Hungarian Grand Prix – Race

I missed Qualifying because I was on a photo walk, so I’ll watch it later today.

It’s very hot in Hungary – air temperature 34°C; track 51°C; humidity 21%

Tyre choices this weekend are prime=medium (white), option=soft compound (yellow)

Grid: HAM, VET, GRO, ROS, ALO, RAI, MAS, RIC, OER, WEB, SUT, HUL, BUT, VER, MAL, BOT, GUT, DIR, PIC, VDG, BIA, CHI

Top 8 are all starting on soft (options) – in fact only WEB, SUT, BUT, GUT, BIA & CHI starting on primes

HAM leads everyone away on the formation lap

01/70: bit of a poor start for VET
GRO tries to go around the outside of VET in Turn 1
MAS clips the rear of ROS – bodywork flies off – ROS runs off track but continues
RAI struggling to keep the Lotus on track

02: HAM, VET, GRO, ALO, MAS, RAI, WEB, BUT, RIC, PER
ROS down to P12 – how much damage did MAS cause?

03: VET fastest lap 1:28.009
DRS enabled

04: HAM f/lap 1:27.640

05/70: HAM, VET, GRO, ALO, MAS, RAI, WEB, BUT, RIC, PER
HAM f/lap 1:27.558
GRO f/lap 1:27.541
Radio for WEB telling he’s the lead driver on primes, with BUT behind also on primes

06: Radio for VET warning him that GRO is in DRS range

10/70: HAM pits from P1; rejoins P8, just behind BUT

11: VET can’t shake off GRO
HAM past BUT

12: VET pits – rejoins behind BUT
MAS pits too – no change to his broken front wing

13: ALO pits
Radio for HAM – team think GRO is on 2-stop strategy so HAM needs to look after tyres

14: GRO pits from P1 … followed by his teammate RAI – cleans stops but not super fast

15/70: WEB, HAM, BUT, VET, GRO, ALO, PER, SUT, MAS, RAI
Every car currently on primes, but remember 6 drivers started on those tyres so they’ll need to pit first
Radio for VET warning him to drop back from BUT to prevent tyre temperature problems

16: VET looking for a way to pass BUT

17: VET has another look at BUT but backs out
GRO closes on VET
Radio for VET telling him again to drop back from VET; VET asks team to check his front wing

18: Radio for VET again about overheating, this time it’s KERS
On-board camera shows VET has a small piece of front wing missing, so presumably he hit BUT

19: GRO makes a move on VET but can’t make it stick
Radio for BUT confirming VET has front wing damage; “we are in the window” presumably for his first stop

20/70: WEB, HAM, BUT, VET, GRO, ALO, PER, … SUT pits
RAI sneaks down the inside of MAS
Slow stop for SUT … and then he’s pushed into garage – gearbox problem

21: RAI f/lap 1:27.453

22: Blister visible on WEB’s front right tyre

24: WEB pits from P1 – another set of
PER and RIC pit too
VET finally makes a move stick and takes P2 from BUT
GRO attacks BUT too – contact – GRO P3
ALO past BUT too
Radio from BUT – front wing damage

25/70: BUT pits – team check front wing but don’t change it – swaps to prime tyres
Everyone has now made 1 stop

26: GRO pits – 2nd stop – another set of medium compound
WEB f/lap 1:27.347
PER f/lap 1:27.029

27: Radio from HAM asking about his pace – told it’s fine
HAM has 12sec lead over VET
WEB f/lap 1:26.997
BUT f/lap 1:26.994
Adrian Newey in the garage talking to VET’s mechanic
Incident involving cars 5 (BUT) and 8 (GRO) under investigation – causing a collision

28: WEB closing on ALO

29: VET f/lap 1:26.877
GRO f/lap 1:26.616
GRO blasts past MAS to take P6

30/70: HAM, VET, ALO, WEB, RAI, GRO, MAS, BUT, ROS, HUL; retirements: SUT
GUT pits; retires

31: BUT makes a nice move down the inside of MAS to take P7

32: HAM pits from P1 – rejoins P4 behind WEB
MAS pits too – rejoins P10

33: BUT f/lap 1:26.540
Incident involving car 8 (GRO) under investigation – leaving the track at turn 4 {that was when he passed MAS}

34: WEB runs wide and HAM tries to pounce
HAM past WEB for P3 as the Red Bull recovers from that mistake

35/70: VET pits from P1, as does ALO; VET rejoins behind BUT

36: HAM, WEB, RAI, GRO, BUT, VET, ALO, PER, MAS, HUL
HAM f/lap 1:26.194
Radio for HAM – start looking after rears
Drive through penalty for car 8 (GRO) – leaving the track and gaining an advantage {when he passed MAS}
Incident involving cars 5 (BUT) and 8 (GRO) will be investigated after the race – causing a collision {lap 24}

37: VET uses DRS and KERS for an easy pass on BUT – takes P5

38: GRO into pits – serves his penalty
VET f/lapo 1:26.127
BUT pits – swaps to primes – rejoins P6

39: Incident involving car 11 (HUL) under investigation – speeding in the pit lane
Drive through penalty for car 11 (HUL) – speeding in the pit lane

40/70: HAM, WEB, RAI, VET, ALO, GRO, BUT, MAS, ROS, MAL; retirements: GUT, SUT
HAM f/lap 1:26.035
HAM 2.0sec lead over WEB, who in turn has RAI 3.9sec behind

41: HAM f/lap 1:25.977

42: HAM f/lap 1:25.798
HUL serves his drive through penalty

43: RAI pits from P3 – primes – can he go to the end of the race now?

44: WEB pits from P2 – used primes, so he still has to take on options

45/70: HAM, VET, WEB, ALO, GRO, RAI, BUT, MAS, ROS, MAL; retirements: GUT, SUT
BOT pulls off – Williams engine let go in the final turn
DRS disabled

46: Marshals pushing BOT’s car away from corner

48: WEB f/lap 1:25.626
GRO pits – should be his last scheduled stop – rejoins P7 behind BUT

49: WEB f/lap 1:25.109
ALO pits, as do MAS and ROS
GRO attacking BUT

50/70: HAM, VET, WEB, RAI, ALO, BUT, GRO, MAS, ROS, MAL; retirements: BOT, GUT, SUT
HAM has 15.4sec lead over VET; VET has 6.0sec lead over his teammate WEB
DRS enabled {having been disabled when BOT pulled off}

51: HAM pits from P1 – rejoins P3
HAM immediately attacking WEB – HAM takes P2 as WEB runs wide – was he pushed?

52: HAM 7.1sec behind VET, and VET probably needs to pit again

53: Radio for RAI telling him WEB (ahead of him) needs to pit again
Have Red Bull got their strategy wrong today?

54: VET still only 7.6sec ahead of HAM – can he afford to stop, but will his tyres last if he doesn’t?

55/70: VET, HAM, WEB, RAI, ALO, GRO, BUT, MAS, ROS, PER

56: VET pits from P1 – rejoins P4 between RAI and ALO
ROS f/lap 1:25.096

57: Radio for VET – the situation is this: you’ve got Kimi ahead of you but he’s on older tyres

58: VET f/lap 1:24.553 – that’s almost a second quicker than HAM

59: Radio for HAM asking for a diff change; “I’m trying to focus here!” 🙂

60/70: WEB pits from P2; finally takes on the soft (options) tyres; rejoins P4 ahead of ALO
HAM, RAI, VET, WEB, ALO, GRO, BUT, MAS, ROS, PER
VET closing up on RAI

62: WEB f/lap 1:24.069
VET right on RAI’s tail

63: HAM has a comfortable 10.8sec lead over RAI
PIC a bit clumsy moving out of the way as he’s being lapped

64: RAI keeping VET at bay

65/70: HAM, RAI, VET, WEB, ALO, GRO, BUT, MAS, ROS, PER; retirements: BOT, GUT, SUT
RAI struggling on old tyres

66: ROS jumps out of his Mercedes after an engine failure
Replay shows ROS very smartly drove off track, around the barriers and stopped right in front of some marshals
ROS retirement moves MAL into the final points place

67: Radio for VET “sensor 22 fail” – same message for WEB – that’s odd!

68: HAM still pushing hard despite his teammate’s engine just letting go
VET takes a look at passing RAI – runs wide
Radio from VET whining that RAI didn’t give him enough room

69: Replay shows VET’s move was quite late and RAI didn’t do anything unreasonable (in my opinion)
Radio for RAI – save 10% KERS for the final lap
HAM laps PER, reinforcing the fact that HAM was right to move to Mercedes

70/70 = final lap: VET within DRS zone again
VET looking a little ragged as he tries everything to attack RAI

HAM takes the chequered flag – his first win with Mercedes
RAI home for P2
VET still close but only manages P3
RAI has pulled over and stopped at the pit exit
MAL P10 – Williams’ first point of the season

Provisional result: HAM, RAI, VET, WEB, ALO, GRO, BUT, MAS, PER, MAL; HUL, VER, RIC, VDG, PIC, BIA, CHI
DNF: DIR, ROS, BOT, GUT, SUT
Remember: Incident involving cars 5 (BUT) and 8 (GRO) will be investigated after the race – causing a collision {lap 24}

Next race: Belgium, August 23-25 after the mandatory “summer break”.