PIRELLI MAGYAR NAGYDÍJ Budapest 2014

[J.Clark]

I truly like the end of July with regard to the Formula 1 calendar because there are two races that are only a week apart.

Budapest, Hungary is a beautiful city - one of the best in old eastern Europe - with the Danube flowing rapidly between Buda and Pest, the bridges and architecture . . .  This is one of the European races I have attended and so perhaps I favor it a tad, but the whole package there is fantastic. 
The circuit is well outside of the city in the rolling hills of the country-side.  It doesn't have the Tilke look and/or feel and in that regard, it is almost like taking a step back in time.

The Hungaroring has been on the calendar since 1986 and has not provided  much in the way of good racing, with some rare exceptions. For example, Bousten (?), a driver I don't truly remember held off Senna with his much slower Williams back around 1990.  It is a bit of a technical circuit of roughly 2.7 miles (4.38 km) with the only flat (level) part of the track being the start/finish straight.  The down-hill begins even before turn 1 which is very tight, continues down the hillside to turn 2, also rather tight.  The up-hill doesn't begin until after turn 5.  Turn 8 is rather famous, as it is where Massa crashed after being hit in the head by a spring that fell off of Barrichello's car.  There are two DRS zones.  One on the start/finish straight and the second is between turns one and two. 

This circuit could favor some of the "slower" cars because of the lack of long straights and several slow corners.  Rain is a somewhat regular occurrence at this circuit on race weekends and the present long-range forecast is for sun on Friday and Saturday, with rain on Sunday.  As I recall, it was a rain coming in the middle of the race that gave Button his unlikely win back in 2006 (?) when there were a number of accidents due to the rain.  He was P14 on the starting grid in a Honda.

The lap record was set by Schumacher in 2004, at 1:19.071.
Hamilton's pole lap last year was 1:19.388 so with the additional boost from the new power units, I will not be surprised if Schumacher's record falls this weekend.

Race winners currently active are; Hamilton (4), Button (2), Kimi, and Alonso. Given the current pecking order with regard to performance, if I had pick one of the former winners, I would have to go with Lewis, rain or no rain.  I would expect Nico to give him a run for his money and while Williams (which have won this GP 7 times) should probably do well here, Alonso will likely be punching above his weight again and so I would certainly not put him out of contention for a podium finish.

History would indicate that the two major issues for winning are qualifying (as is often the case) and pit strategy.  The circuit is narrow and very twisty which add up to races notorious for lack of over-taking.  DRS has done little to improve that at this circuit.

[cosworth151]

The race created quite a stir when it started back in 1986. It was the first F1 race behind the "Iron Curtain." A really big deal at that time.

Thierry Boutsen is a Belgian who raced in F1 from 1983 to 1993, with three wins. He also ran sports cars. He retired from racing following a 1999 shunt in a Toyota prototype car at Dunlop Curve at Le Mans. He was trapped in the wreckage for about 20 minutes.

He and his wife Daniela now operate Boutsen Aviation in Monaco.

[J.Clark]

Thanks cos'.
Here is a picture from a few years back of me with my wife at the Hungaroring.  This is at the fence a few rows down from our seats, directly across from the Ferrari pits.

[Scott]

Wow...nice seats.  Probably only need those earplugs for the GP2 race now 

[Irisado]

To confirm, Boutsen held off Senna to win in 1990.  The Williams wasn't that slow, it's just that McLaren and Ferrari were that fast during 1990 that they dominated.  Boutsen led from the start though, and the Hungaroring being the Hungaroring meant that Senna couldn't pass.

The 2006 race was won by Button.  Alonso should have won easily for Renault, having dominated the race after Raikkonen crashed into Liuzzi's Toro Rosso after leading early on, but a wheel nut came off after his final pit stop, and he spun off when the right rear wheel parted company with his car.  Button, after a great drive of his own, inherited the lead and went on to win.  I remember James Allen going nuts in ITV's commentary box as Button crossed the line.  Anthony Davidson was the expert commentator for that race, as Brundle was on holiday, which was ironic, as Brundle used to miss the Hungarian race regularly for his holiday because it was usually the most boring of the season.

That race also marked Kubica's debut in Formula 1, but he was disqualified for a technical infringement after finishing in the points.  Schumacher also executed a number of his dodgy blocks to keep faster cars behind his Ferrari, whose Bridgestone tyres struggled in the damp conditions, and eventually retired with broken suspension as a result of contact.

De la Rosa finished second for McLaren.  His best result in Formula 1.

It was a very eventful afternoon.

Other memorable moments at the Hungaroring include Mansell winning the title there in 1992, and passing Senna to win from 12th on the grid in 1989 after an incredible drive.  Senna was wrong footed lapping Johansson's Onyx (which was struggling with gearbox trouble), and Mansell passed him up the hill into the blind turn 4 or 5 (I can't remember which number it is).  1997 was memorable too as the day that Damon Hill nearly won the race for Arrows, and would have done, but a fifty pence washer failing in the hydraulic system, which saw him overtaken by Villeneuve on the last lap.

[Monty]

Here is a picture from a few years back of me with my wife at the Hungaroring.

I am really envious. A few years ago I used to work in Kecskemet (just a few miles outside of Buda - Budapest) and had tickets for the GP but got called to the USA for a management meeting so I missed it.

[cosworth151]

This is at the fence a few rows down from our seats, directly across from the Ferrari pits.

It does look like a great place to watch a race! 

[F1fanaticBD]

I have a love hate relationship with Hungary, as because I have seen furure world Champions (Alonso & Button) take their maiden F1 victory in this circuit while it provided with mundane F1 races (one of those first corner circuits) I have ever seen until recently. But there is some facts that I discovered few years ago keeps the love for the circuit much much than hate. Being an Ayrton Senna aficionado I discovered that only Monaco stand out as the only better track record in his career than any other race circuits. From 1986 to 1993, only once he retired and rest is either 1st or 2nd, not even a 3rd.

So I watch Hungary with a different eye, may be the race is a little less exciting, but the exceptional drivers of F1 triumph here more often. Also Hungary is not a country people get associated with as a racing crazy nation, still the have put on the show 28th year straight, which should be applauded, as I have heard many times during this race, is that is one of the least used circuits of F1 calenders.

[Monty]

Hey everyone, exciting news.....only one of the Mercedes is heading the time sheets in FP1! Currently split by Kimi. To be fair they have only been running for 30minutes!

[Monty]

Forget last announcement, both Mercedes now top the time sheets over half a second ahead of Kimi! Normal service has been resumed!

[Monty]

Hamilton ahead of Rosberg (just!).
Ferraris 3 and 4 then Vettel.
Magnuson almost half a second faster than Button again.
All credit to Chilton who did one flying lap and was faster than his team mate (although still only 21st).

[Monty]

FP2, now on Soft tyres and Hamilton still fastest (just) over Rosberg and they are still over half a second faster than anyone else, but on softs it is now Vettel in third.

[Monty]

They just said on Sky that Vettel is due an engine change at the end of FP2

[J.Clark]

Saturday Free Practice:
1. Hamilton   Mercedes-Mercedes   1m 24.048s 21 laps
2. Rosberg    Mercedes-Mercedes   1m 24.095s 24 laps
3. Vettel   Red Bull-Renault   1m 24.455s 16 laps
4. Ricciardo   Red Bull-Renault   1m 24.678s 15 laps
5. Bottas    Williams-Mercedes   1m 24.685s 21 laps
6. Alonso   Ferrari-Ferrari   1m 24.769s 11 laps
7. Raikkonen   Ferrari-Ferrari   1m 24.818s 19 laps
8.  Magnussen   McLaren-Mercedes   1m 24.867s 21 laps
9.  Vergne    Toro Rosso-Renault   1m 25.162s 17 laps
10. Kvyat   Toro Rosso-Renault   1m 25.170s 19 laps
11. Massa   Williams-Mercedes   1m 25.231s 18 laps
12. Button   McLaren-Mercedes   1m 25.468s 14 laps
13. Maldonado   Lotus-Renault   1m 25.829s 22 laps
14. Grosjean   Lotus-Renault   1m 25.859s 19 laps
15. Sutil   Sauber-Ferrari   1m 25.934s 21 laps
16. Gutierrez   Sauber-Ferrari   1m 26.023s 23 laps
17. Hulkenberg   Force India-Mercedes   1m 26.035s 19 laps
18. Perez    Force India-Mercedes   1m 26.142s 17 laps
19. Kobayashi   Caterham-Renault   1m 27.560s 23 laps
20. Chilton   Marussia-Ferrari   1m 28.083s 17 lap
21. Ericsson    Caterham-Renault   1m 28.605s 22 laps
22. Bianchi    Marussia-Ferrari   1m 28.821s 14 laps

Button and Massa seem to be struggling a bit.
Vettel ahead of his teammate for a change.
Kimi seems to have Alonso in his sights.

Qualifying just over an hour away.  It could be interesting.

[J.Clark]

So I found the button to chat about f1, opened it and can't see what I am trying to type on it.