Hungarian GP: Race - Re-Cap & Results

Race: Re-Cap & Results 

The Hungarian GP is now over and this was quite an impressive race in all ways. About 2 hours before the usual lights out, it began to rain and hard. Puddles were building on the circuit and the clouds were hangin low over the Hungaroring.

Luckily, the rain let up around the time of the race start and shockingly, we had a clean first lap, even in the slightly wet conditions. Lewis Hamilton and Kevin Magnussen were starting from pit-lane and Lewis had a mild spin but managed to get the car back under control and keep going. They both knew they had many spaces to catch up if they wanted to get into the points.

Daniil Kvyat was lucky to start the race at all after stalling on the grid and having to be wheeled off. Luckily, the issue was not too big and the team was able to get him out into the race.

The first crash of the race belonged to Marcus Ericsson who spun out in the Caterham, sending it into the barriers. It was a very heavy crash but luckily he is OK. It was unlucky enough but to add to it, Kobayasi later retired due to a Fuel System failure.

Romain Grosjean was next to crash and pretty much in the same area. The crash had apparently happened when he was trying to warm up his fresh set of tyres. His team-mate Pastor Maldonado had a spin during the race, but was lucky to keep going and finish the race.

Force India, like Caterham, ended the race with a double retirement. Hulkenberg first when he spun out and hit the barriers. Perez was next when he was rounding the last turn and heading for the grid, his back wheels touched the grass and it sent the car spinning and smashing into the walls in the grid area. Both drivers are OK but disappointed to end their points-scoring streak.

The last retirement of the race belonged to Esteban Gutierrez who was looking for a strong finish when he was holding 8th position. Unfortunately, Esteban's car came to a hault when his ERS failed. His team-mate Sutil, finished right outside of he points in 11th.

Lewis Hamilton made the most of his race, catching up to the front after starting from Pit-Lane. He was told in the final laps to let his team-mate, Rosberg, pass. But Lewis wasn't letting him by easily. He kept his lead and ended up finishing in 3rd.

It looked like Ferrari's Fernando Alonso was going to take the win, when Daniel Ricciardo made a late pass to get into first position in the final laps. Ricciardo brought home Red Bull's second win of the year and Alonso was able to hold Second to finish on the podium.

Here are the final race results:

1. Daniel Ricciardo / Red Bull-Renault / Australia / + 25 Points

2. Fernando Alonso / Ferrari-Ferrari / Spain / + 18 Points

3. Lewis Hamilton / Mercedes-Mercedes / Great Britain / + 15 Points

4. Nico Rosberg / Mercedes-Mercedes / Germany / + 12

5. Felipe Massa / Williams-Mercedes / Brazil / + 10 Points

6. Kimi Raikkonen / Ferrari-Ferrari / Finland / + 8 Points

7. Sebastian Vettel / Red Bull-Renault / Germany / + 6 Points

8. Valtteri Bottas / Williams-Mercedes / Finland / + 4 Points

9. Jean-Eric Vergne / Toro Rosso-Renault / France / + 2 Points

10. Jenson Button / McLaren-Mercedes / Great Britain / + 1 Point

11. Adrain Sutil / Sauber-Ferrari / Germany

12. Kevin Magnussen / McLaren-Mercedes / Denmark

13. Pastor Maldonado / Lotus-Renault / Venezuela

14. Daniil Kvyat / Toro Rosso-Renault / Russia

15. Jules Bianchi / Marussia-Ferrari / France

16. Max Chilton / Marussia-Ferrari / Great Britain

Retired - Esteban Gutierrez / Sauber-Ferrari / Mexico (ERS Failure)

Retired - Kamui Kobayashi / Caterham-Renault / Japan (Fuel System Issue)

Retired - Sergio Perez / Force India-Mercedes / Mexico (Crash)

Retired - Nico Hulkenberg / Force India-Mercedes / Germany (Crash)

Retired - Romain Grosjean / Lotus-Renault / France (Crash)

Retired - Marcus Ericsson / Caterham-Renault / Sweden (Crash)

----

Thank you all for sticking around with us for the first half of the 2014 season, we're now into the 3-4 weeks of Summer Break and of course we'll be bringing you articles during those weeks! We'll also be tweeting news and info daily so make sure you follow us on Twitter @F1Insider78

----

Article Written By: Amy Hawk

No copyright infringement intended.

Hungarian GP: Qualifying - Grid Line-Up

Qualifying Starting Grid:

After a fire from Hamilton's car, a crash from Kevin Magnussen and a hydraulics issue for Perez, and some mechanical problems for Maldonado, here is the Hungarian GP Starting Grid.

1. Nico Rosberg / Mercedes-Mercedes

2. Sebastian Vettel / Red Bull-Renault

3. Valtteri Bottas / Williams-Renault

4. Daniel Ricciardo / Red Bull-Renault

5. Fernando Alonso / Ferrari-Ferrari

6. Felipe Massa / Williams-Mercedes

7. Jenson Button / McLaren-Mercedes

8. Jean-Eric Vergne / Toro Rosso-Renault

9. Nico Hulkenberg / Force India-Mercedes

10. Daniil Kvyat / Toro Rosso-Renault

11. Adrian Sutil / Sauber-Ferrari

12. Sergio Perez / Force India-Mercedes

13. Esteban Gutierrez / Sauber-Ferrari

14. Romain Grosjean / Lotus-Renault

15. Jules Bianchi / Marussia-Ferrari

16. Kimi Raikkonen / Ferrari-Ferrari

17. Kamui Kobayashi / Caterham-Renault

18. Max Chilton / Marussia-Ferrari

19. Marcus Ericsson / Caterham-Renault

20. Pastor Maldonado / Lotus-Renault

PIT-LANE

Kevin Magnussen / McLaren-Mercedes

Lewis Hamilton / Mercedes-Mercedes

----

Article Written By: Amy Hawk.

No copyright infringement intended.

Hungarian GP: Free Practice 3 - Re-Cap & Results

Free Practice 3:

Saturday's Free Practice session went according to plan for most drivers and everyone was working on those last-minute set-up changes and preparing for the later Qualifying session.

Here are the times from the session.

TIME SHEET: 

1. Lewis Hamilton - 1:24.048 / Mercedes-Mercedes

2. Nico Rosberg - 1:24.095 / Mercedes-Mercedes

3. Sebastian Vettel - 1:24.455 / Red Bull-Renault

4. Daniel Ricciardo - 1:24.678 / Red Bull-Renault

5. Valtteri Bottas - 1:24.685 / Williams-Mercedes

6. Fernando Alonso - 1:24.769 / Ferrari-Ferrari

7. Kimi Raikkonen - 1:24.818 / Ferrari-Ferrari

8. Kevin Magnussen - 1:24.867 / McLaren-Mercedes

9. Jean-Eric Vergne - 1:25.162 / Toro Rosso-Renault

10. Daniil Kvyat - 1:25.170 / Toro Rosso-Renault

11. Felipe Massa - 1:25.231 / Williams-Mercedes

12. Jenson Button - 1:25.468 / McLaren-Mercedes

13. Pastor Maldonado - 1:25.829 / Lotus-Renault

14. Romain Grosjean - 1:25.859 / Lotus-Renault

15. Adrian Sutil - 1:25.934 / Sauber-Ferrari

16. Esteban Gutierrez - 1:26.023 / Sauber-Ferrari

17. Nico Hulkenberg - 1:26.035 / Force India-Mercedes 

18. Sergio Perez - 1:26.142 / Force India-Mercedes

19. Kamui Kobayashi - 1:27.560 / Caterham-Renault

20. Max Chilton - 1:28.038 / Marussia-Ferrari

21. Marcus Ericsson - 1:28.605 / Caterham-Renault

22. Jules Bianchi - 1:28.821 / Marussia-Ferrari

----

Article Written By: Amy Hawk

No copyright infringement intended

Hungarian GP: Free Practice 2 - Re-Cap & Results

Free Practice 2 - Re-Cap:

The second session has now passed and we're waiting for FP3 to start. Also later will be Qualifying to see who can go fastest to secure Pole Position for Sunday's Grand Prix.

There was a lot of people having what we and many people call "Off track moments" - Where a car will either have 2 or more wheels off the circuit, have a spin or just kinda' lose the turning for a moment. Massa was one of the few people to have a full on spin, but was able to get the car back on to the circuit and continue.

While Mercedes had another grand 1-2 finish in this session, Nico was warned of engine damage and that he would need to switch gears during certain turns. Someone else having car problems was Romain Grosjean, with the continued water leak on his Lotus. They thought they had fixed it, but when he went out for a run, they were quick to call him back, telling him the leak was still there.

Sebastian Vettel, who has yet to score a win in this season, looks to be having a promising weekend as he ended the session in 3rd, ahead of his team-mate, Ricciardo, who finished it in 7th.

Here are the full times from FP2.

TIME SHEET:

1. Lewis Hamilton - 1:24.482 / Mercedes-Mercedes

2. Nico Rosberg - 1:24.720 / Mercedes-Mercedes

3. Sebastian Vettel - 1:25.111 / Red Bull-Renault

4. Fernando Alonso - 1:25.437 / Ferrari-Ferrari

5. Kevin Magnussen - 1:25.580 / McLaren-Mercedes

6. Kimi Raikkonen - 1:25.730 / Ferrari-Ferrari

7. Daniel Ricciardo - 1:25.983 / Red Bull-Renault

8. Valtteri Bottas - 1:25.999 / Williams-Mercedes

9. Jenson Button - 1:26.234 / McLaren-Mercedes

10. Felipe Massa - 1:26.402 / Williams-Mercedes

11. Daniil Kvyat - 1:26.689 / Toro Rosso-Renault

12. Jean-Eric Vergne - 1:26.703 / Toro Rosso-Renault

13. Nico Hulkenberg - 1:26.789 / Force India-Mercedes

14. Adrian Sutil - 1:26.919 / Sauber-Ferrari

15. Sergio Perez - 1:27.013 / Force India-Mercedes

16. Pastor Maldonado - 1:27.019 / Lotus-Renault

17. Romain Grosjean - 1:27.021 / Lotus-Renault

18. Esteban Gutierrez - 1:27.480 / Sauber-Ferrari

19. Kamui Kobayashi - 1:28.370 / Caterham-Renault

20. Jules Bianchi - 1:28.469 / Marussia-Ferrari

21. Max Chilton - 1:28.586 / Marussia-Ferrari

22. Marcus Ericsson - 1:29.036 / Caterham-Renault

Make sure you're following us on Twitter @F1Insider78 - We'll be bringing you our LIVE Commentary Coverage of Free Practice 3 today!

----

Article Written By: Amy Hawk.

No copyright infringement intended.

Hungarian GP: Free Practice 1 - Re-Cap & Results

FP1 - Re-Cap:

The last F1 weekend before the Summer Break has begun with a round of Free Practice. So, why don't we just jump straight in.

The problem as of right now is that drivers seem to be finding little grip with the rear tyres. Like I said in a previous article, the compounds used for this weekend are Mediums and Softs. But that's not the problem. The problem seems to be the extreme heat, which is apparently making some of the tyres feel like chewing gum.

Meanwhile, Max Chilton suffered some bad luck in this session when only 5 minutes in, his car caught fire due to an Oil leak from the Gearbox. Because of this, the Marussia F1 team had to set to work on changing Chilton's gearbox. The Briton was able to make it back out with only 4 minutes left of the hour-and-a-half session.

He wasn't the only one to encounter problems though. Late in the sesssion, Romain Grosjean was told he wasn't heading back out due to a water leak of some sort. And then Sauber driver, Adrian Sutil had a late spin off the circuit right before the Chequered Flag.

It was a Mercedes 1-2 again, but rounding up the 3 fastest wasn't a Williams this time around, but a Ferrari. Kimi Raikkonen took the 3rd spot and the top 5 was completed by his team-mate, Fernando Alonso and then Sebastian Vettel in the Red Bull. Now, here are the rest of the times.

TIME SHEET:

1. Lewis Hamilton - 1:25.814 / Mercedes-Mercedes

2. Nico Rosberg - 1:25.997 / Mercedes-Mercedes

3. Kimi Raikkonen - 1:26.421 / Ferrari-Ferrari

4. Fernando Alonso - 1:26.872 / Ferrari-Ferrari

5. Sebastian Vettel - 1:27.220 / Red Bull-Renault

6. Kevin Magnussen - 1:27.357 / McLaren-Mercedes

7. Jean-Eric Vergne - 1:27.683 / Toro Rosso-Renault

8. Daniel Ricciardo - 1:27.782 / Red Bull-Renault

9. Jenson Button - 1:27.804 / McLaren Mercedes

10. Felipe Massa - 1:27.960 / Williams-Mercedes

11. Esteban Gutierrez - 1:27.967 / Sauber-Ferrari

12. Nico Hulkenberg - 1:28.101 / Force India-Mercedes

13. Daniil Kvyat - 1:28.208 / Toro Rosso-Renault

14. Pastor Maldonado - 1:28.266 / Lotus-Renault

15. Valtteri Bottas - 1:28.330 / Williams-Mercedes

16. Sergio Perez - 1:28.376 / Force India-Mercedes

17. Romain Grosjean - 1:28.593 / Lotus-Renault

18. Adrian Sutil - 1:29.025 / Sauber-Ferrari

19. Kamui Kobayashi - 1:30.363 / Caterham-Renault

20. Marcus Ericsson - 1:30.892 / Caterham-Renault

21. Max Chilton - 1:31.004 / Marussia-Ferrari

22. Jules Bianchi - 1:31.248 / Marussia-Ferrari

---- Time are unofficial

Make sure you're following us on our twitter @F1Insider78 - We will have live commentary coverage of Free Practice 2 later as well and then Free Practice 3 tomorrow! 

----

Article Written By: Amy Hawk

No copyright infringement intended.

Hungarian GP: Driver Preview Quotes - Marussia

Preview Quotes - Marussia

Jules Bianchi - "I have some good memories of Hungary as my second race in Eurocup in Formula Renault took place here in 2007 and I got two pole positions. It is an interesting track because there are big braking events, long corners and some quite bumpy parts and also there is little time to draw breath around the lap. It will be a busy week for sure, and probably a very hot one, so I hope we can have a nice reward and end the first part of the season in a strong position versus the cars around us."

Max Chilton - "I really like the Hungaroring and it's a place that holds special memories for me having won here in GP2 from pole position. The track is quite arduous as the lap is so relentless and the temperatures can be tough for the cars and the Team. It is all corners, so driving technique and car set-up are very important. In development terms we need a strong and reliable weekend, hopefully benefiting from what we learned in Germany last week. The progress continues but we need to ensure we can realise more of it during the course of a race, so we're not finding ourselves out of position with the Caterhams."

Article Posted By: Amy Hawk

Quotes made by Drivers

No copyright infringement intended.

Hungarian GP: Driver Preview Quotes - Williams

Preview Quotes - Williams

Felipe Massa - “Hungary is a track where a good power unit is a little less important. Aerodynamics play a higher part and getting good downforce for the corners is vital. We have worked hard to get the car ready for this type of circuit and if that has all worked we should still be competitive. I hope to be able to get lots more points this weekend.”

Valtteri Bottas - “Budapest is the last race before the summer break. We are aiming for a good result there so we head into the holidays with a good feeling. We know it's not the best circuit for our car but we are working on getting more grip in the corners and we have some upgrades that should help as well. Qualifying is very important as it's not an easy track to overtake at; normally the race is hot as well so tyre degradation will be high. A good few practice sessions should help us get the set-up right. There are always a few fans from Finland, it's almost like a Finnish Grand Prix so I hope to pay the fans back with a good result.”

Article Posted By: Amy Hawk

Quotes made by Drivers

No copyright infringement intended.

Hungarian GP: Driver Preview Quotes - Mercedes

Preview Quotes - Mercedes

Lewis Hamilton - "I was very proud that we could put both cars on the podium for Mercedes-Benz in Germany in front of all the Mercedes employees there last weekend. From a personal point of view, I couldn't be too ecstatic about the race because it was a tough weekend for me and ultimately I lost more points to Nico in the Championship battle. But I had great fun out there and did as good a job as I could. To get the car from right at the back to the podium was quite an achievement for everyone involved and I'm grateful that we could limit the damage after qualifying. The Hungarian Grand Prix is always a special one for me, with four pole positions and four wins from my seven races there so far - including my first victory for Mercedes last season. I don't really have any secrets there - I've just been very fortunate over the years and it's a circuit I really enjoy. It's one where you can really attack, which works for an attacking driver like myself, so perhaps it suits my driving style a little bit more than some others. I've always had great support there from the fans too, so I'm looking forward to it. I'm doing absolutely everything I can to get back on level terms with Nico in the title battle - I can't focus more or work harder than I am doing right now. This Championship is proving a big challenge for me but that's how I love it - and I wouldn't have it any other way."

Nico Rosberg - "It was an amazing feeling to take a home victory for myself and Mercedes-Benz at Hockenheim. That race and Monaco are the ones I really want to win, so I came into the weekend hoping for a good result and it worked out perfectly. My Silver Arrow was so dominant and I have to thank the team for this fantastic car. So many positive things have been happening for me in the last few weeks. Getting married was definitely the best feeling, then with the new contract, the World Cup for Germany and the weekend at Hockenheim. It's been a very special time for me. Now we head to Hungary, which is always a really fun weekend in a lot of different ways. Budapest is a really cool city, with a lot of nice things to do in the evening with all the restaurants on the river. I often have friends come to this race as they really enjoy the place - although, of course, while they're out partying on the Saturday night, I'll focusing and preparing for the race! We've had some great after-race parties on the Sunday night in Hungary before, as it's the last one before the summer break. Hopefully we can give everyone back at the factories and here at the circuit something to really cheer about as a reward for all their hard work before they go on holiday!"

Article Posted By: Amy Hawk

Quotes made by Drivers

No copyright infringement intended.

Hungarian GP: Driver Preview Quotes - Lotus

Preview Quotes - Lotus

Romain Grosjean - “I love Budapest and I love the Hungaroring. It’s a place that I really look forward to visiting every year. It is usually sunny and hot and is just before the summer break so you give all the energy you have before you go on holiday. It is an exciting Grand Prix every year. It’s a great track and one that’s suited us in the past. It was great to be on the podium there in 2012. I can remember feeling frustrated that year as we did have a chance to be fighting for the win, but that didn’t work out because of traffic. I like the circuit with its style of up and downs and twisty corners. I like the feeling you get when driving on the track and the grip you get from it. I’ve been very quick in qualifying every time there. I did one of my best overtakes in my career in Formula One last year and I got penalised for a few small centimetres which was tough at the time… Nevertheless, it is hard to overtake at the Hungaroring making qualifying very, very important, as is the race strategy. It’s a tight and twisty track so you do need a good qualifying result. We showed in 2012 that being on the front row certainly helps and last year’s P3 wasn’t too bad either. I scored my first GP2 Series pole position there in 2008. In 2011 I won and finished third, which was a pretty good weekend. Driving-wise, it’s not the most physically challenging in terms of high speed corners, but the heat you experience in the cockpit can be quite an issue. It can also be a difficult circuit early in the weekend as the track is not used very much, meaning it’s quite slippery when you first go out.”

Pastor Maldonado - “The Hungarian Grand Prix is one of the best of the season. We are very close to Budapest and I like the city very much. There is a big community of fans at the race weekend and the people are very friendly. On track, it can be very challenging. The weather is usually very hot there and it is very demanding from a physical point of view. It is one of the races that I enjoy best because of these demands and I really like the challenge that it presents. It is a very demanding circuit for drivers as it is often very hot and there are limited overtaking opportunities. It has quite a slow speed layout, so we’ll be able to see how much improvement we’ve made on this type of configuration. Qualifying is so important at this track because of the small number of overtaking opportunities, but I’ve qualified well there in the past so hopefully I can deliver a strong performance that will give the team a boost as we head into the summer break. I have won there in other categories so the track has good memories for me. The fans create a great atmosphere and it’s always good to race at a track where there is a strong feeling like this.”

Article Posted By: Amy Hawk

Quotes made by Drivers

No copyright infringement intended.

Hungarian GP: Driver Preview Quotes - McLaren

Preview Quotes - McLaren

Jenson Button - “As you know, this has been a special place for me for some time. I won my first Grand Prix here back in 2006 - it was one of those days when everything seemed to go my way - and I won my 200th Grand Prix here. That was an emotional day - and it was back in 2011 - I can’t believe it was nearly 60 races ago. The Hungaroring is a great track. Everybody thinks of it as a slow circuit, but, out the back, it’s got some pretty decent corners - Turn Four requires some serious commitment, and it’s made harder because it has a blind apex. Equally, the sequence of S-bends that make up Turns Eight to 11 are really satisfying to drive. Nonetheless, it’s still a circuit where you require lots of downforce and grip, and I think we are making positive steps in that direction.”

Kevin Magnussen - “I really like the Hungaroring. It isn't a fast circuit but, a bit like Monaco, it's a track on which a driver can really make a difference. I raced there last year in World Series by Renault 3.5 - and, although I didn't win either of the two races we had that weekend, I really enjoyed the first of them in particular.  Qualifying had been messed up for many of the drivers, owing to torrential rain, and I ended up 16th on the grid. From there I got it all hooked up really well on race day, which was also extremely wet, and I overtook a load of cars as I worked my way up to second place at the end. It was great! I think we’ve shown recently that our car performs slightly better on tracks with a combination of low- and mid-speed corners, so I think this weekend will hopefully offer us another opportunity to score some useful world championship points. After a couple of frustrating races, I’m hoping for a weekend where everything comes together.”

Article Posted By: Amy Hawk

Quotes made by Drivers

No copyright infringement intended.

Hungarian GP: Driver Preview Quotes - Caterham

Preview Quotes - Caterham

Kamui Kobayashi - “The last race before the August break is Hungary, another really popular race with both fans and everyone in F1. For me one of my best memories of the Hungarian GP is 2010, the first time I raced on this track in F1. I had a grid penalty for something so had to start on the last row, in 23rd, but I overtook about six or seven cars on the first lap and then finished in the points! I think we’re realistic enough to know that probably won’t be possible this year, but we’ll still go there ready to fight as hard as we can, and hopefully come away with something positive. On track the Hungaroring isn’t one of the most challenging circuits we race on, but one of the keys to a good time is to find a rhythm, especially in sector two. You need to let the corners flow, one after the other, and with the high temperatures we usually have there and the tyre choice being soft and mediums, tyre management will be even more important than normal.”

Marcus Ericsson - “Straight on to Hungary after the German GP and another chance to take the fight to the cars ahead. For the last couple of races I’ve had a few issues that compromised my race before it started, so I’m targeting a clean weekend with maximum track time, especially in quali after what happened in Hockenheim. I’ve always had great support in Hungary. It’s one of the races a lot of Swedish fans come to and after seeing so many Swedish flags in Germany I’m looking forward to the same at the Hungaroring. This time I want to give them something to cheer for all weekend, especially on Sunday, so it’s important we have good reliability across the whole package, giving us the chance to fight in quali and race properly on Sunday.”

Article Posted By: Amy Hawk

Quotes made by Drivers

No copyright infringement intended.

Hungarian GP: Driver Preview Quotes - Force India

Preview Quotes - Force India

Nico Hulkenberg - “The circuit is challenging and leaves little room for mistakes. The second sector has several corners that are all connected, so you need to hook them all up to be quick. If you run wide on one corner you can lose the flow of the lap. Overtaking is difficult, too, even with the DRS. There is one straight, but it’s not that long. It’s a good event with a nice atmosphere and lots of fans. I love the city of Budapest with the beautiful buildings and old architecture so it’s nice to explore a bit. The weather is always hot, which usually helps us and our car has worked well on tracks with slow corners so that’s a good sign.”

Sergio Perez - “Hungary is definitely a great event and it’s usually one of the hottest races of the year. It’s the last race before the summer break so you always want to do well so that you can enjoy the break, otherwise it can feel very long. It's a really interesting circuit and you have to think very carefully about the way you set your car up. It’s a very technical lap and you have to consider the weaknesses of your car and set it up around them. It's also very demanding on the tyres because you are always in a corner. The hot weather will make that even more challenging. I was a bit disappointed after Silverstone and Hockenheim because things did not really work out for me in the races. So it’s important to score some good points before the summer break.”

Article Posted By: Amy Hawk

Quotes made by Drivers

No copyright infringement intended.

Hungarian GP: Driver Preview Quotes - Red Bull

Preview Quotes - Red Bull

Sebastian Vettel - "I like the race and atmosphere at the Hungaroring, and have good memories of the races there even though I have never won in Budapest - it is still on my to do list! It is quite a slow track but also one that can catch you out. It has some tight, twisty corners and is quite a bumpy track, so you cannot underestimate it. It is normally hot in Hungary for the race which makes it a challenge to drive, but also makes a nice weekend for the fans watching. I really like the setting of the race track, just outside Budapest and near to the Danube - in the evenings I enjoy going for a walk along the banks, or sometimes a jog in the morning. The Hungarian GP is the last race before the Summer break so we will be working hard to keep up the momentum and have a good result to enjoy over the holidays."

Daniel Ricciardo - "I've always enjoyed the Hungaroring, but because it's so tight and twisty it's maybe not the ideal layout for a grand prix. It's like Monaco without the walls. It's one of those weird situations where the driving is very satisfying but the racing, perhaps, is not. It's a great, great track in qualifying, where you're driving on low fuel and fresh tyres - there's no let up and you're completely in the moment. In a race though overtaking is difficult because the track is quite narrow and that exciting sequence of corners doesn't give you the opportunity to line up a pass. DRS has improved things and the first corner and the downhill sequence that follows can be quite exciting."

Article Posted By: Amy Hawk

Quotes made by Drivers

No copyright infringement intended.

Hungarian GP: Driver Preview Quotes - Toro Rosso

Preview Quotes - Toro Rosso

Jean-Eric Vergne - “This is an important race as it comes just before the summer break, so if you do well here, it means you can enjoy the holiday more. It is a really tough race for the car and for the drivers. The circuit is located in a bowl which seems to trap the heat and the lap has no straights, so there is no time to rest at all over a lap. It can be frustrating to race here though, like in Monaco, as you can find yourself behind a slower car and not be able to get close enough to pass. To overtake, you need to be really close in the last corner to pass down the pit straight and in order to manage that, you must be right on the tail of the slower car for the whole lap, which is quite tricky, as there are a few high speed corners. You are always turning, braking, accelerating. Not an easy race and the last two years it has not been a good track for Toro Rosso, so I really want this to change and we will be doing all we can to have a good race. I like the city, which I have visited many times from my days racing in the World Series.”

Daniil Kvyat - “Hungaroring is on the list of my favourite tracks with its flowing nature and fast chicanes and corners, which you need to attack a lot. That’s what I really love about this track. There’s no time to rest there but I am really looking forward to it. You can get stuck behind slower cars, which is frustrating and that’s why it is really important to get as good a grid position as possible here and start in front of your rivals. It can be very hot and from a physical point of view, Budapest can be even tougher than Malaysia because you don’t get time to rest as there are no long straights. It makes for a demanding and challenging weekend. I also like the city of Budapest, quite a lot of Russians come to this race, so I am looking forward to seeing a lot of Russian flags in the grandstands: not on the scale of Sochi of course, but a nice feeling all the same.”

Article Posted By: Amy Hawk

Quotes made by Drivers

No copyright infringement intended.

Hungarian GP: Driver Preview Quotes - Sauber

Preview Quotes - Sauber

Esteban Gutierrez - "The Hungaroring has a different characteristic in comparison to other circuits on the calendar. It is a very interesting track, and I enjoy driving there. The circuit consists of many low and medium-speed corners. As it is quite bumpy, it will affect the mechanical set-up of the car. Due to the traditional high temperatures, it is demanding for the tyres. There is a lot of tyre degradation as the track has some corners with right-left combinations. Although this can give us some opportunities, and we can work on different strategies. I like being at the Hungaroring, so I am looking forward to going there again. The team keeps working hard, and we hope to be in a better position at the Hungarian Grand Prix."

Adrian Sutil - "The Hungarian Grand Prix is a great event with many fans who are passionate about racing. The track itself is quite short, but very challenging with many corners, and it is not easy to put a perfect lap together. You need a lot of grip as there are several slow corners. The Hungaroring is interesting, and it is definitely good to have it on the calendar. It is the second slowest track after Monaco. Our chances are difficult to predict, but I am ready for a good result and hope for a great race. Budapest is a picturesque city with a lot of history and beautiful buildings."

Article Posted By: Amy Hawk

Quotes made by Drivers

No copyright infringement intended.

Hungarian GP: Circuit Preview

(Photo belongs to: www.forma1-live-hu / All credit belongs to the owner)

Hungary Circuit Preview + 2013 Look-Back

The Hungaroring will be the last circuit that the drivers visit before Summer Break. The 2.722 mile circuit is located in Mogyoród, Hungary and first opened in 1986. It's got a total of 16 turns and it's a 70 lap race. Like most, the Hungaroring runs Clockwise. The current capacity is around 70,000. This weekend, the drivers will be using the Medium and Soft compound tyres and making probably 2 pit-stops depending on the team strategies. 

The 2013 Hungarian GP saw Lewis Hamilton start on pole and finish the race in First. Kimi Raikkonen, then driving for Lotus, finished in Second, while Sebastian Vettel came in 3rd. 

There was a total of 3 retirements, including: Valtteri Bottas, Adrian Sutil and Esteban Gutierrez. Both Bottas and Sutil suffered from Hydraulics issues while Gutierrez had a transmission failure.

Make sure to stay with us on our twitter @F1Insider78 for our usual LIVE Commentary and updates throughout the race weekend.

----

Article Written By: Amy Hawk

No copyright infringement intended.

Photo belongs to: www.forma1-live-hu - All rights belong to owner.

Hungarian GP: Schedule

We are now in to the last GP weekend of the first half of the 2014 season. After this race, we have the usual Summer Break. Drivers go home and visit family and teams work on new strategies and future upgrades for their cars. 

But it's time yet, because we have just entered the Hungarian GP week! And here is the track schedule. I hope everyone planning to go has a wonderful time and remember if you have any questions, don't hesitate to ask! The times are for Local Hungarian zones, so if you want it converted just let me know.

SCHEDULE:

July 24th / Thursday

15:00 - Drivers Press Conference (Located in the Press Room)

July 25th / Friday

08:45 - 09:45 - Paddock Club Pit Lane Walk

10:00 - 11:30 - Free Practice 1

12:50 - 13:45 - Paddock Club Pit Lane Walk

14:00 - 15:30 - Free Practice 2

16:00 - 17:00 - Press Conference

July 26th / Saturday

08:30 - 09:15 - Team Pit-Stop Practice

08:30 - 09:35 - Paddock Club Pit Lane Walk

11:00 - 12:00 - Free Practice 3

13:00 - 13:45 - Paddock Club Pit Lane Walk

14:00 - Qualifying 

July 27th / Sunday

12:25 - 13:15 - Paddock Club Pit Lane Walk

12:30 - Drivers Track Parade

12:45 - 13:15 - Starting Grid Presentation

13:46 - National Anthem

14:00 - Race

Remember, we'll be doing LIVE Commentary Coverage on our Twitter of ALL 3 Free Practice sessions. So follow us @F1Insider78 on Twitter.

----

Article Written By: Amy Hawk

No copyright infringement intended

Feature: German GP - Our Post-Race Quote

Amy Hawk (F1Insider78) - "First of all, I'd like to congratulate Nico Rosberg for winning at his home race. He gave an absolute incredible drive to take the win. Also congratulations to Valtteri and Lewis for their podium finishes. Overall it was a very entertaining and suspenseful race and I saw a lot of true wheel-to-wheel racing which is always great. 

Force India had a tough race, but fought hard and came away with another good handful of points. I believe they will achieve more great results in Hungary. As for Sauber, there was an unfortunate event with Adrian spinning out when he was so close to points. As for Esteban, he finished the race in a positive position and of course, they must take the positivity to the next race.

The accident between Kevin (Magnussen) and Massa was obviously a very seious thing. We don't enjoy seeing accidents happen and of course, you're instantly worried about the drivers involved. Luckily no one was injured. I am now looking forward to the coming race at the Hungaroring. It's one of my favourite GP's and the track is beautiful. It's also the last race before the Summer Break, so hopefully everyone will come out of it with good results."

Quote belongs to Amy Hawk and F1Insider78

Available for use with permission.