agrees.
"It is a track with very similar characteristics to Monaco: relatively low speed, lots of corners, very few straights. It should suit the Red Bull down to the ground.If they have raw pace in the way they did in Monaco with Ricciardo and can qualify at the front, that would give them complete control of the race, because it is such a difficult circuit to overtake on," the Scot told the BBC.
"If they have raw pace in the way they did in Monaco with Ricciardo and can qualify at the front, that would give them complete control of the race, because it is such a difficult circuit to overtake on," he said.
"The Red Bull has a lot of usable aerodynamic downforce - just what you need in Hungary - and two drivers in Ricciardo and Verstappen who are pushing like hell and have a point to prove."
However, former Toyota racer McNish warns that the new track surface in Hungary could see a return of Red Bull's tyre problems.
"It used to be a slippery, dusty track with a unique, abrasive, low-grip asphalt. But the new surface is apparently the very high bitumen, dark-surfaced asphalt used in Austria and Brazil."
"If it is hot as usual, that will exacerbate the problems of keeping tyre temperatures under control - and Red Bull have struggled with that at a couple of races recently."
Grand Prix of Belgium
G. Zhou
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Posts: 225
I bloody hope RedBull take the fight to Mercedes, the gap seemed to be so small at the start of the year and now somehow mercedes have leaped. Sick of seeing them at the front and all the news pages showing how amazing hamilton is compared to every other driver on the grid. Would also be good to see RB dethrone Ferrari from P2 in the constructors, they are in a shambles and are really annoying me by saying they will still fight for the championship. Just start focusing on 2017's car and prove yourselves then