The F1 calendar 2021 was already shaping up to provide a classic season, but the Hungarian Grand Prix is set to offer so much tension in the aftermath of a seismic collision last time out.

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Max Verstappen's British Grand Prix lasted less than a lap at Silverstone as he crashed out at Copse following contact with Lewis Hamilton – who went on to win the race with a breathtaking drive.

Red Bull were furious that Hamilton was only handed a 10-second penalty, while Mercedes vehemently defended their own driver. Now, with the fierce competitors set to meet for the first time since the incident, the Hungarian Grand Prix is carrying a little extra fire going into it.

Verstappen still leads the way in the championship with and eight-point gap over Hamilton, though that was brought down from 33 points prior to the British GP.

Lando Norris has crept up to third to mark a stunning season from him so far, while Charles Leclerc's valiant attempts to haul Ferrari up the tables had led him to a respectable sixth with his form continuing to improve.

RadioTimes.com brings you the complete guide to the Hungarian Grand Prix 2021 including dates, times and TV details, as well as exclusive analysis from Sky Sports F1 commentator Crofty ahead of every race.

When is the Hungarian Grand Prix?

The Hungarian Grand Prix takes place on Sunday 1st August 2021.

Check out our full F1 2021 calendar for the list of dates and upcoming races.

What time does the Hungarian Grand Prix start in the UK?

The race begins at 2pm on Sunday 1st August 2021.

We've included the full schedule for the rest of the weekend, including practice and qualifying times below.

Hungarian Grand Prix schedule

Friday 30th July

From 10am on Sky Sports F1

Practice 1 – 10:30am

Practice 2 – 2pm

Saturday 31st July

From 10:45am on Sky Sports F1

Practice 3 – 11am

Qualifying – 2pm

Sunday 1st August

From 12:30pm on Sky Sports F1

Race – 2pm

How to watch Hungarian Grand Prix on TV

The Hungarian Grand Prix will air live on Sky Sports F1.

All races will be shown live on Sky Sports F1 and Main Event throughout the season.

Sky customers can add individual channels for just £18 per month or add the complete sports package to their deal for just £25 per month.

How to live stream the Hungarian Grand Prix online

Existing Sky Sports customers can live stream the race via the Sky Go app on a variety of devices.

You can watch the Grand Prix with a NOW Day Membership for £9.99 or a Monthly Membership for £33.99, all without signing up to a contract.

NOW can be streamed through a computer or apps found on most smart TVs, phones and consoles. NOW is also available via BT Sport.

Hungarian Grand Prix preview

With Sky Sports F1 commentator David Croft

How will Max Verstappen v Lewis Hamilton go this weekend?

DC: It could be a fascinating race. The Hungarian Grand Prix is difficult to overtake in, a very twisty track and Lewis loves it – won it eight times in the past. He's trying to become the first driver ever to win nine times at a single circuit. If he does that, it'll be his 100th Grand Prix victory, it could also take him to the top of the Driver's Championship as well – what an incentive before the summer break that is for Lewis Hamilton.

For Max Verstappen, his car should be better suited to Hungary but if Lewis could get on the front row alongside him and then beat him into Turn 1 and keep him at bay for 70-odd laps, which is possible there, what an effort that would be. And how would that set things up for the second half of the season?

I don't know what people are doing on Sunday afternoon but I really hope the weather in the UK is not very nice because then that takes the decision out of people's hands. You might as well stay in and watch the Grand Prix rather than sacrificing some time going for a picnic or whatever! And if you are going for a picnic, take your phones and tablets with you. Don't miss this, this is going to be epic.

Is there a personal battle developing between the pair?

DC: How personal would you take it if someone slammed you into a barrier at 51g? I would think in the aftermath, Lewis Hamilton was not on Max Verstappen's Christmas card list. I think Max five years ago might have taken it very personally indeed, but it's a different Max Verstappen now.

He has matured and he has grown up a bit as you would expect from a man of his age, and I don't expect to see any change in Max on track because it's not as if he doesn't race hard and aggressively anyway.

I don't expect Lewis Hamilton to change either, you know, these broncos of the racing track, these rutting stags, are going to be at it antlers poised at the ready as often as they possibly can. I don't think he'll take it personally. He'll just be doing his damnedest to ensure that Lewis doesn't get close enough for it to happen again.

Who does the track favour?

DC: It favours Red Bull, I expect them to go well here. It's not the very soft tire, it's not the C3, C4, C5s, so that will be in Mercedes' favour a little bit as they tend to struggle more on the softest compounds of all, but I think it could be a little bit of a struggle. It's not power dominated so it hasn't necessarily been Mercedes' track easily over the last few years. However, they have gone well here, as mentioned with Lewis winning eight times here.

Max is still waiting for his first victory here but he gave us the moment of the season in 2019 when, with five laps to go, Hamilton overtook Max after chasing him down when he made that second pit stop which I thought was a brilliant strategy call and then Lewis just banging in the lap after lap after lap, it was so exciting to commentate on that. For a racetrack that's hard to overtake, we've had some very exciting races here and I just have a feeling this race could be up there with the best.

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If you’re looking for something else to watch, check out our TV Guide or visit our Sport hub.

Authors

Michael PottsSport Editor

Michael Potts is the Sport Editor for Radio Times, covering all of the biggest sporting events across the globe with previews, features, interviews and more. He has worked for Radio Times since 2019 and previously worked on the sport desk at Express.co.uk after starting his career writing features for What Culture. He achieved a first-class degree in Sports Journalism in 2014.

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