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My Hungarian Grand Prix predictions

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Jonathan Legard | 18:40 UK time, Friday, 24 July 2009

Make no mistake, the heat is on Jenson Button and his in Hungary this weekend.

Their championship ambitions hinge on their ability to put a stop to .

One team member told me they want to leave here with the as they arrived with, if not more.

jenson_blog595.jpg

In theory everything is going for Brawn - the characteristics of the track, , are more in their favour than the last two races in Britain and Germany were. The warmer conditions they've been waiting for since Turkey have arrived, too.

The Brawn has undergone its most significant technical update since Barcelona; it's the team's answer to the improvements Red Bull made at Silverstone - and look what happened to them.

Brawn have been 0.6 seconds behind Red Bull during the last two races and .

But, with all that in mind, here are my predictions for top-eight finishers in Hungary:

Mark Webber (Red Bull)
Sebastian Vettel (Red Bull)
Jenson Button (Brawn GP)
Fernando Alonso (Renault)
Nico Rosberg (Williams)
Lewis Hamilton (McLaren)
Rubens Barrichello (Brawn GP)
Heikki Kovalainen (McLaren)

I'm picking to race to his second win in a row because there's no doubt breaking his duck in Germany last time out will have lifted him.

Red Bull have the class car of the field at the moment and even though Webber was held up with a gearbox problem on Friday, he is still feeling confident.

It is expected to be and some reports say there is even an outside chance of rain.

Cooler temperatures will play into Red Bull's hands and could give their drivers the upper hand when it comes to tyre management.

Both Sebastian Vettel and Jenson Button complained on Friday about overheating, especially with the super-soft tyres.

Button and his Brawn team-mate are very good at managing their tyres but if it is cooler in the race than it was for Friday practice, then the bigger issue for them could be getting their tyres up to optimum temperatures in the first place.

I've gone for to take the final podium spot behind the Red Bulls for all those reasons and because he spent another Friday searching for a consistent set-up.

The conditions in Germany did not allow to show the car's worth but once he got into clean air at the Nurburgring he reeled off those fastest laps.

Although Renault say they are still waiting for confirmation that they have made a big leap forward, the team are confident that they will be a front runner.

If they are edging back to the front, then Alonso will be right there to drain every last bit of pace out of the car.

I've gone for the reliable to come home in fifth place behind the Spaniard.

While there are no major updates on the Williams, he is feeling immensely confident and wants to put himself in the shop window. He's looking to impress BMW Sauber, McLaren and Williams as he looks to secure his 2010 drive.

Rosberg does not think a podium is far away but I don't think the Williams or the Renault is a match for the Brawns yet.

The McLarens took a step forward in Germany and both cars are running with the substantial upgrades in Hungary.

When Lewis Hamilton and Heikki Kovalainen have they get the job done.

It's still not necessarily enough to get them on the podium but they are back in the hunt.

Barrichello will be keen to show that all the angst and frustration have been washed out of his system from Germany.

But Brawn know that if they are to pick up the reins of this championship challenge they are likely to focus their resources on Button - and that's why I'm picking him to finish in seventh.

It's extraordinary to see that so the competition in qualifying will be as intense as it has ever been this season.

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