Hamilton finally takes first Mercedes victory in frenetic Hungarian Grand Prix
Lewis Hamilton has finally secured his first victory for Mercedes, after an exhilarating and frenetic Hungarian Grand Prix around the Hungaroring. The 2008 World Champion was followed by the Lotus of Kimi Raikkonen, with Sebastian Vettel a close 3rd after failing to find a way around the Finnish ace.
At the start Lewis Hamilton managed to maintain his lead into Turn 1, as further back his German team-mate Nico Rosberg endured a frustrating first few corners. The 28-year-old suffered a minor collision with Felipe Massa at Turn 5, which saw him momentarily leave the track as the Brazilian suffered front-wing damage. Meanwhile Sebastian Vettel began to reel in Lewis Hamilton, with Romain Grosjean hot on the German’s heels in the Lotus.
However, after momentarily rising into the DRS zone Sebastian Vettel began to loose time in the wake of Lewis Hamilton’s Mercedes, therefore allowing Romain Grosjean to greatly catch the reigning Champion. On Lap 8 Jean-Eric Vergne and Giedo van der Garde became the first drivers to complete a scheduled pit-stop, one lap before Lewis Hamilton did likewise at the front and therefore gifted the lead down to Sebastian Vettel. However, the German’s lead was short-lived before he also pitted several laps later and allowed Romain Grosjean to assume the lead for Lotus.
The German driver frustratingly returned to the track not only behind Lewis Hamilton but also the McLaren of Jenson Button, who elected to start the race on the medium tyre compound and was therefore on a longer stint. Lewis Hamilton had quickly managed to dispose of his former team-mate, however Sebastian Vettel struggled greatly to match his rivals maneuver. Fernando Alonso pitted from 2nd position on Lap 12, allowing Kimi Raikkonen to rise up into 2nd position and create a Lotus 1-2 at the front. On Lap 13 the Enstone-based outfit elected to perform and double-stop, with both Romain Grosjean and Kimi Raikkonen pitting at the same time, albeit separated by just under ten seconds.
After starting from way down in 10th position, Mark Webber assumed the lead once the Lotus duo pitted. Whilst one Red Bull circulated in the lead of the race, the other was surprisingly struggling behind the McLaren of Jenson Button with both Romain Grosjean and Fernando Alonso catching them both. The three-time Champion lightly collided with the rear of Jenson Button through Turn 2 on Lap 16, as frustrations ran high within the cockpit of the RB9.
Whilst Sebastian Vettel continued to struggle to find a way around the McLaren of Jenson Button, the Force India of Adrian Sutil was forced into an unfortunate retirement due to a hydraulic issue on his car, prematurely ending his 100th Grand Prix. Mark Webber eventually pitted from the lead of the race on Lap 23, allowing Lewis Hamilton to resume his lead at the front. Several laps later Sebastian Vettel finally managed to overtake Jenson Button at Turn 4, in doing so allowing Romain Grosjean to catch the Briton. As the duo negotiated Turns 6 and 7, they collided and subsequently both quickly returned to the pits to check for any damage sustained.
After confirming that no damage had been sustained to either Jenson Button or Romain Grosjean, the two drivers returned to the action with the Frenchman behind Felipe Massa. However, the former GP2 Champion quickly disposed of the Brazilian around the outside of Turn 4. Initially it was perceived as a sensational maneuver, however it was later discovered that he had allegedly gained an advantage by running wide and off of the circuit. The Frenchman was subsequently struck with a drive-thru penalty, ruining his chances of finishing on the podium.
Esteban Gutierrez became the next retirement on Lap 30, after a drive train issue struck his Ferrari-powered Sauber and ended a miserable weekend. Whilst the Mexican returned to the pits, Lewis Hamilton pitted once again from the lead of the race, ceding his lead at the front to the Red Bull of Sebastian Vettel. The Mercedes driver rejoined just behind Mark Webber and Fernando Alonso, however he wasted no time in storming around the outside of the Australian driver at Turn 2, perfecting a masterful overtaking maneuver as Webber ran wide at Turn 3.
Fernando Alonso and Sebastian Vettel both pitted on Lap 34, allowing Lewis Hamilton to quickly resume his lead at the front. Nico Hulkenberg was struck with a drive-thru penalty for speeding the pit-lane on Lap 39, with the German striving to add to Sauber’s meager tally in the Constructors’ Championship. Kimi Raikkonen pitted on Lap 42 from 3rd, before Mark Webber did likewise a lap later. Valtteri Bottas became the third retirement of the race on Lap 44, after the Finnish rookie suffered an engine-related issue and stopped along the start/finish straight. At first it was thought the safety car would be called upon, however the Hungarian marshals soon managed to efficiently clear the stricken Williams under double-waved yellow flags.
Lewis Hamilton pitted for a third time on Lap 50, once again loosing the lead to Sebastian Vettel. Five laps later the German ace also pitted for a third and final time, rejoining behind Kimi Raikkonen as Lewis Hamilton returned into the lead of the race. Mark Webber soon pitted on Lap 59 for soft tyres, creating a thrilling final few laps as Kimi Raikkonen defended heavily against Sebastian Vettel in 3rd with Mark Webber catching the duo at a phenomenal rate.
Nico Rosberg suffered a catastrophic engine failure during the closing stages of the race, as over-heating became an increasing worry for the teams and drivers. Sebastian Vettel almost perfected an overtaking maneuver on Kimi Raikkonen on Lap 68, however the 2007 World Champion was wise to the challenge and defended heavily. Despite the dominant pace witnessed earlier in the weekend, Sebastian Vettel was unable to overtake the Finn as Lewis Hamilton stormed across the line to secure his first ever victory for Mercedes and the German marque’s first with a British driver since Sir Stirling Moss in 1955. Mark Webber failed to catch and challenge his team-mate for 3rd, after his soft tyres eventually degraded during the final laps.
Although Sebastian Vettel was once again unable to secure victory around the tight and twisty confines of the Hungaroring, the German remains in control at the top of the Drivers’ Championship on 172 points, 38 ahead of Kimi Raikkonen in the Lotus. The Finnish sensation will be looking to catch the German next time out around the iconic and daunting Spa-Francorchamps in Belgium, after the lengthy summer break.
PROVISIONAL RACE RESULTS Pos Driver Team 1. Hamilton Mercedes 2. Raikkonen Lotus-Renault 3. Vettel Red Bull-Renault 4. Webber Red Bull-Renault 5. Alonso Ferrari 6. Grosjean Lotus-Renault 7. Button McLaren-Mercedes 8. Massa Ferrari 9. Perez McLaren-Mercedes 10. Maldonado Williams-Renault 11. Hulkenberg Sauber-Ferrari 12. Vergne Toro Rosso-Ferrari 13. Ricciardo Toro Rosso-Ferrari 14. van der Garde Caterham-Renault 15. Pic Caterham-Renault 16. Bianchi Marussia-Cosworth 17. Chilton Marussia-Cosworth DNF Di Resta Force India-Mercedes DNF Rosberg Mercedes DNF Bottas Williams-Renault DNF Gutierrez Sauber-Ferrari DNF Sutil Force India-Mercedes
Picture Copyright © Mercedes AMG Petronas
Berthon fends off Evans to secure maiden GP2 victory at Budapest
Nathaniel Berthon has stormed to his maiden victory in the GP2 Series, after masterfully fending off the charging Mitch Evans around the Hungaroring. The leading duo were followed by Fabio Leimer in the Racing Engineering machine, albeit over ten seconds behind the Kiwi.
At the start Nathaniel Berthon shot into a commanding lead from the reverse grid pole, as Marcus Ericsson rose from 7th to 4th at Turn 1. Further down the order carnage ensued as Sergio Canamasas, Daniel de Jong and Adrian Quaife-Hobbs all made contact. All three drivers were eventually forced into retirement, with Canamasas limping back to the pits without a front or rear-wing. The resulting incident momentarily brought out the safety car, as the ever-efficient Hungarian marshals cleared the stricken cars and detritus littered across the track.
After the opening lap both Ricardo Teixeira and Daniel Abt pitted, as the leaders caught up with the safety car. Eventually the race was resumed, with Nathaniel Berthon propelling himself back into a commanding lead ahead of Mitch Evans. Felipe Nasr stormed up the inside of Simon Trummer at Turn 1, with Stephane Richelmi striving to do likewise but ultimately failing to make the move stick.
As the sprint race progressed, Venezuela GP Lazarus debutant Vittorio Ghirelli leaped across the grass at Turn 2 in a bizarre overtaking maneuver on Johnny Cecotto. Dani Clos suffered from a puncture on Lap 5, after the GP2 returnee made a minor error by skipping across the grass towards the end of the lap. This saw the Spaniard limp back to the pits, and plummet down the order in what was turning out to be a disastrous return to the Series. Whilst the usual excitement ensued throughout the order, Nathaniel Berthon had managed to extend his lead to three seconds over Mitch Evans.
On Lap 6, Championship leader Stefano Coletti’s race weekend failed to improve as the Monegasque driver was forced to pit for a new front-wing. This naturally saw the 24-year-old fall even further down the order, as many drivers were instructed by their race engineers’ to preserve their tyres for the end of the race. Julian Leal and Alexander Rossi made contact at Turn 1 on Lap 12, with the Colombian driver picking up a puncture and subsequently spinning off at Turn 2. Although Leal was able to return to the track and pit for new tyres, Alexander Rossi was struck with a drive-thru penalty for causing an avoidable incident.
As the race entered its closing stages, the gap between race leader Nathaniel Berthon and Mitch Evans ebbed and flowed, as Johnny Cecotto returned to the pits to retire on Lap 20. Although the reigning GP3 Champion gradually lowered the gap to Nathaniel Berthon, the Kiwi was unable to stop the Frenchman securing his first victory in the Series and Trident Racing’s first since Hungary back in 2011.
Results - 28 laps:
Pos Driver Team Time/Gap
1. Nathanael Berthon Trident 45m06.319s
2. Mitch Evans Arden +2.239s
3. Fabio Leimer Racing Engineering +13.441s
4. Marcus Ericsson DAMS +15.983s
5. Felipe Nasr Carlin +23.367s
6. James Calado ART +27.216s
7. Simon Trummer Rapax +31.387s
8. Sam Bird Russian Time +37.958s
9. Stephane Richelmi DAMS +40.002s
10. Rio Haryanto Addax +43.991s
11. Tom Dillmann Russian Time +44.383s
12. Jolyon Palmer Carlin +51.408s
13. Rene Binder Lazarus +51.699s
14. Daniel Abt ART +56.342s
15. Jake Rosenzweig Addax +1m01.084s
16. Alexander Rossi Caterham +1m05.663s
17. Vittorio Ghirelli Lazarus +1m11.592s
18. Jon Lancaster Hilmer +1m12.378s
19. Ricardo Teixeira Trident +1m13.045s
20. Julian Leal Racing Engineering +1 laps
Retirements:
Stefano Coletti Rapax 27 laps
Dani Clos MP 24 laps
Johnny Cecotto Jr Arden 19 laps
Sergio Canamasas Caterham 1 lap
Daniel de Jong MP 0 laps
Adrian Quaife-Hobbs Hilmer 0 laps
Picture Copyright © Alastair Staley/GP2 Series Media Service
Aaro Vainio storms to GP3 victory after lights-to-flag drive at Budapest
Aaro Vainio has stormed to his third GP3 victory around the Hungaroring, after a masterful lights-to-flag drive from the Finn who managed to fend off the charging Conor Daly during the closing laps. The leading duo were followed by Russian ace Daniil Kvyat in the MW Arden, with Jack Harvey 4th.
At the start Aaro Vainio stormed into a commanding lead over Conor Daly, as the 27-car field negotiated the tricky first few corners without incident. During the opening few laps Championship leader Tio Ellinas plummeted through the order, after first Patric Niederhauser and then Alex Fontana and Dino Zamparelli all overtook the struggling Cypriot. Whilst the field began to evenly spread themselves out around the tight and twisty confines of the Hungaroring, Aaro Vainio managed to open up a comfortable two second lead over the American ace of Conor Daly.
By Lap 9 Tio Ellinas managed to recover after his highly uncompetitive start to the race, with the Marussia Manor Racing driver managing to overtake Dino Zamparelli down the start/finish straight. As the race progressed numerous battles raged on up and down the order, with the likes of Patric Niederhauser, Giovanni Venturini and Tio Ellinas all battling hard for position. The latter began pushing beyond the limits in the closing stages of the race, as he dipped a wheel onto the grass and run extensively wide on the exit of Turn 4 but managed to rejoin.
The flow of the race was disrupted on Lap 12, after a big shunt between Luis Sa Silva and Emanuele Zonzini, with Samin Gomez also involved but miraculously able to continue. As Sa Silva, Zonzini and Gomez negotiated Turn 1, utter disaster struck when Gomez collided with Sa Silva and the unsuspecting Trident of Zonzini barrel-rolled over the Angolan driver. This incident naturally brought out the safety car, as the efficient marshals cleared the two stricken cars and debris.
After only several laps behind the safety car the race was resumed, with Conor Daly pressurizing race leader Aaro Vainio. The ART Grand Prix driver was frustratingly denied the luxury of overtaking the race leader, as the duo negotiated Turn 2 practically side-by-side. Further back the traditional GP3 mayhem ensued, as Lewis Williamson suffered a spectacular spin in a cloud of tyre smoke. Melville McKee endured a frustrating end to the race, as he dropped through the order whilst running wide with Jimmy Eriksson between Turns 4 and 5.
Despite the crazy end to the race, Aaro Vainio managed to keep his composure and secure a masterful victory after a mature drive from the Koiranen GP driver. The leading duo were separated by just +0.6 seconds across the line, with Daniil Kvyat just under five seconds behind for MW Arden. Robert Visoiu managed to finish 8th, therefore securing him the reverse grid pole for tomorrow’s second race. The Romanian driver will start alongside Kevin Korjus.
Results - 17 laps:
Pos Driver Team Time/Gap
1. Aaro Vainio Koiranen 29m17.213s
2. Conor Daly ART +0.691s
3. Daniil Kvyat MW Arden +4.853s
4. Jack Harvey ART +7.061s
5. Carlos Sainz Jr MW Arden +7.262s
6. Facu Regalia ART +7.507s
7. Kevin Korjus Koiranen +8.588s
8. Robert Visoiu MW Arden +9.307s
9. Patric Niederhauser Jenzer +10.295s
10. Giovanni Venturini Trident +11.550s
11. Alex Fontana Jenzer +12.736s
12. Tio Ellinas Manor +13.175s
13. Dino Zamparelli Manor +14.139s
14. Jimmy Eriksson Status +16.751s
15. Patrick Kujala Koiranen +18.645s
16. Nick Yelloly Carlin +18.793s
17. David Fumanelli Trident +19.245s
18. Melville McKee Bamboo +21.309s
19. Eric Lichtenstein Carlin +21.428s
20. Samin Gomez Jenzer +21.725s
21. Adderly Fong Status +22.012s
22. Josh Webster Status +22.372s
23. Carmen Jorda Bamboo +22.793s
24. Lewis Williamson Bamboo +23.417s
Retirements:
Driver Team Laps
Luis Sa Silva Carlin 12
Emanuele Zonzini Trident 12
Josh Webster Status 6
Picture Copyright © Alastair Staley/GP3 Series Media Service
Jolyon Palmer wins nail-biting Hungarian Grand Prix feature race
Jolyon Palmer has stormed to a sensational victory after a nail-biting GP2 feature race around Budapest’s Hungaroring, with the Briton being followed home by the DAMS of Marcus Ericsson and Carlin team-mate of Felipe Nasr. The race was relatively incident-free, with frenetic track action from the moment the five red lights went out.
Initially the start of the race was aborted, after Ricardo Teixeira stalled on the formation lap. This saw the field complete yet another formation lap, as the MP Motorsport duo of Daniel de Jong and Dani Clos both stalled and were forced to start from the pit-lane along with Ricardo Teixeira. Eventually the race got underway, with pole-man Tom Dillmann suffering from an abysmal getaway. This enabled Felipe Nasr to storm into the lead, with Fabio Leimer 2nd in the Racing Engineering machine.
By the end of the opening lap Tom Dillmann found himself way down in 6th position and battling with team-mate Sam Bird, whereas further down the order Rene Binder also stalled on the grid but eventually managed to get restarted. In traditional GP2 fashion utter mayhem ensued throughout the order during the opening lap, with Jon Lancaster and Daniel Abt coming together as Julian Leal lost his front-wing the ensuring carnage. Stefano Coletti was one of the many drivers who returned to the pits after the opening lap to fix damage sustained during the frenetic opening lap.
At Turn 1, Marcus Ericsson stormed up the inside of Jolyon Palmer for 3rd position, with the Swede’s team-mate Stephane Richelmi also eager to make a move. Already Felipe Nasr had opened up a two second lead, as Tom Dillmann became one of the first drivers to make a scheduled pit-stop along with James Calado, Adrian Quaife-Hobbs and Sergio Canamasas. Marcus Ericsson pitted a lap later along with Alexander Rossi, Sam Bird and Nathaniel Berthon. After making their mandatory pit-stops, James Calado managed to barge his way around Alexander Rossi for 18th after a superb overtaking maneuver.
On Lap 9, Felipe Nasr and Fabio Leimer pitted from the lead of the race, handing the lead down to Jolyon Palmer. As Nasr and Leimer exited the pit-lane, Marcus Ericsson wasted no time in overtaking the duo to rise up to 2nd position, with an excellent maneuver at Turn 2 on Felipe Nasr. Further down the order Jon Lancaster and Sergio Canamasas collide at Turn 12, with both suffering damage which ultimately saw the Caterham driver forced into retirement.
By Lap 17, Jolyon Palmer carried out his mandatory pit-stop. The Carlin mechanics mastered a sensationally quick stop, however Marcus Ericsson still managed to overtake the Briton upon exiting the pit-lane as Johnny Cecotto assumed the lead of the race for Arden International. The Venezuelan driver’s lead was short-lived, as team-mate Mitch Evans soon overtook him at Turn 1. On Lap 19 Jolyon Palmer momentarily overtook Marcus Ericsson around the outside of Turn 2, however the Carlin driver ran extensively wide at Turn 3 and therefore lost his position.
Johnny Cecotto eventually pitted on Lap 20, leaving only Vittorio Ghirelli, Simon Trummer and Mitch Evans out in front without making their mandatory pit-stops. Once again Jolyon Palmer lunged up the inside of Marcus Ericsson, failing to make the move stick after out-braking himself and running wide. The Briton continued to struggle to make the move stick at Turn 1 for several laps, as Ghirelli pitted from 3rd. Simon Trummer assumed the lead of the race a lap later when Mitch Evans pitted, before Jolyon Palmer finally perfected an overtaking maneuver on Marcus Ericsson for 2nd.
Further down the order utter mayhem continued, as Johnny Cecotto slammed into the rear of Tom Dillmann as the Frenchman slowed whilst battling for position. This saw Dillmann plummet through the order, as Cecotto continued to circulate despite a ruined front-wing. This eventually saw the Venezuelan driver struck with a black and orange flag, forcing him to pit for a new nose before being issued with a drive-thru penalty for causing the collision. Meanwhile Simon Trummer finally became the last driver to complete his mandatory pit-stop, allowing Jolyon Palmer to assume a well deserved lead in his Carlin.
After a lengthy battle for position with Jolyon Palmer, Marcus Ericsson now became locked in a grueling battle for 2nd with the other Carlin of Felipe Nasr. The duo banged wheels into Turn 13, before Johnny Cecotto threw the spanner in the works by un-lapping himself on Felipe Nasr and Marcus Ericsson and completely diluting a sensational battle for position. Amid all of the confusion up and down the order, Jake Rosenzweig and Daniel Abt had retired during the closing stages of the race, as Jolyon Palmer secured his second victory in the GP2 Series ahead of Marcus Ericsson and Felipe Nasr. Championship leader Stefano Coletti could only manage 16th, after a tough feature race.
Frenchman Nathaniel Berthon managed to secure the reverse grid pole for Trident Racing, and will start alongside reigning GP3 Champion Mitch Evans in what will surely be a terrific sprint race tomorrow morning.
Results - 36 laps:
Pos Driver Team Time/Gap
1. Jolyon Palmer Carlin 57m14.477s
2. Marcus Ericsson DAMS +15.407s
3. Felipe Nasr Carlin +15.794s
4. Fabio Leimer Racing Engineering +19.433s
5. Stephane Richelmi DAMS +19.740s
6. Simon Trummer Rapax +21.499s
7. Mitch Evans Arden +22.584s
8. Nathanel Berthon Trident +36.439s
9. James Calado ART +38.203s
10. Sam Bird Russian Time +44.671s
11. Rio Haryanto Addax +51.951s
12. Daniel de Jong MP +52.520s
13. Alexander Rossi Caterham +54.815s
14. Dani Clos MP +55.990s
15. Julian Leal Racing Engineering +56.302s
16. Stefano Coletti Rapax +57.202s
17. Vittorio Ghirelli Lazarus +58.621s
18. Adrian Quaife-Hobbs Hilmer +1m05.995s
19. Ricardo Teixeira Trident +1m16.133s
20. Tom Dillmann Russian Time +1m33.788s
21. Johnny Cecotto Jr Arden +1 lap
22. Rene Binder Lazarus +1 lap
23. Jon Lancaster Hilmer +1 lap
Retirements:
Daniel Abt ART 34 laps
Jake Rosenzweig Addax 32 laps
Sergio Canamasas Caterham 17 laps
Picture Copyright © Alastair Staley/GP2 Series Media Service
Lewis Hamilton denies Sebastian Vettel pole in thrilling qualifying at Budapest
Lewis Hamilton has denied Sebastian Vettel the luxury of securing pole position for the Hungarian Grand Prix, after a thrilling qualifying session around the Hungaroring which saw the Briton eventually secure his third successive pole for Mercedes. The second row will consist of Romain Grosjean and Nico Rosberg.
The all-important qualifying hour got underway in intense summer heat around the Hungaroring, with Esteban Gutierrez unsurprisingly becoming the first driver to take to the track after recovering from his earlier engine woes and subsequent engine change. The Mexican rookie proceeded to produce the first timed lap of the session with a 01:23.998, as the Mercedes of Nico Rosberg completed an installation lap reminiscent of the earlier practice sessions.
As the majority of the front runners remained in the cool confines of the pit-lane, Paul di Resta stormed to the top of the timing sheets with a 01:23.484, before the Williams of Valtteri Bottas obliterated the opposition with a 01:21.532. Daniel Ricciardo soon lowered the benchmark even further, with the majority of the drivers still opting to remain in the pits. Eventually Fernando Alonso stormed to the top for Ferrari with a 01:20.652, before Romain Grosjean continued to impress many up and down the paddock with a 01:20.447. Sergio Perez finally managed to take to the circuit, with his McLaren mechanics masterfully repairing his car in time to produce a lap after his earlier incident.
The Mercedes duo of Nico Rosberg and Lewis Hamilton rose the German marque to the top as the opening segment drew to a close, with the former producing a 01:20.350 ahead of his British team-mate. Further down the order the usual Q1 freneticism ensued, with Esteban Gutierrez, Paul di Resta, Charles Pic, Giedo van der Garde, Jules Bianchi and Max Chilton eventually being eliminated from proceedings.
Kimi Raikkonen became the first driver to take to the track as Q2 got underway, with the Finn eventually producing the first timed lap in the process with a 01:20.987. Mark Webber’s severe lack of pace in relation to team-mate Sebastian Vettel was confirmed as a KERS-related issue on his RB9, as Romain Grosjean returned to the top with a 01:20.442 with Adrian Sutil 2nd. Lewis Hamilton continued to lower the benchmark as the session progressed with a 01:20.303, before reigning World Champion Sebastian Vettel finally asserted his authority over proceedings with a sensational 01:19.992.
Despite the German’s sudden surge of pace, the Mercedes duo of Nico Rosberg and Lewis Hamilton continued to deny the Red Bull driver at the top with the former producing a terrific 01:19.778, in what was shaping up to be a thrilling top ten shootout. Although McLaren had visibly improved throughout practice earlier in the weekend, Jenson Button still failed to progress to the top ten shootout. The 2009 World Champion was joined by Adrian Sutil, Nico Hulkenberg, Jean-Eric Vergne, Pastor Maldonado and Valtteri Bottas in elimination after Q2.
Once again the stage was set for a climactic conclusion to qualifying ahead of the Hungarian Grand Prix, with Red Bull’s authority clearly being questioned by the likes of Mercedes and Lotus. Mark Webber became the first driver to take to the track as the final ten minutes got underway, and was followed out by potential 2014 replacement Daniel Ricciardo. The duo proceeded to return to the pits after only completing installation laps, as Sergio Perez and then Kimi Raikkonen rose to the top for their respective outfits. Mercedes then showed their hand with at the top, as Nico Rosberg and then Lewis Hamilton rose to the top with the latter producing a 01:20.324.
However, Sebastian Vettel blitzed the opposition on new soft Pirelli tyres, with the German producing a 01:19.506 to propel himself into provisional pole position. In traditional top ten shootout fashion the entire field gradually returned to the pits for new tyres, before then reconvening the battle for supremacy. Mark Webber was the only driver left in the pits as the field retook to the circuit, with the Australian ace succumbing to his ongoing KERS issue on his RB9.
As the checkered flag emerged the times up and down the order were set, with Kimi Raikkonen, Nico Rosberg and Romain Grosjean each rising into 2nd position and failing to question Sebastian Vettel’s dominance. Lewis Hamilton then rounded the final corner and utterly obliterated the German’s benchmark with a 01:19.338, securing his hat-trick of pole positions for the German marque.
Despite the 2008 World Champion’s impressive qualifying performance, it is well known within the paddock that Mercedes’s race pace could well prove to be their achilles-heel during tomorrow’s 70-lap race. Sebastian Vettel will be aiming to produce a start reminiscent of Germany last time out, when he stormed into a commanding lead at Turn 1. However, the Lotus of Romain Grosjean will be eager to pick up the pieces of any shenanigans into Turn 1, in what will surely be another thrilling Hungarian Grand Prix.
Pos Driver Team Time Gap 1. Lewis Hamilton Mercedes 1m19.388s 2. Sebastian Vettel Red Bull-Renault 1m19.426s +0.038s 3. Romain Grosjean Lotus-Renault 1m19.595s +0.207s 4. Nico Rosberg Mercedes 1m19.720s +0.332s 5. Fernando Alonso Ferrari 1m19.791s +0.403s 6. Kimi Raikkonen Lotus-Renault 1m19.851s +0.463s 7. Felipe Massa Ferrari 1m19.929s +0.541s 8. Daniel Ricciardo Toro Rosso-Ferrari 1m20.641s +1.253s 9. Sergio Perez McLaren-Mercedes 1m22.398s +3.010s 10. Mark Webber Red Bull-Renault no time set Q2 cut-off time: 1m20.545s Gap ** 11. Adrian Sutil Force India-Mercedes 1m20.569s +0.791s 12. Nico Hulkenberg Sauber-Ferrari 1m20.580s +0.802s 13. Jenson Button McLaren-Mercedes 1m20.777s +0.999s 14. Jean-Eric Vergne Toro Rosso-Ferrari 1m21.029s +1.251s 15. Pastor Maldonado Williams-Renault 1m21.133s +1.355s 16. Valtteri Bottas Williams-Renault 1m21.219s +1.441s Q1 cut-off time: 1m21.612s Gap * 17. Esteban Gutierrez Sauber-Ferrari 1m21.724s +1.374s 18. Paul di Resta Force India-Mercedes 1m22.043s +1.693s 19. Charles Pic Caterham-Renault 1m23.007s +2.657s 20. Giedo van der Garde Caterham-Renault 1m23.333s +2.983s 21. Jules Bianchi Marussia-Cosworth 1m23.787s +3.437s 22. Max Chilton Marussia-Cosworth 1m23.997s +3.647s 107% time: 1m25.974s
Picture Copyright © Mercedes AMG Petronas
Sebastian Vettel fastest after practice one in the heat at Hungary
Sebastian Vettel has continued to assert his authority over proceedings after the first practice session of the Hungarian Grand Prix weekend, with the reigning Champion finishing several tenths ahead of team-mate Mark Webber. The Red Bull duo were followed by Kimi Raikkonen in the Lotus, with Fernando Alonso 4th.
After yet another three-week gap since the last race weekend, the Formula 1 fraternity reconvened once again in the heat of Budapest for the Hungarian Grand Prix. For the opening practice session of the weekend, Marussia reserve driver Rodolfo Gonzalez once again replaced Max Chilton alongside Jules Bianchi, as Daniel Ricciardo eventually became the first driver to take to the Hungaroring once the session began. The Australian driver was quickly joined by Jules Bianchi and Romain Grosjean, as the entire field carried out their usual installation laps.
Upon returning to the pits, Daniel Ricciardo explained over his team radio how the Hungaroring was extremely dusty, as was evident when Sergio Perez completed one of his many installation laps and kicked up plumes of dust. Eventually reserve driver Rodolfo Gonzalez produced the first timed lap of the day with a 01:39.688, a time which he was able to improve upon shortly afterwards with a 01:37.942. Despite the slow lap times, more drivers soon braved the dust to produce their first timed laps of the day, with Nico Rosberg rising to the top with a 01:29.998.
As the opening session of the weekend continued, McLaren’s Sergio Perez stormed to the top with a 01:25.476, before improving with a 01:24.920 a lap later. Kimi Raikkonen momentarily rose to the top for Lotus, working his way down to a 01:24.056 before Sergio Perez returned to the top with the Mercedes-powered McLaren showing impressive pace in comparison to previous races. Fernando Alonso soon asserted his authority over proceedings with a 01:23.503, before Romain Grosjean and then Jenson Button disposed of the Spaniard. However, the two-time World Champion quickly bounced back producing a 01:23.099 to remain at the top of the timing sheets.
Despite a relatively competitive opening practice session, Pastor Maldonado ran wide at Turn 12 as the session progressed. As the Venezuelan ace composed himself after his minor error, Mark Webber shot to the top of the timing sheets for Red Bull with a 01:22.982, with Kimi Raikkonen slotting into 2nd position behind the Australian. Reigning World Champion Sebastian Vettel soon asserted his authority over proceedings, rising to the top with a 01:22.723 as Jean-Eric Vergne suffered a big spin at Turn 4. Lewis Hamilton also made several minor errors as the session drew to a conclusion, as Kimi Raikkonen suffered from a slow puncture on his Lotus and was forced to crawl back to the pits.
Eventually the checkered flag emerged, signaling the end of the opening practice session. Sebastian Vettel remained fastest ahead of his Red Bull team-mate, with the Lotus of Kimi Raikkonen a close 3rd. Fernando Alonso ended the session 4th fastest, ahead of Romain Grosjean in 5th. The teams’ and drivers’ will return to the Hungaroring later in the day, for the second practice session ahead of the Hungarian Grand Prix.
Pos Driver Team/Car Time Gap Laps 1. Sebastian Vettel Red Bull-Renault 1m22.723s 19 2. Mark Webber Red Bull-Renault 1m22.982s +0.259s 24 3. Kimi Raikkonen Lotus-Renault 1m23.010s +0.287s 20 4. Fernando Alonso Ferrari 1m23.099s +0.376s 22 5. Romain Grosjean Lotus-Renault 1m23.111s +0.388s 20 6. Jenson Button McLaren-Mercedes 1m23.370s +0.647s 26 7. Adrian Sutil Force India-Mercedes 1m23.390s +0.667s 20 8. Nico Rosberg Mercedes 1m23.531s +0.808s 28 9. Sergio Perez McLaren-Mercedes 1m23.591s +0.868s 26 10. Pastor Maldonado Williams-Renault 1m23.911s +1.188s 21 11. Esteban Gutierrez Sauber-Ferrari 1m24.119s +1.396s 21 12. Valtteri Bottas Williams-Renault 1m24.150s +1.427s 27 13. Lewis Hamilton Mercedes 1m24.157s +1.434s 28 14. Jean-Eric Vergne Toro Rosso-Ferrari 1m24.204s +1.481s 15 15. Felipe Massa Ferrari 1m24.299s +1.576s 19 16. Nico Hulkenberg Sauber-Ferrari 1m24.314s +1.591s 23 17. Daniel Ricciardo Toro Rosso-Ferrari 1m24.383s +1.660s 24 18. Paul di Resta Force India-Mercedes 1m24.608s +1.885s 21 19. Charles Pic Caterham-Renault 1m25.827s +3.104s 24 20. Giedo van der Garde Caterham-Renault 1m26.808s +4.085s 25 21. Jules Bianchi Marussia-Cosworth 1m27.617s +4.894s 20 22. Rodolfo Gonzalez Marussia-Cosworth 1m28.927s +6.204s 25
Picture Copyright © Pirelli
All change in GP2 ahead of the Hungarian Grand Prix
Several driver changes have occurred within the GP2 paddock ahead of this weekend’s Hungarian Grand Prix, with former race winner Robin Frijns being replaced by British sensation Adrian Quaife-Hobbs at Hilmer Motorsport after the Dutchman allegedly ran out of money to continue competing in the category.
The GP2 Series will also welcome two returnees for this weekend’s proceedings, with 30-year-old Angolan Ricardo Teixeira replacing Kevin Ceccon at Trident Racing and former HRT reserve driver Dani Clos replacing Adrian Quaife-Hobbs at MP Motorsport. Ricardo Teixeira last competed in the category last season with Rapax, and failed to score a single point. He initially made his debut in the Series with Trident Racing in 2008, before a season competing in Formula 2. In 2011 Teixeira tested for Team Lotus (now known as Caterham) at both Valencia and Barcelona.
Dani Clos will return to the GP2 Series with MP Motorsport.
With Adrian Quaife-Hobbs moving to Hilmer Motorsport to replace Robin Frijns, Dutch newcomers MP Motorsport have called upon the services of former Formula 1 reserve driver and GP2 driver Dani Clos. The 24-year-old Spaniard created history last season during practice one at the Spanish Grand Prix, creating the first all-Spanish line-up in a Spanish Formula 1 team at Barcelona alongside Pedro de la Rosa. Clos continued to enjoy six outings with HRT last season, before the team failed to find a new owner for 2013. Dani Clos last competed in the GP2 Series last season with Barwa Addax for four races, and was a race winner with Racing Engineering at Istanbul in 2010.
“We’re delighted to welcome Dani to the team,” enthused MP Motorsport team principal, Sander Dorsman. “The experience he brings to the team will be priceless. He’s won in GP2 and has tested in Formula 1. We’re all really looking forward to working with him for the first time in Hungary this weekend.”
Although Adrian Quaife-Hobs will understandably be eager to continue progressing during his debut season in the GP2 Series with Hilmer Motorsport, many are surprised to see a talent such as Robin Frijns run out of budget to continue competing in the category. The reigning Formula Renault 3.5 Series Champion made his debut in the Series in Bahrain with the German outfit, before winning the Spanish Grand Prix feature race and finishing 2nd in the sprint race.
“So that was it then. No money no drive,” explained Robin Frijns, on the social networking site Twitter. “Winning Championship [sic] is not enough these days! Good luck for all the GP2 boys!”
The 21-year-old Dutchman is currently Sauber’s reserve driver, and drove for the Swiss outfit during their Young Driver Test at Silverstone last week. He will unquestionably be striving to return to the Series, after a highly competitive start to the season. For the likes of Dani Clos, Ricardo Teixeira and Adrian Quaife-Hobbs, it is their time to shine behind the wheel of the Renault-powered Dallara GP2/11.
Picture Copyright © Malcolm Griffiths/GP2 Series Media Service & HRT F1 Team
FIA lowers pit-lane speed limit ahead of Hungarian GP
Formula 1’s governing body, the FIA, has confirmed a change in the pit-lane speed limit for the race ahead of this weekend’s Hungarian Grand Prix. This decision will see the speed limit remain at 80Km/h for the whole race weekend, after an FOM cameraman was struck on the head by a loose wheel during the German Grand Prix last time out.
The alteration of the sport’s rules comes after the World Motor Sport Council voted in favour of the changes, which were originally planned to be introduced next season. Usually the pit-lane speed limit for the race is 100Km/h, with the rest of the weekend at 80Km/h. These new rules will see the speed limit remain at the lower 80Km/h, therefore preventing such an incident which occurred at the German Grand Prix after Mark Webber was released from his pit-box with his right-rear tyre loose, which subsequently worked its way completely loose and bowled over an FOM cameraman.
These new rulings by the FIA will mean that the overall length of a pit-stop will increase, with cars running through the pits at a considerably slower pace than beforehand. This in turn could create strategic headaches for the many of the teams, forcing a rethink in the amount of pit-stops carried out during a race. The FIA has also confirmed that it will become mandatory for all team personnel working on a car in the pits to wear helmets, adding yet another precaution to avoid head injuries within the freneticism in the pit-lane.
Picture Copyright © Williams F1 Team
Charles Pic Hoping For A Stronger End To The Season
Marussia’s Charles Pic is hoping for a stronger end to this season, after ending the first part of this season on what he regards as a high note at the German and Hungarian Grands Prix. During these two races, Charles Pic both out-qualified and out-raced team-mate Timo Glock.
Charles Pic has graduated from the GP2 Series to Formula 1 this season, and spent the majority of the opening races learning tracks such as Albert Park, Sepang and Shanghai. However, when the F1 season moved to Europe, the young Frenchman finally found his feet and began vastly improving at each race weekend. So far Charles Pic has only failed to finish three races, each time due to mechanical issues on his car.
Whereas more experienced team-mate Timo Glock has visibly suffered behind the wheel of the MR-01 this season, Charles Pic has gradually improved at each of the races throughout the opening half of this thrilling season. The 22-year-old has expressed satisfaction at how his debut season in Formula 1 has progressed, and expects to continue from where he left off several weeks ago at the Hungaroring.
“I ended the first part of the season on a strong note, partly due to the team’s improved performance, and satisfied with my progress so far in my debut season.” Explained Charles Pic, “My plan is to consolidate everything I have learned from the team and the car and wrap it all together to have what I hope will be an even stronger second part of the year. Spa is a fantastic circuit so I can’t wait to be back racing there next weekend. The whole experience is very challenging for a driver; the circuit has such a special atmosphere because of its heritage. I’m looking forward to racing there in a Formula 1 car for the first time and picking up where we left off in Hungary.”
Charles Pic won numerous races throughout his GP2 career, however the Frenchman never won whilst racing around the legendary Spa-Francorchamps circuit. Although a win is highly unlikely this weekend for Charles Pic, a competitive result around the Spa-Francorchamps circuit in this highly unpredictable season could well provide Marussia with those elusive first World Championship points.
Picture Copyright © Marussia F1 Team
Michael Schumacher’s Most Embarrassing Race
Michael Schumacher suffered one of his most embarrassing races at the Hungarian Grand Prix last weekend, as the once dominant 7-time World Champion carried out a list of mistakes which ultimately saw the German driver retire on lap 58. Whilst Schumacher floundered at the back, team-mate Nico Rosberg could only manage a highly uncompetitive 11th.
Michael Schumacher’s disastrous race ended before it had even begun, as the Mercedes driver lined up on the grid in the wrong grid slot. This led to the race start being aborted, which in turn led to Schumacher switching his engine off due to a misinterpretation with regards to the delay.
Whilst the rest of the field circulated the Hungaroring once again to carry out a second formation lap, Michael Schumacher was despondently wheeled into the pit-lane where he eventually started the race from. However, the German legend’s woes didn’t stop there, as he picked up a drive-through penalty for speeding in the pits. So once the race started, Michael Schumacher not only had to join the action from the pit lane, he then had to return to the pits to serve a penalty.
As the German driver was lapped by the leaders, he received another dose of bad luck in the form of a puncture. This forced Schumacher to make yet another unscheduled return to the pits, and only added to the miserable race weekend which the German driver seemed to be enduring. After 58 laps, Michael Schumacher’s dreary race came to a conclusion as the Mercedes outfit decided to retire the car due to overheating and telemetry issues.
“Our engine temperatures were very high before the start, and when the yellow lights came on, I switched the engine off.” Confirmed Michael Schumacher after the race. “After I had started from the pit lane, I picked up a penalty and then a puncture. So all in all, the beginning of the race was not very pleasant for us. Everything you do not need came together. We did not have full telemetry before the start and during the period of overheating, and this is why we finally decided to retire so as not risk any damage which might make us suffer in the next race.”
Michael Schumacher will undeniably be hoping for better luck next time out at the legendary Spa-Francorchamps circuit, where the German driver made his debut back in 1991 for Jordan. This will be the German’s 300th race, on a track which he has enjoyed much success on throughout his exceedingly dominant career.
Picture Copyright © Mercedes AMG Petronas
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