Grand Prix of Hungary – Qualifying

The death of Jules Bianchi will obviously cast a shadow of the weekend. He had been in a coma since crashing his Marussia into a recovery vehicle at October’s rain-hit race. [BBC] However, for an inherently dangerous sport which takes place at 200mph it’s worth remembering that it’s over 20 years since the last deaths in F1, when Ayrton Senna and Roland Ratzenberger died in the race and practice respectively at the 1994 San Marino Grand Prix race weekend. [BBC]

The post-race investigation of first lap incident at the British GP concluded it was a racing incident, so the result was confirmed as HAM, ROS, VET, MAS, BOT, KVY, HUL, RAI, PER, ALO. (Points standings before the GB GP.)

In his column for BBC Sport, Lewis Hamilton said: I’m not generally one for statistics like that but someone told me the other day that if I win three of the next four races, I would equal the number of wins Senna had in the same number of races in his career – 41 from 161.

Tyre compounds this weekend: prime=medium (white lettering); option=soft (yellow)

Lotus were at risk of not being able to race due a lack of tyres right up to 15 minutes before the first session – because Pirelli refused to release them until Lotus made their latest payment.

Free Practice:

1. PER had a big accident, spinning and flipping his Force India. He was fine but the car will need a lot of work. RAI brought out the second red flag after losing his front wing on the kerbs at Turn 12, spreading debris across the track and puncturing his own tyre. HAM (1:25.141), ROS, RAI, RIC, KVY.
2. Force India investigate the cause of PER’s accident; suspect suspension failure; PER and HUL will not take part in FP2. ROS and MAL have a little battle in Turn 13, trying to find space for a quick lap. VET spins; MER fights oversteer; a few minutes later GRO spins. Red flag as RIC’s engine lets go and he parks the Red Bull; another poor showing from the Renault customer engine. VET spins again. HAM (1:23.949), KVY, RIC, ROS, RAI.

Finally, on to Qualifying 🙂

It’s another warm day in Hungary – air temperature 32°C, track 54°C
There’s a tailwind into Turn 1, which might lead to people running wide

Qualifying session 1 (Q1)
ROS fairly keen to get on track
Anticipated cut off time (to get through to Q2) is 1:24.9
ROS 1:25.262
HAM 1:24.293
Strike one to HAM for showing his teammate that he’s almost a second quicker
ROS complains of big understeer
VET splits the Mercedes pair
10mins left of Q1; yet to see a time from KVY, ALO, NAS & STE
BUT goes P4 but he’s on options
HAM 1:24.213
RIC goes P2
MAL runs deep in Turn 1
GRO puts the tail out in T5
ROS thumps a kerb and runs wide; he’s looking unsettled
5mins left; Lots of cars going out on options… including ROS
BOT 1:23.649
On-board with GRO shows him fighting understeer and a general lap of grip
HAM heading out of the pits on options; he’s dropped from P1 to P10 as everyone posts time on soft tyres
ROS 1:22.979
Chequered flag; bottom 5 are BUT, ERI, NAS, MER, STE
HAM 1:22.890
BUT improves on his time but still P16
Radio from BUT – “we didn’t get deployment (of ERS?) on the pit straight”
Back of the grid will be: BUT, ERI, NAS, MER, STE

Qualifying session 2 (Q2)
No rush to get on track
VET and BOT first out of the pit lane
Wind is moving around; it’s now blowing across the main straight which will make Turn 4 even trickier
VET 1:23.168
ALO has stopped just before the pit entrance
Red flag – session suspended because ALO’s McLaren is in a dangerous position
ALO pushing his car on his own
Eventually marshals help ALO push the car
Cheers from the crowd as ALO and marshals push the McLaren into the pit lane
As the car crosses the line (officially separating the pit lane from the track) the McLaren mechanics take over pushing
Just as they reach the McLaren garage the pit lane lights turn green for the restart of Q2
ROS immediately heads onto the track
Radio for HAM – expect cutoff to be 1:23.6
ROS 1:22.775
HAM 1:22.285
3mins left of Q2; no time yet from KVY, MAL, GRO, RIC & ALO
ALO out of his car and out of Q2
Chequered flag; bottom 5 are SAI, PER, GRO, MAL, ALO
GRO P10, bumping HUL out
Middle of the grid: HUL, SAI, PER, MAL, ALO

Qualifying session 3 (Q3)
Top 10 shoutout between HAM, ROS, VET, RAI, BOT, GRO, RIC, KVY, MAS & VES
ROS 1:22.766
HAM 1:22.408
VET P3
RAI P4
BOT P5
GRO P6
KVY P6
RIC P4
MAS locks up a little into T1
MAS P8
Order is HAM, ROS, VET, RIC, RAI, BOT, KVY, MAS, GRO; no time from VES
3mins left of Q3
Everyone on track
Chequered flag
ROS improves his time but still P2
RAI P5
HAM 1:22.020
KVY P7
MAS P8
VES P9
RIC P4
Front of the grid: HAM, ROS, VET, RIC, RAI, BOT, KVY, MAS, VES, GRO

HAM is the only driver to win from pole in the last 10 years

Provisional grid: HAM, ROS, VET, RIC, RAI, BOT, KVY, MAS, VES, GRO; HUL, SAI, PER, MAL, ALO; BUT, ERI, NAS, MER, STE.