Budapest - The head says Lewis Hamilton but those willing to take a more adventurous punt might fancy the chances of Valtteri Bottas or Kimi Raikkonen as Formula One regroups in Hungary with a heavy heart this weekend.
Hamilton, winner at the Hungaroring four times in eight years and twice in the past three, is the clear favourite as the double world champion seeks to stretch his 17-point overall lead into the August break.
The Briton and his rivals will also be racing with Jules Bianchi in their thoughts after attending the French driver's funeral in Nice on Tuesday.
“Saying goodbye to Jules was incredibly hard for everyone,” said Hamilton of a promising talent who died on Friday, nine months after a Japanese Grand Prix crash left him in a coma.
“I wished I had known him better.
“Hungary is a beautiful place, one of my favourites. I will be carrying Jules with me in my prayers and thoughts, not only this race but for the rest of my driving days. I know he'd want us to race hard as he did, and so I will.”
The form book points to another battle between Hamilton and Mercedes team-mate Nico Rosberg, with the pair chasing their seventh one-two in 10 races, but history offers some hope of a different outcome.
The race, now in its 30th edition, threw up a surprise last season when Australian Daniel Ricciardo won for Red Bull, and has done so before.
It may be just a statistical curiosity but the fact remains that only English, Australian or Finnish drivers have won in Hungary for a decade.
FINNISH SUCCESS
Raikkonen, who could be replaced by Bottas at Ferrari next season if speculation is correct, won with McLaren in 2005 while compatriot Heikki Kovalainen triumphed in 2008.
“I always have a lot of support - it's almost a Finnish Grand Prix,” said Williams's Bottas, who has yet to win in Formula One but was third in Canada.
“We should be looking to have a strong weekend and to build on the good momentum we have built.”
Raikkonen was second in Bahrain, his first top three finish since he won with Lotus in 2013, and apart from last season, the 2007 world champion has been on the podium in Hungary every year he has raced there since 2006.
Ricciardo is the only Australian on the grid, and Red Bull have lost hope of winning until Renault provide a more competitive engine, and may have to grin and bear it.
Jenson Button took his first F1 win in Hungary with Honda in 2006 from 14th on the grid, which remains the lowest winning start for the race, but even starting that low will be a challenge this time with Honda-powered McLaren.
Bianchi's death, the first since 1994 of a driver resulting from a race incident, has put everything into perspective.
“Last weekend's sad news... means that the grand prix circus heads to Budapest with heavy hearts,” McLaren boss Eric Boullier said.
“We'll all remember his life in our own personal way, but Formula One will come together on Sunday to silently and respectfully mark his passing.”
HUNGARIAN GRAND PRIX STATISTICS
Lap distance: 4.381km (70 laps).
Total distance: 306.630km.
Race lap record: Michael Schumacher (Germany) Ferrari 2004, 1m19.071s
2014 pole: Nico Rosberg (Germany) Mercedes 1:22.715
2014 winner: Daniel Ricciardo (Australia) Red Bull
Start time: 2pm (SA time)
Tyres: Medium (white), Soft (yellow)
HISTORY
Hungary's debut in 1986 made it the first F1 race in eastern Europe behind what was then the 'Iron Curtain'. This weekend's race is the 30th Hungarian GP.
The track is the slowest permanent circuit on the calendar.
Hamilton has won four times in Hungary (a record he shares with Schumacher). While three of those wins were from pole, he is the only driver to win from pole in the last 10 years at the Hungaroring.
Button (2006) and Alonso (2003) took their first wins in Hungary. Button's was from 14th on the grid, which remains the lowest winning start for the race. The Briton's 2011 win was also his 200th race.
Zsolt Baumgartner is the only Hungarian driver to have competed in his home race (in 2003 and 2004).
SEASON SO FAR
WINS
Mercedes has had six one-two finishes this season and won eight of nine races so far. Double world champion Lewis Hamilton has won five of them.
Four-times champion Sebastian Vettel has 40 career wins, Hamilton is on 38 and Fernando Alonso 32. Kimi Raikkonen has won 20 races, Jenson Button 15 and Rosberg 11.
One more victory for Vettel would put him level with the late Brazilian triple world champion Ayrton Senna in third place on the all-time lists.
Ferrari has won 222 races, McLaren 182, Williams 114 and Red Bull 50. Mercedes have won 37.
McLaren has not won for 47 races, a run that dates back to Brazil 2012. The team went 48 races without a win from 1993-97.
POLE POSITION
Mercedes has been on pole for the last 20 races. The record for successive poles is 24 (Williams 1992-93).
Hamilton has been on pole in eight of the nine races this season, one more than he took all last year. Rosberg beat him in Spain. Hamilton has 46 career poles, Rosberg 16.
Rosberg took 11 poles last year, when Mercedes and Williams were the only teams to start on pole. The last non-Mercedes pole was Austria, 2014.
Ferrari's last pole was in Germany with Alonso in 2012.
PODIUM
Six drivers from three teams have appeared on the podium this season - Hamilton, Rosberg, Vettel, Raikkonen, Valtteri Bottas and Felipe Massa.
Hamilton, Rosberg and Vettel have shared the podium in six of the races.
Hamilton has now been on the podium for 16 races in a row. Only Michael Schumacher (19) has done better.
Rosberg now has 34 career podiums. Hamilton has 79, one short of Senna.
POINTS
Hamilton leads Rosberg by 17 points.
Vettel has been in the points for 20 successive races. The record of 27 is held by Ferrari team mate Raikkonen.
Alonso's point for McLaren at Silverstone was his first for the team since October 2007.
The two Manor Marussia drivers, Will Stevens and Roberto Merhi, are now the only ones yet to score.
MILESTONES
Hamilton has now led at least one lap of a record 18 consecutive Grands Prix. His current run dates back to Hungary last year.
Reuters