Surprising Pace, Pole Return, Ricciardo's Criteria, Zhou's Career High, and F1 Predictions: Hungarian Grand Prix Recap

Alfa Romeo's performance at the Hungarian Grand Prix surprised both the team and the paddock, with both cars consistently fast in qualifying. Valtteri Bottas, who finished seventh, expected the car to be more competitive than at Silverstone but was pleasantly surprised by the leap up the grid. The team's recent introduction of new parts and a major floor package seemed to have paid off, with the car performing well on the twisty parts of the track. Bottas realized the potential of the package after Saturday's FP3 session and predicted a top-seven finish. Small margins can make a big difference in F1, and Alfa Romeo's strong performance left them happy while other teams struggled.