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Hungarian Grand Prix 2013

• Hungarian Grand Prix 2013

• Hungarian Grand Prix 2013

  StrumSolo > 25/07/2013, 23:12

  It's been three weeks since Germany and after this we've got a four week wait until Belgium, so we'd better make the most of it.
  
  Mercedes could well be the team to watch here. They dominated in Monaco (the only circuit in the calendar slower than the Hungaroring) and Lewis Hamilton has won this race an impressive three times. However, not being able to try out the tyres at the Young Driver Test last week could put them at a disadvantage.
  
  Kimi Raikkonen might fancy his chances too, he's been going well and Hungary has historically been seen as a home race for F1's Finnish contingent.
  
  The first practice session revs up at 08:45 in the morning.
  
  Predictions?

• RE: Hungarian Grand Prix 2013

  StrumSolo > 26/07/2013, 11:06

  So the first practice session has ended, with Sebastien Vettel quickest and Mark Webber making it a Redbull 1-2.
  
  Kimi Raikkonen came third while Lewis Hamilton, a three-time winner here, finished way down in 13th.
  
  The second session gets underway at 13:00

• RE: Hungarian Grand Prix 2013

  RussyRover > 26/07/2013, 14:46

  I was reading an article yesterday about there being a doubt over the Red Bull, especially as it was supposed to be high temperatures !!! The only thing is, is that they must have forgot to tell the Red Bull boys as they are enjoying it immensely out there.
  
  P2 has just finished and Vettel and Webber are yet again 1st and 2nd with Grosjean, Alonso, Massa, Hamilton , Rosberg, Raikkonen, Button and Sutil completing the top ten.
  
  Hamilton was just being interviewed and he didn't seem overjoyed, as they are having tyre issues? So it looks like the Mercedes will struggle if they can't get to the bottom of this, as it clearly is not affecting the likes of Red Bull...
  
  Should be an interesting day tomorrow, as they'll all want to get good points going into the mid season break.

• RE: Hungarian Grand Prix 2013

  StrumSolo > 27/07/2013, 10:35

  Look out, Hamilton's just gone quickest in the final practice session, a whole 0.079 seconds faster than Romain Grosjean's Lotus.
  
  Didn't see that one coming.

• RE: Hungarian Grand Prix 2013

  RussyRover > 27/07/2013, 10:56

  lol, perhaps they were throwing up a smoke screen yesterday !!! although it was brilliant acting if that was the case..
  They've obviously done their homework overnight and found the issue with the tyre problem.
  He's still there with 8 minutes to go at about 1/3rd second ahead of Grosjean, but Alonso is looking quite quick as well, and has just gone a full second quicker.... Now we may see some 'real' times in the dying minutes of the session...

• RE: Hungarian Grand Prix 2013

  StrumSolo > 27/07/2013, 11:13

  Down in 6th now.
  
  Oh well, not long until qualifying. We'll have no need to speculate then, Russ!

• RE: Hungarian Grand Prix 2013

  RussyRover > 27/07/2013, 14:25

  Indeed Scotty, there's always a fair amount of teasing in these practice sessions...
  
  and what a crackin' Qualifying it was, with Lewis pipping Vettel at the very last instant, and Grosjean getting in front of Rosberg to take 3rd.
  They showed a fact earlier that said in the last 8 years only Hamilton has won the race from pole position, twice in fact... so perhaps he's now hoping for the thrice...
  
  Di Resta seemed a bit bemused as he didn't make it out of Q3, later saying that the new tyres didn't show significant performance they were expecting.
  
  Button could only manage 13th while his team mate made it to Q1 and 9th on the grid, while Webber who had KERS problems as well as gearbox issues was 10th.
  
  Some fast cars out there today, how will they perform fully loaded, expect some drama tomorrow I dare say...

• RE: Hungarian Grand Prix 2013

  RussyRover > 28/07/2013, 09:18

  It seems that yet again Hamilton is casting doom and gloom before the race about how his car will perform with the tyre degradation, as the Mercedes has a tendency to overheat the rear tyres...
  Lewis Hamilton says it would be a "miracle" if he wins Sunday's Hungarian Grand Prix despite qualifying on pole.
  "We are in a good position but I don't envisage it being a win," he said.
  "We've got a steep hill to climb with these tyres in these hot conditions. If we did win it would be a miracle."
  "We've got a good car so if we didn't have the tyre issues we'd be able to compete with these guys in the race," he said.
  "It sucks that I'm not able to race with these guys but we'll do what we can."
  
  While Rosberg said the indications from practice in Hungary were that the new design of tyre that has been introduced for this race was going to lessen the problem.
  
  
  Mark Webber wasn't too happy either, but it wasn't because of the tyres. He said Red Bull look "stupid" after the latest in a series of problems on his car left him down in 10th place. Problems with his gearbox and KERS power-boost system cost him more than half a second in lap time.
  "Massively frustrating. We look stupid, it's embarrassing and it's a brutal circuit to be out of position on," he said.
  "We should be challenging for the front row and we're 10th."
  
  
  So, with all these issues, should we just hand the race to Vettel? I think Lotus may have something to say about that, and Alonso too will be wanting a handful of points. It should make for a lively race before the summer break...

• RE: Hungarian Grand Prix 2013

  RussyRover > 28/07/2013, 13:15

  A good start by Hamilton, and also by Rosberg who's all over the track getting to get to the front, but he lucks out and ends up back down the grid in 12th as he is forced off the track.
  Vettel is hunting Hamilton down, it may only be a lap or two before he makes the DRS count and go past him.
  Grosjean is also close to Vettel, can he use the DRS as well to go into 2nd?
  Exciting stuff so far...
  
  Button's made a good start as well, going up to 8th place, he's hoping for a decent finish today.
  
  It'll all be about the tyres though, who can make them work and who's strategy is better.
  
  
  Hamilton pits early on lap 10 to get those medium tyres on, that puts him back to 8th - could have been worse.

• RE: Hungarian Grand Prix 2013

  RussyRover > 28/07/2013, 16:58

  Lewis Hamilton ought to spell doom and gloom more often if he ends up with results like... It seems everyone at Mercedes were surprised, and maybe justified as Rosberg's race ended prematurely with a blown engine.
  Hamilton now has a first race win for Mercedes, I bet he's relieved at that. On the podium with him was Raikkonen (2nd) and Vettel (3rd).
  
  Webber, Alonso and Grosjean came next, although Grosjean had to take a drive through penalty for having all 4 wheels over the track boundary which seemed harsh, however he has another pending incident with Button to which he was most certainly at fault, and will probably land a penalty for the next race at Spa after the summer break.
  
  Button himself landed 7th, so welcome points there, ahead of Massa who went the whole race with a slightly damaged front wing after a bit of a coming to with Rosberg on the first lap. Rosberg's retirement meant Perez also had some points with 9th and Williams broke their duck with Pastor Maldonado getting that last point in 10th.
  
  
  A scorching day in Hungary and some scorching action on the track... A nice rest now till the Belgian GP.
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