Hungarian Grand Prix: Emotions high at Ferrari, as Vettel bounces back

Having swapped home-turf agonies in the past two races, Sebastian Vettel and Lewis Hamilton have one final chance to alter the momentum of the Formula 1 title race before the summer shutdown at the Hungarian Grand Prix. Hamilton, a record-breaker at the Hungaroring, has the pedigree, but Vettel and Ferrari have the form.

CIRCUIT DEBRIEF

• Tight and twisty circuit that can be demanding on tyres
• Downforce and handling more important than power
• Race is physically demanding due to the number of corners
• Overtaking is tricky, so a good grid spot is important

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HAMILTON'S HISTORY COUNTS FOR LITTLE?

The final race before the summer break has arrived, and for many of the teams and drivers a well-earned break awaits after a gruelling run of five races in six weeks, including F1's first triple header.

However, Vettel will be keen to get back in the car as soon as possible after sliding out of his home Grand Prix from the lead last weekend, not only giving up a race win to Hamilton, but also the lead of the drivers' championship along with it.

Looking at past form, Hamilton would appear to be favourite this weekend, as he's claimed a record five victories here in the past, but it was Vettel who completed an impressive lights-to-flag win last year ahead of Ferrari team-mate Kimi Raikkonen.

With Ferrari looking strong in recent races, Mercedes boss Toto Wolff anticipates a "difficult weekend" for the championship leaders and says the tight and twisty nature of the Hungaroring circuit "doesn't suit the DNA of our car so much." The need for downforce should bring Red Bull into the frame too.

Should Hamilton win this weekend to extend his 17-point advantage, his lead entering the summer break will be the largest he's ever had at this stage of a season - an incredible thought when you consider Vettel led by a point prior to last weekend's race.

Hamilton might want to pay attention to one interesting statistic, though. Since F1 introduced its summer break back in 2008, none of the drivers to win the final Grand Prix before the shutdown have ended the year as champion.

SILLY SEASON HITS TOP GEAR

Rumours of signings and swap deals have gathered pace in recent weeks, and we should expect some more details on one or two of those.

The two moves that could trigger a chain reaction are the futures of Ferrari mainstay Raikkonen, and perhaps surprisingly, Williams' Lance Stroll.

A few races back, Raikkonen was thought likely to be heading out of Ferrari and had been linked with (somewhat unlikely) moves to former teams McLaren and Sauber. Charles Leclerc was widely reported to have agreed a two-year deal as the Finn's replacement after impressing with Sauber.

But with the sad death of former Ferrari president Sergio Marchionne this week, there are suggestions that the Scuderia's new board will opt for stability in keeping Raikkonen, rather than taking a risk on Leclerc, who may head to Haas to continue his development.

Further down the grid, news of Force India's continued financial struggles has mounted and so too have the rumours of Lawrence Stroll investing in, or even buying, the team to move his ambitious young son further up the grid.

Stroll Jr and Sr have been left frustrated by Williams' slide down the grid this season. The Canadian scored all four of the team's points in Baku in April and rookie Sergey Sirotkin has not provided the motivational yardstick that Felipe Massa did last year. A move to Force India could potentially reignite his career and may trigger a driver reshuffle, opening a vacancy at Williams and allowing Esteban Ocon to complete a mooted move to Renault.

WET WEATHER EXPECTED FOR QUALIFYING

With rain causing chaos in last week's German Grand Prix, there are a few drivers who might relish the prospect of more damp conditions this weekend - Vettel aside.

Friday looks likely to be hot and dry, but we could see a significant change in conditions over the weekend. According to reports, a heavy thunderstorm could hit the area on Saturday afternoon with a 60-70% chance of rain expected during qualifying.

The rain is likely to stick around on Sunday, but with a reduced risk of 40% chance affecting the race.

A SOMBRE WEEKEND FOR FERRARI

The sad news broke this week that Marchionne had passed away at the age of 66. It came as a shock to the F1 community, but will be felt hard by those at Ferrari this weekend.

The team cancelled many of their scheduled media commitments this weekend, and pictures were also shared on Twitter of the team's 'prancing horse' flag flying at half-mast in the Hungaroring paddock on Thursday.

Team members, including Vettel and Raikkonen, wore black armbands and a black stripe will be carried on Ferrari's car, with tributes also carried by customer teams Haas and Sauber as a further mark of respect.

Although the fast-paced world of F1 must go on, there's no doubting that a Ferrari victory this weekend would be a mightily emotional one for all involved.