German GP: Qualifying - Re-Cap & Results

GERMAN GRAND PRIX - QUALIFYING

    It's Nico Rosberg who will start the German Grand Prix from Pole Position and Lewis Hamilton will start from 2nd, making it another Mercedes front-row lock out.

    Romain Grosjean was given a 5-Place-Grid-Penalty for a gearbox change following FP3. Nico Hulkenberg was given a 1-Place-Grid-Penalty for using inappropriately identified tyres in Qualifying and Carlos Sainz was handed a 3-Place-Grid-Penalty for impeding Felipe Massa during Qualifying.

HOW IT WORKS:

Q1 = 18 minutes. All cars allowed to go out. At the end of the session, the six slowest are eliminated.

Q2 = 15 minutes. The remaining cars go out. At the end of the session, the six slowest are eliminated.

Q3 = 12 minutes. Final 10 cars go out. The final order at the end of the session is how the grid will line up. Fastest car starts from Pole Position.

GRID LINE-UP

1. Nico Rosberg / Mercedes-Mercedes / Germany

2. Lewis Hamilton / Mercedes-Mercedes / Great Britain

3. Daniel Ricciardo / Red Bull-TAG-HEUER / Australia

4. Max Verstappen / Red Bull-TAG-HEUER / Netherlands

5. Kimi Raikkonen / Ferrari-Ferrari / Finland

6. Sebastian Vettel / Ferrari-Ferrari / Germany

7. Valtteri Bottas / Williams-Mercedes / Finland

8. Nico Hulkenberg / Force India-Mercedes / Germany*

9. Sergio Perez / Force India-Mercedes / Mexico

10. Felipe Massa / Williams-Mercedes / Brazil

11. Esteban Gutierrez / Haas-Ferrari / Mexico

12. Jenson Button / McLaren-Honda / Great Britain

13. Fernando Alonso /McLaren-Honda / Spain

14. Jolyon Palmer / Renault-Renault / Great Britain

15. Carlos Sainz / Toro Rosso-Ferrari / Spain**

16. Kevin Magnussen / Renault-Renault / Denmark

17. Daniil Kvyat / Toro Rosso-Ferrari / Russia

18. Pascal Wehrlein / Manor-Mercedes / Germany

19. Rio Haryanto / Manor-Mercedes / Indonesia

20. Romain Grosjean / Haas-Ferrari / France***

21. Felipe Nasr / Sauber-Ferrari / Brazil

22. Marcus Ericsson / Sauber-Ferrari / Sweden

* - (Hulkenberg) 1-Place-Grid-Penalty for using inappropriately identified tyres

** - (Sainz) - 3-Place-Grid-Penalty for impeding Massa during Q2

*** - (Grosjean) 5-Place-Grid-Penalty for gearbox replacement post-FP3

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German GP: Free Practice 3 - Re-Cap & Times

GERMAN GRAND PRIX - FREE PRACTICE #3

    Mercedes continued to lead by topping the third and final practice session of the weekend and it was Rosberg once again who took the top spot with a 1:15.738. Hamilton finished in 2nd. Ricciardo, Raikkonen and Vettel completed the top 5.

    Both Romain Grosjean and Jenson Button suffered gearbox issues during the session. Button luckily didn't need a replacement but Grosjean had his gearbox changed and was handed a 5-Place-Grid-Penalty. Lewis Hamilton faced a potential penalty as well when the team released him in the pit-lane, right into the path of Grosjean. Hamilton wasn't handed a penalty or a reprimand, but Mercedes was fined 10,000 Euros for the unsafe release.

    Sergio Perez suffered minor car damage when he was one of many drivers to go off track and run over the red and white kerbing. He suffered damage to the front of the car, which was fixed in the garage before the end of the session.

TIMES:

1. Nico Rosberg - 1:15.738 / Mercedes-Mercedes

2. Lewis Hamilton - 1:15.795 / Mercedes-Mercedes

3. Daniel Ricciardo - 1:15.837 / Red Bull-TAG-HEUER

4. Kimi Raikkonen - 1:15.902 / Ferrari-Ferrari

5. Sebastian Vettel - 1:16.104 / Ferrari-Ferrari

6. Max Verstappen - 1:16.182 / Red Bull-TAG-HEUER

7. Valtteri Bottas - 1:16.400 / Williams-Mercedes

8. Felipe Massa - 1:16.630 / Williams-Mercedes

9. Fernando Alonso - 1:16.916 / McLaren-Honda

10. Nico Hulkenberg - 1:16.972 / Force India-Mercedes

11. Carlos Sainz - 1:17.028 / Toro Rosso-Ferrari

12. Sergio Perez - 1:17.066 / Force India-Mercedes

13. Esteban Gutierrez - 1:17.160 / Haas-Ferrari

14. Daniil Kvyat - 1:17.227 / Toro Rosso-Ferrari

15. Kevin Magnussen - 1:17.351 / Renault-Renault

16. Jolyon Palmer - 1:17.473 / Renault-Renault

17. Marcus Ericsson - 1:17.685 / Sauber-Ferrari

18. Felipe Nasr - 1:18.057 / Sauber-Ferrari

19. Jenson Button - 1:18.093 / McLaren-Honda

20. Pascal Wehrlein - 1:18.270 / Manor-Mercedes

21. Rio Haryanto - 1:18.272 / Manor-Mercedes

22. Romain Grosjean - 1:25.160 / Haas-Ferrari

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German GP: Free Practice 2 - Re-Cap & Times

GERMAN GRAND PRIX - FREE PRACTICE #2

    The weather changed quite a bit ahead of the second practice session and clouds loomed over the circuit. Luckily, rain wasn't an issue and the circuit stayed dry over the course of the session. Esteban Gutierrez and Jolyon Palmer got back to their cars after making way for Leclerc and Ocon in the 1st session. 

    It was another Mercedes 1-2, with Rosberg once again topping the session. The time was a slight bit slower than his fastest time in FP1. He ended the session with a 1:15.614 and was followed by Hamilton. Vettel, Verstappen and Ricciardo. Both Ferrari and Red Bull are looking to be having a very strong weekend and are close to the pace of the Mercedes duo.

    It was a better session for Force India with both Hulkenberg and Perez finishing inside the top 10. Hulkenberg finished in 7th, clocking a 1:16.781 and team mate, Perez in 9th, ending with a time of 1:17.148. Nico Hulkenberg confirmed he will stay with Force India in 2017 ahead of Friday's on-track activities. However, rumours continue to swirl around Perez. It is said that Renault are eager to pair him up with DTM driver, Esteban Ocon and scrap their current line-up of Magnussen and Palmer, altogether. 

    After the session, it was reported that Jenson Button had gone to the Medical Centre for an 'Eye irritation'. He then went to a local Hospital for further evaluation. Button later Tweeted the following: "On my way back to Hockenheim from the Mannheim hospital for an eye examination, foreign body found and removed. All good for tomorrow"

TIMES:

1. Nico Rosberg - 1:15.614 / Mercedes-Mercedes

2. Lewis Hamilton - 1:16.008 / Mercedes-Mercedes

3. Sebastian Vettel - 1:16.208 / Ferrari-Ferrari

4. Max Verstappen - 1:16.456 / Red Bull-TAG-HEUER

5. Daniel Ricciardo - 1:16.490 / Red Bull-TAG-HEUER

6. Kimi Raikkonen - 1:16.512 / Ferrari-Ferrari

7. Nico Hulkenberg - 1:16.781 / Force India-Mercedes

8. Jenson Button - 1:17.087 / McLaren-Honda

9. Sergio Perez - 1:17.148 / Force India-Mercedes

10. Fernando Alonso - 1:17.225 / McLaren-Honda

11. Carlos Sainz - 1:17.342 / Toro Rosso-Ferrari

12. Daniil Kvyat - 1:17.367 / Toro Rosso-Ferrari

13. Valtteri Bottas - 1:17.425 / Williams-Mercedes

14. Romain Grosjean - 1:17.602 / Haas-Ferrari

15. Felipe Massa - 1:17.686 / Williams-Mercedes

16. Esteban Gutierrez - 1:18.005 / Haas-Ferrari

17. Kevin Magnussen - 1:18.056 / Renault-Renault

18. Marcus Ericsson - 1:18.130 / Sauber-Ferrari

19. Pascal Wehrlein - 1:18.193 / Manor-Mercedes

20. Jolyon Palmer - 1:18.313 / Renault-Renault

21. Rio Haryanto - 1:18.591 / Manor-Mercedes

22. Felipe Nasr - 1:19.295 / Sauber-Ferrari

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German GP: Free Practice 1 - Re-Cap & Times

GERMAN GRAND PRIX - FREE PRACTICE #1

    After being dropped from the 2015 calendar due to shareholder/financial issues, the German GP weekend is back and drivers expressed their excitement to get back to driving at the Hockenheimring. In this first session, Esteban Ocon and Charles Leclerc also got to participate, with Ocon taking over Palmer's car at Renault and Leclerc driving for Gutierrez at Haas. 

    It was a Mercedes 1-2 with Nico Rosberg taking that top spot with an impressive 1:15.517. Hamilton was right behind, his time also in the 1:15's. Sebastian Vettel, Kimi Raikkonen and Max Verstappen rounded up the top five. 

    A good session for McLaren with both cars finishing in the top 10. Fernando Alonso finished the session in 7th and Button in 8th. Alonso also celebrated his 35th birthday and was seen in his garage wearing a party hat and taking photos with a cake version of his racing helmet

    Before the session started, there was a confirmation that the 'Halo' concept will not be used in 2017 and that it will most likely be introduced in 2018 instead. Another change is that the radio restrictions have been relaxed and teams/drivers are allowed to get help without earning possible penalties.

TIMES:

1. Nico Rosberg - 1:15.517 / Mercedes-Mercedes

2. Lewis Hamilton - 1:15.843 / Mercedes-Mercedes

3. Sebastian Vettel - 1:16.667 / Ferrari-Ferrari

4. Kimi Raikkonen - 1:16.852 / Ferrari-Ferrari

5. Max Verstappen - 1:16.927 / Red Bull-TAG-HEUER

6. Daniel Ricciardo - 1:17.089 / Red Bull-TAG-HEUER

7. Fernando Alonso - 1:17.183 / McLaren-Honda

8. Jenson Button - 1:17.612 / McLaren-Honda

9. Daniil Kvyat - 1:18.008 / Toro Rosso-Ferrari

10. Carlos Sainz - 1:18.044 / Toro Rosso-Ferrari

11. Marcus Ericsson - 1:18.198 / Sauber-Ferrari

12. Valtteri Bottas - 1:18.210 / Williams-Mercedes

13. Felipe Massa - 1:18.322 / Williams-Mercedes

14. Romain Grosjean - 1:18.589 / Haas-Ferrari

15. Nico Hulkenberg - 1:18.591 / Force India-Mercedes

16. Sergio Perez - 1:18.628 / Force India-Mercedes

17. Charles Leclerc* - 1:18.882 / Haas-Ferrari

18. Kevin Magnussen - 1:18.933 / Renault-Renault

19. Felipe Nasr - 1:18.961 / Sauber-Ferrari

20. Esteban Ocon* - 1:18.981 / Renault-Renault

21. Rio Haryanto - 1:19.167 / Manor-Mercedes

22. Pascal Wehrlein - 1:19.975 / Manor-Mercedes

* - Driving in this session only

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Rosberg Extends Mercedes Contract

ROSBERG EXTENDS MERCEDES CONTRACT

    Nico Rosberg has extended his contract with Mercedes F1 team for two more years. The German was set to be out of contract at the end of the season, but the new contract will keep him at the championship team until the end of 2018.

    Mercedes said in a statement that he has played a crucial role in the team’s success since joining in 2010. In that time, Rosberg has finished second in the championship twice, helping the team to two teams’ championships and a second place.

    The move is no doubt a boost for Rosberg, who is battling against team mate Lewis Hamilton for the drivers’ title. Hamilton will also be at the team next year.

    The extension removes one more seat for silly season to speculate about, leaving few what can be considered “top” seats left for those drivers still looking to secure a 2017 drive.

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German GP: Driver Preview Quotes - Manor

DRIVER PREVIEW QUOTES - MANOR RACING F1 TEAM

Pascal Wehrlein - “It’s my home Grand Prix - the one I’ve been most looking forward to. It will also be the busiest so far for me, so maybe after that a little break will be nice. I intend to enjoy it. Of course Germany will have a special significance as the first home race of my F1 career. First of many, I hope! Knowing a race track does have its advantages but, really, we push just as hard at every track we race at.”

Rio Haryanto - N/A

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German GP: Driver Preview Quotes - Toro Rosso

DRIVER PREVIEW QUOTES - SCUDERIA TORO ROSSO F1 TEAM

Daniil Kvyat - “The last time I raced here in 2014, I qualified eighth which wasn't bad, but unfortunately I had to retire from the race with an ignition problem. It's an interesting track, starting with Turn 1 which is a very high-speed corner and can be quite tricky on the opening lap. The exit of Turn 3 is where you need really good traction, especially in the race and after Turn 4 you drive down the long curved straight – time for a beer and a sausage. It's so long!

The hairpin at Turn 6 is a good place to try and overtake, but you have to keep an eye in your mirrors as it's also a good place to be overtaken! Another nice part of this circuit is Turn 12 - the stadium section, where you need to be brave to get it right. There's usually a great atmosphere here with a very noisy crowd. Turn 13 has positive camber and it's good to carry a lot of speed here while, in contrast, Turn 16 has negative camber. If I have to choose the corner I enjoy the most, that's Turn 12.”

Carlos Sainz - N/A

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German GP: Driver Preview Quotes - Red Bull

DRIVER PREVIEW QUOTES - RED BULL RACING FORMULA 1 TEAM

Daniel Ricciardo - “I think the Hockenheimring is actually a pretty fun track. I like entering the stadium section. Also the fans are huge motorsport fans, which is always pretty awesome. There are some cool little towns around the track which offer some traditional German food and after my week in Austria I can’t wait to enjoy my second round of Schnitzels.”

Max Verstappen - N/A

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German GP: Driver Preview Quotes - Haas

DRIVER PREVIEW QUOTES - HAAS F1 TEAM

Romain Grosjean - “I’d like us to go into the break with a strong final race. It’s always good to get a morale boost before the shutdown. Everyone can reflect on what we’ve done and what we can do better. It’s important for everyone to get a rest. It’s a long season and we’re only just over halfway through at the break. The big flyaway races come after that. We’ve had an amazing first half of the season and I’m sure we can do more in the second half. For that, we really need to keep working, keep our focus and take some rest whenever we can.

Hockenheim is definitely a lot about straight-line speed, braking and traction out of the corners. When you get good traction through the low-speed corners, you have a much better straight-line speed. You’ve got the stadium part, which is very narrow as well. It’s a good balance between having top speeds and fuel efficiency, and traction and braking being suitable.

It’s always great to visit somewhere with good memories. I won at the circuit in Formula Three, and in Formula Renault 1.6. I won there in the GP2 Series until a post-race penalty dropped me to second. Every year is different though. It doesn’t matter what happened in the past. The important thing is to make it count now.

The entry into the stadium section is definitely my favourite part of the Hockenheimring. It’s amazing. You’re coming in from really fast corners, then you just turn into a very narrow section of the track. It’s fun.”

Esteban Gutierrez - “It’s one of my favourite tracks. It’s one of the first I drove in Europe when I came to race Formula BMW in 2008. It’s a pretty special place for me. There are some corners that I really love about it - definitely the entry to the stadium. It’s a very high-speed corner, and you enter with a lot of speed and no margin of mistake. You have the gravel straight away and then you have a very narrow track, and it arrives into the banked corner, which is really interesting.

I want the team to be going into the summer break in good shape with a positive race at Hockenheim. I feel it will be an important occasion for every team member to also recharge their batteries because it has been quite a nonstop season for us right from the beginning. It will be an important break. Everyone can come back strong and we can continue our way through the season.”

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German GP: Driver Preview Quotes - Williams

DRIVER PREVIEW QUOTES - WILLIAMS MARTINI RACING 

Valtteri Bottas - “Last time we were in Germany was in 2014 and I was second place in the race, one of my best F1 results. It’s a track I’ve driven a lot when I was in the junior categories like Formula Renault and Formula 3, so I know the place really well. It’s nice to go back to Germany after a bit of a break, and hopefully we’ll have another warm welcome.”

Felipe Massa - “It will be nice to return to the German Grand Prix after we didn’t have it last year. We’re heading to Hockenheim, a track I really enjoy driving. I hope we have a good race because the Hockenheimring could be a great track for our car. We’ll see at the weekend.”

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German GP: Driver Preview Quotes - Renault

DRIVER PREVIEW QUOTES - RENAULT SPORT FORMULA 1 TEAM

Kevin Magnussen - “(Hockenheim is) a great track and the atmosphere there is always awesome. Turn one is very fast and it’s a great way to start what is always an exciting first lap. It’s difficult; you can gain or lose a lot of positions there depending on whether you have a good or bad exit. Do it well and you’ll make up a lot of places down to the next corner. Mess it up and it will be the exact opposite. There’s good overtaking opportunities down the long straight as well and a massive braking zone, perhaps the biggest one in Formula 1. It’s similar to China in that way. Then the final sector where the circuit goes from being quite wide to being a really old school narrow track and there is a very banked corner, which always makes it quite cool to drive.”

Jolyon Palmer - “(Hockenheim is) a circuit I haven’t raced at so much, as I’ve raced there only for two weekends previously. The two big features that stand out are the very long straight and the stadium section. Despite the changes to it over the years, it still has a really old-school feel to it, especially the arena section, which is very narrow and how close the fans can be there as well. It has a really nice flow, especially the second half of the lap, and a lot of slow and medium speed corners, which I quite like. There are a lot of passionate fans who come from all over the country and they really know how to enjoy the weekend. The campsites can be quite something to behold. It’s the last race before the August break so I may well treat myself to a nice German beer on the Sunday night.”

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German GP: Driver Preview Quotes - McLaren

DRIVER PREVIEW QUOTES - McLAREN HONDA FORMULA 1 TEAM

Fernando Alonso - “I’m pleased to be heading back to Hockenheim after we missed a race in Germany in 2015. It’s been a good circuit for me in the past - I’ve had three victories on this circuit, and five in Germany, so there’s lots of happy memories. There’s usually a good atmosphere there and there’s something special about the feeling of it being the last race before the summer break - everyone is upbeat and pushing hard because they want to finish the first half of the season on a high.

The weather is always a factor in Germany - this time of year tends to be hot, but you can never be 100 percent sure, so even a little bit of rain could mix things up a bit, which might help us. We know it’ll be a tough race, but after Hungary - even though the characteristics are very different - I’m pleased with the progress we’re making and I’m definitely up for the challenge.

Hockenheim is quite a technical circuit which requires fairly high down force, and although most of the corners are relatively low-speed, they come after long, power-hungry straights, so the set-up of both the power unit and chassis for both eventualities can be quite tricky. For this kind of circuit, you need a car with which you can push, and I feel we’re making improvements in that area.

For sure it will be different to Hungary - we can’t expect to be the number four team there, and our midfield rivals will be stronger, but we’ll try to maximise everything we have in our armoury and give it our best shot. The whole team has worked incredibly hard over the first half of the year, so it’ll be great to be able to have some luck and bring both cars home without any major issues.”

Jenson Button - “Last Sunday in Hungary was a big disappointment on my side of the garage - we showed a lot of promise throughout the weekend leading up to the race, but on Sunday it seemed that everything that could go wrong, did. Still, that’s part of racing and Fernando has had his share of bad luck over the past few races, so it was good he was able to get some points and maintain a good pace.

I hope we can regain our form in Germany and enjoy a positive race for both cars before the summer break. After last weekend, the main thing we need to focus on is reliability. If we have that, it at least puts us in a position to see where we are on track and be in the hunt for points. Hopefully the weekend will throw up a surprise or two, and we can both have a smooth weekend.

Although Hockenheim has had two different configurations over the years, there’s a lot of history there and the fans love their racing. Our car is strong under heavy braking, but despite the long, sweeping corners and fast straights, this isn’t as much of a necessity there as in Hungary. We’re expecting it to be a tricky weekend as the best-placed cars are the ones with the highest straight-line speeds, but we’ll see what we can do. The MP4-31 is well balanced and has good traction out of the corners, so we might be able to make up some time around a lap.

There are a couple of decent overtaking opportunities there, so you don’t just need to rely on DRS and a good slipstream on the straights, and it’s an enjoyable challenge. The asphalt is smooth which will hopefully rubber in nicely over the course of the weekend, as you need good grip to have any chance of making up ground. I remember the craziness of the old configuration - huge straights and fiddly chicanes, which made set-up a tricky compromise - and this layout is very different, but you can see they’ve designed it to promote close racing.”

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German GP: Driver Preview Quotes - Mercedes

DRIVER PREVIEW QUOTES - MERCEDES AMG PETRONAS FORMULA 1 TEAM

Lewis Hamilton - “Getting that win in Hungary after a less than straightforward weekend was a great feeling. If I can come out on top when things aren’t quite perfect, that can only be a good thing. Now it’s off to Germany and another one of the team’s home races after Silverstone. It’s great to be going back there. My last win in Hockenheim came way back in 2008, which seems like a lifetime ago, but I’ve got some great memories from the circuit and the country itself. I raced there a lot when in my early career in the junior racing formulae and, of course, I’ve been part of the Mercedes-Benz family since way back when. It would be great to get another win there for all our Mercedes employees and for the team, too, before the summer break. The last few races have been good for me, so if I can continue that form into this weekend I’ll be in good shape.”

Nico Rosberg - “It was disappointing to lose the race at the first corner in Hungary. But I was really happy with my pace all weekend, so that gives me good confidence moving forwards. I’m happy to have the chance to get back in the car again so soon – and especially happy that it’s at my second home race. I had a fantastic day at Hockenheim a few weeks ago driving Mika Häkkinen’s Championship-winning car. That really gave me a massive buzz to be back racing in Germany. Driving in through the circuit gates brought back so many great memories – from my childhood days at the DTM with my Dad right through to winning the Grand Prix for myself in 2014. Hopefully I can repeat that this year for the fans and for everybody at Mercedes. After this race it’s a well-earned break for the team, too. I’ll be pushing flat out to give them the result they deserve before they get some time to recharge their batteries.”

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German GP: Circuit Preview

GERMAN GRAND PRIX 2016 - CIRCUIT PREVIEW & 2014 STATS

Name: Hockenheim

Location: Hockenheim, Baden-Wurttemberg, Germany

Opened: May 29th 1932

Length: 2.842 Miles

Capacity: 120,000

Runs: Clockwise

Turns: 17

Race Laps: 67

2014 STATS* 

Pole Position: Nico Rosberg

1st Place: Nico Rosberg

2nd Place: Valtteri Bottas

3rd Place: Lewis Hamilton

Retirements: Felipe Massa (Collision), Romain Grosjean (Water Leak), Daniil Kvyat (Oil Leak) & Adrian Sutil (Spun Off)

* - Stats from 2014 as German GP was not held in 2015

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German GP: Track Schedule

GERMAN GRAND PRIX 2016 - TRACK SCHEDULE

July 29th / Friday

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

10:00 - 11:30 - Free Practice #1

14:00 - 15:30 - Free Practice #2

16:00 - 17:00 - Press Conference (Located in the Press Room)

July 30th / 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 - 15:00 - Qualifying

July 31st / Sunday

12:15 - 13:05 - Paddock Club Pit-Lane Walk

12:30 - Drivers Track Parade

12:45 - 13:15 - Starting Grid Presentation

13:46 - National Anthem

14:00 - Race

(Times subject to change)

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Hungarian GP: Race - Re-Cap & Results

HUNGARIAN GRAND PRIX - RACE

    When the lights went green in Hungary, it was Nico Rosberg on Pole Position, but Lewis Hamilton who easily took the lead during the first lap. Both Red Bull drivers charged after the Mercedes duo, allowing Ricciardo to momentarily take second while Verstappen lingered behind Rosberg.

    Early mechanical issues for Jenson Button, who reported that his brake pedal was hitting the floor when he would press it. The team gave Hamilton instructions, telling him not to shift and that the car had lost hydraulic pressure. Button received a drive-through-penalty due to the radio messages classifying as 'Banned' after the recent clampdown on what can and can't be said over the radio. Things only got worse for Button when he ended up having to retire on lap 60 with an oil leak. Team mate, Alonso, was able to finish 7th and score 6 points for the team. Button was the only retirement of the race, although Renault's Jolyon Palmer nearly threw his race away with a huge spin.

    An unsatisfying race for Force India, with Hulkenberg finishing 10th and only gaining one point, while Perez finished outside of the points after a disastrous pit-stop cost him a chance at finishing in the top 10. Force India had pitted Hulkenberg and Perez had headed in second, but his pit-crew were not waiting for him with a fresh set of tyres. Instead, they were seen scrambling out of the garage, still removing tyre-warming blankets off of the Pirellis. Perez voiced his frustration over the radio once back on track, asking what had happened.

    Daniil Kvyat, who has not been having the best of luck recently, got himself into a bit of trouble after he was found speeding in the pit-lane. He was given a 5-second-time-penalty. Esteban Gutierrez was also given a time penalty after ignoring multiple blue flags. Kvyat, Gutierrez and his team mate, Grosjean, were all unable to score points. Kvyat's team mate, Sainz, was able to finish 8th and bring 4 points to the Italian team.

    Max Verstappen once again found himself in a tight battle with Ferrari's Kimi Raikkonen. Raikkonen was gaining in on being able to pass the Red Bull driver for 5th, but Verstappen continued to fiercely defend his position. The two made brief contact which resulted in Raikkonen losing a front wing end-plate. Neither driver was penalized for the collision and Verstappen finished the race in 5th after a long fight with the Ferrari driver.

    Lewis Hamilton went on to take the win, making it his 5th win at the Hungaroring. Nico Rosberg finished close behind in 2nd and Daniel Ricciardo found himself back on the podium, in 3rd after a tough fight with former team mate, Sebastian Vettel.

RESULTS:

1. Lewis Hamilton / Mercedes-Mercedes / Great Britain / + 25 Points

2. Nico Rosberg / Mercedes-Mercedes / Germany / + 18 Points

3. Daniel Ricciardo / Red Bull-TAG-HEUER / Australia / + 15 Points

4. Sebastian Vettel / Ferrari-Ferrari / Germany / + 12 Points

5. Max Verstappen / Red Bull-TAG-HEUER / Netherlands / + 10 Points

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

7. Fernando Alonso / McLaren-Honda / Spain / + 6 Points

8. Carlos Sainz / Toro Rosso-Ferrari / Spain / + 4 Points

9. Valtteri Bottas / Williams-Mercedes / Finland / + 2 Points

10. Nico Hulkenberg / Force India-Mercedes / Germany / + 1 Point

11. Sergio Perez / Force India-Mercedes / Mexico

12. Jolyon Palmer / Renault-Renault / Great Britain

13. Esteban Gutierrez / Haas-Ferrari / Mexico

14. Romain Grosjean / Haas-Ferrari / France

15. Kevin Magnussen / Renault-Renault / Denmark

16. Daniil Kvyat / Toro Rosso-Ferrari / Russia

17. Felipe Nasr / Sauber-Ferrari / Brazil

18. Felipe Massa / Williams-Mercedes / Brazil

19. Pascal Wehrlein / Manor-Mercedes / Germany

20. Marcus Ericsson / Sauber-Ferrari / Sweden

21. Rio Haryanto / Manor-Mercedes / Indonesia

RETIRED - Jenson Button / McLaren-Honda / Great Britain / Oil Leak

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Hungarian GP: Qualifying - Re-Cap & Results

HUNGARIAN GRAND PRIX - QUALIFYING

    Qualifying was delayed by 20 minutes due to heavy rain and was stopped due to multiple red flags. Both Massa and Ericsson crashed in Q1 and Alonso had a spin in Q3. Nico Rosberg will start the race from Pole Position. He was called to the stewards after Qualifying, as he was on his hot lap when yellow flags were waved for Alonso's spin. It was rumoured that Rosberg had not sufficiently slowed for the yellow flags. But after the FIA investigated the situation, Rosberg kept his result of Pole Position.

    5 drivers were under threat of losing their grid positions after failing to set a time within 107% of the leader in Q1. Perez, Hulkenberg, Verstappen, Ricciardo and Bottas were all investigated for this but were later granted permission to start the race.

    Marcus Ericsson will be starting from pit-lane due to needing a chassis replacement after his crash at Turn 8 during Q1.

HOW IT WORKS:

Q1 = 18 minutes. All cars allowed to go out. At the end of the session, the six slowest are eliminated.

Q2 = 15 minutes. The remaining cars go out. At the end of the session, the six slowest are eliminated.

Q3 = 12 minutes. Final 10 cars go out. The final order at the end of the session is how the grid will line up. Fastest car starts from Pole Position.

GRID LINE-UP

1. Nico Rosberg / Mercedes-Mercedes / Germany
2. Lewis Hamilton / Mercedes-Mercedes / Great Britain
3. Daniel Ricciardo / Red Bull-TAG-HEUER / Australia
4. Max Verstappen / Red Bull-TAG-HEUER / Netherlands
5. Sebastian Vettel / Ferrari-Ferrari / Germany
6. Carlos Sainz / Toro Rosso-Ferrari / Spain
7. Fernando Alonso / McLaren-Honda / Spain
8. Jenson Button / McLaren-Honda / Great Britain
9. Nico Hulkenberg / Force India-Mercedes / Germany
10. Valtteri Bottas / Williams-Mercedes / Finland
11. Romain Grosjean / Haas-Ferrari / France
12. Daniil Kvyat / Toro Rosso-Ferrari / Russia
13. Sergio Perez / Force India-Mercedes / Mexico
14. Kimi Raikkonen / Ferrari-Ferrari / Finland
15. Esteban Gutierrez / Haas-Ferrari / Mexico
16. Felipe Nasr / Sauber-Ferrari / Brazil
17. Jolyon Palmer / Renault-Renault / Great Britain
18. Felipe Massa / Williams-Mercedes / Brazil
19. Kevin Magnussen / Renault-Renault / Denmark
20. Pascal Wehrlein / Manor-Mercedes / Germany
21. Rio Haryanto / Manor-Mercedes / Indonesia

PIT-LANE: Marcus Ericsson / Sauber-Ferrari / Sweden*

* - Starting from Pit-Lane following chassis replacement due to crash during Q1.

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

HUNGARIAN GRAND PRIX - FREE PRACTICE #3

    More dry weather for the last practice session of the weekend and it was Rosberg who topped the time sheets with a 1:20.261. Lewis Hamilton, however, was not in the top 3 like usual, but in 4th with a 1:20.769. The Red Bull drivers were in 2nd (Verstappen) and 3rd (Ricciardo). Rounding up the top 5 was Kimi Raikkonen.

    Tough session for Toro Rosso with Sainz finishing 16th and Kvyat 18th. Kvyat had reported brake pulling during the session and struggled with his lap times throughout the hour. Sauber also saw both cars finish outside the top 15 as well as Hulkenberg in the Force India and both Manor Racing cars.

TIMES:

1. Nico Rosberg - 1:20.261 / Mercedes-Mercedes

2. Max Verstappen - 1:20.263 / Red Bull-TAG-HEUER

3. Daniel Ricciardo - 1:20.726 / Red Bull-TAG-HEUER

4. Lewis Hamilton - 1:20.769 / Mercedes-Mercedes

5. Kimi Raikkonen - 1:20.859 / Ferrari-Ferrari

6. Sebastian Vettel - 1:21.185 / Ferrari-Ferrari

7. Fernando Alonso - 1:21.584 / McLaren-Honda

8. Valtteri Bottas - 1:21.649 / Williams-Mercedes

9. Sergio Perez - 1:21.672 / Force India-Mercedes

10. Jolyon Palmer - 1:21.935 / Renault-Renault

11. Felipe Massa - 1:21.975 / Williams-Mercedes

12. Kevin Magnussen - 1:21.989 / Renault-Renault

13. Jenson Button - 1:22.009 / McLaren-Honda

14. Esteban Gutierrez - 1:22.142 / Haas-Ferrari

15. Romain Grosjean - 1:22.284 / Haas-Ferrari

16. Carlos Sainz - 1:22.402 / Toro Rosso-Ferrari

17. Nico Hulkenberg - 1:22.427 / Force India-Mercedes

18. Daniil Kvyat - 1:22.541 / Toro Rosso-Ferrari

19. Felipe Nasr - 1:22.816 / Sauber-Ferrari

20. Marcus Ericsson - 1:23.219 / Sauber-Ferrari 

21. Pascal Wehrlein - 1:23.311 / Manor-Mercedes

22. Rio Haryanto - 1:23.513 / Manor-Mercedes

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

HUNGARIAN GRAND PRIX - FREE PRACTICE #2

    Weather was perfect for the second practice session. The track had dried up and there were minimal clouds in the sky. Both Gutierrez and Magnussen returned to their cars after making way for Leclerc and Ocon in the first practice session.

    Red Flags were waved when Lewis Hamilton had a minor crash into the tyre barriers at Turn 11. However, Hamilton managed to drive away from the accident. His session was over as there was damage to the car. He went to the on-site medical centre for precautionary checks and was release soon after with no injuries.

    Fernando Alonso and Jolyon Palmer were both sidelined with mechanical issues and missed some of the session. Alonso's McLaren was up on the stands for awhile with the floor off and Palmer's Renault had suffered a fuel sensor issue.

    Near the end of the session, Sainz and Nasr also encountered problems and both stopped off-track. Their cars were pushed away through run-off areas with the help of the circuit marshals.

    With Hamilton missing most of the session, it was only one Mercedes car at the top of the time sheets. Nico Rosberg set the quickest time, a 1:20.435. Following close behind were Ricciardo and Vettel.

TIMES:

1. Nico Rosberg - 1:20.435 / Mercedes-Mercedes

2. Daniel Ricciardo - 1:21.030 / Red Bull-TAG-HEUER

3. Sebastian Vettel - 1:21.348 / Ferrari-Ferrari

4. Max Verstappen - 1:21.770 / Red Bull-TAG-HEUER

5. Lewis Hamilton - 1:21.960 / Mercedes-Mercedes

6. Kimi Raikkonen - 1:22.058 / Ferrari-Ferrari

7. Fernando Alonso - 1:22.328 / McLaren-Honda

8. Jenson Button - 1:22.387 / McLaren-Honda

9. Nico Hulkenberg - 1:22.449 / Force India-Mercedes

10. Sergio Perez - 1:22.653 / Force India-Mercedes

11. Esteban Gutierrez - 1:22.673 / Haas-Ferrari

12. Felipe Massa - 1:22.681 / Williams-Mercedes

13. Carlos Sainz - 1:22.689 / Toro Rosso-Ferrari

14. Valtteri Bottas - 1:22.773 / Williams-Mercedes

15. Romain Grosjean - 1:22.864 / Haas-Ferrari

16. Daniil Kvyat - 1:22.948 / Toro Rosso-Ferrari

17. Kevin Magnussen - 1:23.347 / Renault-Renault

18. Marcus Ericsson - 1:23.437 / Sauber-Ferrari

19. Jolyon Palmer - 1:23.726 / Renault-Renault

20. Felipe Nasr - 1:23.986 / Sauber-Ferrari

21. Pascal Wehrlein - 1:23.992 / Manor-Mercedes

22. Rio Haryanto - 1:24.265 / Manor-Mercedes

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

HUNGARIAN GRAND PRIX - FREE PRACTICE #1

    The first practice session started out with many drivers opting for intermediates as the track was damp. Mercedes led the session with Hamilton in 1st and Rosberg in 2nd. Before the session started, it was announced that Rosberg has signed a new 2 year deal with Mercedes and will stay with the team for 2017 and 2018.

    The Hungaroring has recently been resurfaced so there were plenty of spins on the slippery surface. It was even more slippery due to the wet areas of the track in the first half of the session. 

    Charles Leclerc was back in the Haas in place of Esteban Gutierrez and Esteban Ocon was in the Renault in place of Kevin Magnussen. Both drivers feel ready for the call up to F1 if they are asked in 2017. Rumors have spread that Ocon could replace Palmer at Renault while Leclerc is rumored to be taking a seat at Haas, although it is uncertain who he might replace.

TIMES:

1. Lewis Hamilton - 1:21.347 / Mercedes-Mercedes

2. Nico Rosberg - 1:21.548 / Mercedes-Mercedes

3. Sebastian Vettel - 1:22.991 / Ferrari-Ferrari

4. Kimi Raikkonen - 1:23.082 / Ferrari-Ferrari 

5. Daniel Ricciardo - 1:23.174 / Red Bull-TAG-HEUER

6. Max Verstappen - 1:23.457 / Red Bull-TAG-HEUER

7. Fernando Alonso - 1:23.953 / McLaren-Honda

8. Jenson Button - 1:23.961 / McLaren-Honda

9. Romain Grosjean - 1:24.013 / Haas-Ferrari

10. Sergio Perez - 1:24.073 / Force India-Mercedes

11. Nico Hulkenberg - 1:24.120 / Force India-Mercedes

12. Felipe Massa - 1:24.154 / Williams-Mercedes

13. Valtteri Bottas - 1:24.370 / Williams-Mercedes

14. Carlos Sainz - 1:24.579 / Toro Rosso-Ferrari

15. Marcus Ericsson - 1:24.981 / Sauber-Ferrari

16. Charles Leclerc - 1:25.181 / Haas-Ferrari*

17. Felipe Nasr - 1:25.256 / Sauber-Ferrari

18. Esteban Ocon - 1:25.260 / Renault-Renault*

19. Daniil Kvyat - 1:25.324 / Toro Rosso-Ferrari

20. Rio Haryanto - 1:27.012 / Manor-Mercedes

21. Pascal Wehrlein - 1:27.249 / Manor-Mercedes

22. Jolyon Palmer - 1:28.560 / Renault-Renault

* - Driving in this session only.

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Revised Radio Restrictions

REVISED RADIO RESTRICTIONS PUT IN PLACE

    The FIA have tightened the rules on radio restrictions following Nico Rosberg’s ten second penalty after the British Grand Prix.

    Not only will the restrictions now apply whenever the car isn’t in the pit lane, but drivers must be given a message to come into the pits if they receive any indication of problems with the car.

    The rules that came in at the start of the year state that teams can inform drivers of a “critical problem” with the car, with failure “imminent and potentially terminal”. The change removes the “critical” aspect, but drivers must be instructed to come into the pits to solve the problem.

    The rule now reads: “Indication of a problem with the car. Any message of this sort must include an irreversible instruction to enter the pits to rectify the problem or to retire the car.”

    Item three of the list of permitted messages has also changed. What was previously “information concerning damage to the car” is now “information concerning damage to the bodywork of the car”.

    Also changed is item four. This now reads:

    “Instructions to select driver defaults. This must be for the sole purpose of mitigating loss of function of a sensor, actuator, or controller whose degradation of failure was not detected and handled by the on-board software.”

    When the rules apply has also changed. When the rules came in at the start of the year, radio restrictions started when the car left the garage. This has been relaxed, with restrictions only applying when the car isn’t in the pit lane, with the exception of the slow down lap after the end of the race.

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New Ownership For Sauber

SAUBER SECURES FUTURE WITH NEW OWNERSHIP

    Swiss company Longbow Finance has taken ownership of the Sauber group in a move that they hope will secure the team’s future in Formula One.

    President of the board of directors, Peter Sauber will retire from all functions, and is succeeded as by Pascal Picci, the president and CEO of Longbow Finance.

    “As a Swiss company, we are pleased with having secured the future of a Swiss presence in a highly specialised and innovative industry,” Picci said.

    Sauber have been struggling with money problems for years, and the results have reflected that struggle. The team is yet to score a point this season, and finished eighth last year.

    Longbow Finance plan to not only keep the team afloat, but to “create the basis for a competitive and successful future” of the team.

    There will be a change behind the scenes to try and bring in the results, though both the name and team principal, Monisha Kaltenborn, will remain the same.

    Kaltenborn is optimistic about the deal.

    “We are convinced that Longbow Finance S.A is the perfect partner to again make the team competitive and successful in Formula One,” she said. “At the same time, the new structure will allow us to finally further expand our third party business in which we commercialise our know-how.”

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F1 Looking at Imola Return

F1 SET FOR POSSIBLE IMOLA RETURN

    The fate of the Italian GP rests with Italy's motorsports body. Though both Imola management and Bernie Ecclestone have signed an agreement to bring Formula One back to the circuit, the president of the Automobile Club d'Italia is in favour of the Monza track.

    Formula Imola president Uberto Selvatio Estense believes the lack of support from the ACI president Angelo Stricchi Damiani is a political issue.

    "If in the future there is not an Italian GP, it is only the problem of Mr Sticchi Damiani, who didn't allow this agreement," Selvatio Estense told motorsport.com.

    Sticchi Damiani must sign off on the location of the Italian GP, wherever it's to be held.

    In an interview with Gazzetta dello Sport, Sticchi Damiani clamed the problems that had put Monza's future under question have been cleared up.

    "We finally solved all the problems there were with the territorial entities - the region [of Lombardy], the cities of Milan and Monza, and the park authority.We have found an agreement between ACI milan and SIAS [Monza owners], and we are preparing a binding offer to be sent to FOM."

    If FOM accept the offer, any Imola agreement will be rendered irrelevant.

    Selvatio Estense says Imola is in good financial health, following a restructure of the company. He also believes the track would be "a great success with spectators".

    "We are building up new facilities, we are building up a new press room, we are completing the project of Hermann Tilke that began in 2006. Right now, we are moving the medical centre and building a new one. We are doing a lot."

    The president of the region surrounding the track is also in support of the race, providing Ecclestone and the ACI are happy.

    Monza had beeen hosting the Italian GP since 1950 (bar 1980, when it was held at Imola) and is a fan favourite.

    "The Italian GP is Monza, is part of our tradition, and we cannot allow it to go away," Lombardy region vice-president Fabrizio Sala, told Autosport.

    Sala also claimed his department would be paying 5 million euo a year, and all the other problems facing Monza seem to have been solved.

    Whatever the decision, Imola have said they need an answer by December, so they can properly prepare for the race.

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Hungarian GP: Driver Preview Quotes - Manor

DRIVER PREVIEW QUOTES - MANOR RACING F1 TEAM

Rio Haryanto - “I enjoy everything about Hungary, and especially the circuit. I won here in 2011 in GP3 - with the Manor Racing GP3 team in fact! I arrived here two days ago, so I’ve had plenty of time to adjust to the high temperatures that we have here at the moment, and to explore the city a bit. I’ve been here a few times now and it seems to get better and better every year. From GP2 I know this is a really interesting and technically challenging circuit. It’s pretty relentless, in that you don’t get much time to catch your breath during the lap. It requires maximum concentration at pretty much every turn if you really want to put a good lap together, but when you do, it’s actually a lot of fun.”

Pascal Wehrlein - “These next two races are really good ones so, if anything, things will be hotting up for me, rather than calming down. The Hungarian Grand Prix is always an exciting event.”

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Hungarian GP: Driver Preview Quotes - Williams

DRIVER PREVIEW QUOTES - WILLIAMS MARTINI RACING

Valtteri Bottas - “The Hungaroring is probably the most intense track compared to the other events it falls around during in the season. It’s much tighter with many slow speed corners and a very technical track to drive, so definitely not the easiest. Budapest falls in the summertime and normally it’s very hot. It’s nicknamed the Finnish Grand Prix because there can be tens of thousands of Finns at the race. I always really appreciate seeing the Finnish flag and feeling that support.”

Felipe Massa - “Hungary is a track where I personally have a lot of history with the accident I had. As a consequence, I have the most amazing fans there who support me a lot. They follow me everywhere I go and always have gifts for me. It’s an amazing place to go back to and spend time with them. As a track, it’s somewhere you need to have very good down force with the short straights and number of corners. It’s quite difficult on the tyres as well, so if you have good down force, that will really work well for you at this track. All in all, it’s a fantastic race in a nice town that I enjoy.”

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Hungarian GP: Driver Preview Quotes - Toro Rosso

DRIVER PREVIEW QUOTES - SCUDERIA TORO ROSSO F1 TEAM

Carlos Sainz - "I enjoy racing in Hungary. Just like they did in Austria this year, the circuit in Budapest has also been resurfaced, so all our references will have to be reset. You arrive at Turn 1 at high speed, so you need to brake hard – from 300 to 80kph in about 80 metres. You then get to Turn 2, where you always experience some understeer, which makes it difficult to turn the car into the corner. Turn 3 should be flat in qualifying and Turn 4 is a very high-speed completely blind corner taken in 6th gear. Turns 6 and 7 form a very slow chicane, followed by a medium-speed and then a high-speed one. So this is a section formed by three chicanes that progressively get quicker and our car should be good here. The last three corners of the circuit are difficult, all in third gear. The second sector is the most interesting and enjoyable one to drive. I also think that our car should be strong here, so I'm looking forward to the weekend."

Daniil Kvyat - "The Hungarian track is an interesting one. The braking going into Turn 1 is heavy, while at Turn 2 you need to brake while you turn, which can mean some front-locking if you're not careful. Turn 4 is a tight but high-speed corner, while Turn 5 is another corner where you have to brake and turn at the same time. After this come three chicanes: the first one is tight, the second is a bit faster and the third is a high-speed one. At Turn 12, the long last corner, you need to use the whole track on entry. My favourite parts of this track are the high-speed sections – Turns 4 and 5 as well as Turn 11. The key to going quickly here is to get into a rhythm and let the corners flow into one another, which makes it a fun lap to drive. But in the race, it can be frustrating as overtaking is pretty difficult, which means qualifying well is very important at this event."

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Hungarian GP: Driver Preview Quotes - Haas

DRIVER PREVIEW QUOTES - HAAS F1 TEAM 

Romain Grosjean - “I’ve always had a good feeling in Hungary. I’ve always liked the track. I like sector two, the flowing section of the track, which is quite nice. They’ve resurfaced it this year, so we’ll see how it goes. It used to be very bumpy. It’s a low-speed circuit. How the car handles is important. I’ve been lucky to have had cars that have performed well there over the years.

It can get very hot in Budapest. It’s not an easy race, but on the other hand, there’s not many high-speed corners on the track, so it’s more about keeping your focus and concentration all through the race. Regardless, we’re always keeping fit to prepare ourselves. It’s very difficult to overtake at the Hungaroring. To be fair, I made one of the best overtakes of my life there in 2013, outside of turn four, on Felipe Massa. I got a drive-through penalty for that one for having four wheels off the track. That didn’t matter to me as it was one of my most beautiful overtaking moves ever.

It’s going to be our number one priority to get the tyre to work for us and analyse the degradation, which can be high on some compounds. If we get the grip, we’ll get the lap time. Then we can do more pit stops and have more fun.”

Esteban Gutierrez - “Budapest is a track where the temperatures are usually very hot and the main characteristic of the tyre is that they get overheated very easily. But I know the car and I am confident in driving the car, so with any kind of conditions or track characteristics you just get used to it very quickly.

The Hungaroring for me is a special track. It’s the first track I tested in Europe back at the end of 2007 when I tested Formula BMW, so it brings me great memories every time I come back there. I have achieved great results, so mainly from that point of view, I’m happy to be back. It is a slow track, but it has also quick corners and a very interesting layout. It’s quite physically demanding because of the fact you have not many chances to have a pause from the driving. You have to be focused all the time because all the corners make it very demanding - mentally and physically. But I like that challenge. It’s a nice track and I really look forward to the experience.

I would say turn one is the best (overtaking) opportunity. You come down from the long straight and you have the DRS on, so yeah, it’s approaching turn one. Also the exit of turn one approaching turn two. Those are the two main overtaking opportunities. (Being tough on tyres is) a characteristic of the Hungaroring. The tyres degrade very quickly, so it’s even more important in qualifying to be spot on the first lap and get the maximum out of the new tyres. You don’t have a second chance on this track to put a good lap time on the tyres.

I would say the last corner (is my favourite part of the Hungaroring), which I enjoy a lot, and sector two where you have the chicane and a good series of corners, which makes it very interesting. You cannot miss one apex because if you miss one apex, all of the following corners are affected and quite long. There is also a very nice, fast corner - Turn 11. I love it.”

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Hungarian GP: Driver Preview Quotes - Force India

DRIVER PREVIEW QUOTES - SAHARA FORCE INDIA F1 TEAM 

Nico Hulkenberg - "Getting back in the points in Silverstone was a good result, although I think I could have scored even more points had some circumstances like the VSC played out differently. However, the car performed well and we beat some fast cars on merit, which is very encouraging for Hungary and the rest of the season.

The race in Budapest is generally pretty cool. I am a big fan of this city: it's beautiful, with lots of historic buildings and there's a good vibe around town. There are many fans who somehow manage to find out where you're staying and they'll be waiting at the hotel every morning and evening. It's pretty good fun.

The Hungaroring is not somewhere I raced a lot in my junior formulas. Outside of F1, I only raced there in GP2 in 2009 – I won the feature race and it was a pretty good weekend for me. It's an old school track: narrow and very twisty. There is no chance to relax or lose concentration as all the corners come one after the other and you risk losing momentum with any mistake. It's a challenging track to get right and it usually produces some fun races."

Sergio Perez - "We have been strong in the last few races, but after some very fast tracks like Austria and Silverstone we head to the Hungaroring, which is the complete opposite to them.

The weekend in Budapest is one I find very enjoyable: there's a nice atmosphere in the paddock and everyone's a fan of this beautiful city. Unfortunately, this year the race is not the final one before the summer break: in the past we usually had a big celebration on Sunday night and the mood there was always great, regardless of whether your result was good or bad. I have a lot of great memories from those parties! I hope there is still one this year as it's a great way to release a lot of the tension after the race.

I really like Hungary and its interesting culture. The locals really love Formula One too and there's always a big crowd in the grandstands. It's a track with few overtaking opportunities so qualifying is important. It's probably the second most important race for track position after Monaco. I think it will be a challenging weekend, but we know we can be competitive on every track. I haven't had a lot of luck there in the past, so I hope for better fortunes this year."

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Hungarian GP: Driver Preview Quotes - McLaren

DRIVER PREVIEW QUOTES - McLAREN HONDA FORMULA 1 TEAM

Fernando Alonso - “Silverstone was definitely a challenge for us, but we knew that from the beginning and we still took a lot of positives away from the weekend. Reliability-wise, we’re getting stronger, and the test just after the grand prix was definitely a little boost for the whole team. We completed a full programme, got a lot of mileage done, and learned a lot which will help with our development, so hopefully we can put some of this knowledge to good use in Hungary.

There’s no such thing as perfect in this sport, but the important thing will be to execute a trouble-free weekend in all areas. If we manage to get the best out of every session, and have some clean, drama-free running, hopefully we can find some good pace in the car and maximise the potential of what we have underneath us - and score some valuable points.

The Hungaroring is a great little circuit, and has quite unique characteristics that not many other tracks share. It’s a bit like a street circuit in the way it’s configured, even though it’s purpose-built, and it requires absolute precision and concentration to get the most out of every lap.

Since you need good balance and downforce, the best way to get a good lap time is to really attack the corners - a bit like in karting - so from that point of view it’s a really fun circuit to drive. Although it’s not a traditional ‘power’ circuit like many others, it doesn’t feel like a slow circuit either; I hope we can find a good set-up early on in the weekend so we can really make the most of our car and hopefully have some fun.”

Jenson Button - “This circuit is quite different from the last few we’ve been to, so I’m looking forward to heading back to Hungary next weekend. It’s less dependent on power, and much more dependent on traction, cornering speeds and agility, and it’s a really enjoyable challenge. You get a great feeling when you hook up a good lap there.

The focus is much more on aero, so we’ll run pretty high down force and try to make the most of our car’s good traction under braking. Hopefully it’ll mean we can keep up with the chasing pack and maybe even make up a bit of ground, too. Although we struggled with our pace in Silverstone, the Hungaroring is a different kettle of fish, so I’m keen to see how we perform there.

Both Fernando and I won our first Grand Prix in Hungary, and it’s always a special feeling going back. It’s been 10 years since that first victory - although it doesn’t feel that long - so the Hungaroring is a place that holds great memories. Budapest is a really cool city and we stay more centrally than at many other Grands Prix, so we get to see quite a bit of the surrounding area, and it makes for a great atmosphere and a real buzz about the place.

In the past couple of years Hungary has been fairly good to us and provided a bit of a boost before the summer break after a relentless few weeks of back-to-back racing, so I’m hoping for more of the same this time around. It suits our car more than some of the other circuits, but of course there are no guarantees, so we’ll be putting in the hard work on Friday to make sure we have the best possible set-up for the demands of this quirky track.”

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