Mika Salo believes Mercedes are not favourites in Hungary

Ex-F1 driver Mika Salo is confident that Mercedes can't be considered favourites this weekend in Hungary. The Finn believes that Ferrari will be strong around the Hungaroring, a track that Mercedes has only won at once in the hybrid era.

Mercedes has comfortably won the last two races, with Valtteri Bottas coming out on top in Austria and Lewis Hamilton comfortably defeating the competition in Great Britain. With Ferrari now trailing the Silver Arrows by 55 points, a strong weekend over its rivals is crucial for the Scuderia.

"I think Ferrari will be strong," said Salo. "Mercedes could have a bit of trouble again because of their long wheelbase. But of course, Mercedes is always strong on every track, and so much will come down to qualifying because you can't really pass there. If you quality well, that's already a big part of the race."

Mercedes chief Toto Wolff recognises that his team are in front, but states that no prizes are handed out for leading at the halfway mark: "We have reached the halfway point of the 2017 season and both championships are very much in the balance right now. The points tables show that we have a small buffer in the constructors’ race and a small deficit on the drivers’ side. But that’s not important at this stage – there are no prizes awarded for the half-time champions.

"So now we head to Budapest for the final race before the summer break. We enjoyed a fantastic weekend in Silverstone but it is now something nice in the history books. We have to do the job again beginning with first practice in Hungary. Our rivals will be determined to fight back strongly – and we have to anticipate that. There is no complacency at all at Mercedes, just a resolute determination to get the job done."

Fergal Walsh