The Hungarian GP preview

Have we reached a dramatic turning point in the story of the 2011 Formula 1 season, or will the Hungarian Grand Prix show that Silverstone and the Nurburgring were just blips before the Red Bull steamroller resumes its serene progress?

McLaren and Ferrari certainly head to Hungary with their tails up. Even their drivers were writing McLaren off after free practice in Germany, yet Lewis Hamilton pulled off a front-row start and a win. And while it was definitely an outstanding performance, it clearly wasn't being achieved in an absolute truck of a car; McLaren are back in business.

Ferrari had plenty of cause to smile as well, for, despite their massive tyre warm-up issues all year, they managed to fight for victory (and beat Red Bull) in chilly Eifel summer conditions. The normally sweltering Hungaroring should be even more to their taste.

With just a week between Germany and Hungary, there is zero time for anyone to make major changes to their cars, so the packages run at the Nurburgring will be much the same in Hungary, and that ought to be bad news for Red Bull.

Conversely, last year the Hungaroring's diet of mostly medium-speed corners proved to be ideal Red Bull territory, and it was one of their most dominant weekends of the season. The same could be said about Silverstone 2010, though... and they were blitzed by Ferrari in Britain this year.

With a factory shutdown looming after Hungary, there will be limits to how much the teams can react to whatever transpires in Hungary, but there are still big psychological advantages to be gained by getting a good result in as chapter one of the 2011 battle comes to a close.

Will Red Bull head off on their summer holidays having regained the advantage, or will it be a nervous August for the reigning champions? The Hungaroring will reveal all.


Thrill and spill potential

Hungary used to be thought of as one of the dullest grands prix of the year, with the twisty layout and levels of off-line dust making passing extremely difficult.

But as Formula 1 got to a point where overtaking was nearly impossible everywhere, suddenly the Hungaroring didn't seem so exceptional, and it has produced a handful of epic moments (see below).

The mid-2000s reprofiling created a slightly better chance for action into the first corner, and this has seen some controversial collisions.

So with DRS and Pirelli involved, there's no reason why Hungary can't deliver decent entertainment this year, even though it's never going to be as eagerly-awaited as a venue like Spa or Interlagos.


Talking points

* Are Red Bull on the back foot? – Three defeats in four races mean the champion team have a point to prove and momentum to regain.

* Midfield teams under pressure – While Force India in particular seem to be moving forward, it's been a tough time for Renault and Williams, with improvements repeatedly promised, but results still on the slide. Can either of the former champion teams give themselves a summer boost in Hungary?


Hungaroring trends

* Bad starts from even grid slots – With the Hungaroring seeing little racing year-round and its environs very dusty, the going is particularly treacherous off the racing line, which means drivers dread starting on the 'even' side of the grid and expect to go backwards from there.

* Obvious winners or total shocks – One of two polar opposites tends to happen in Hungary: either the team that's dominating the season runs away with it (think the Ferrari wins of the first half of the 2000s or Red Bull's supremacy last year) or something utterly out of the blue happens like Jenson Button winning for Honda in 2006, Damon Hill leading for Arrows in 1997 or Hamilton turning McLaren's awful 2009 season around.


Winning pedigree

Current drivers who have won at the Hungaroring:

Michael Schumacher - Four wins (1994, 1998, 2001, 2004)
Lewis Hamilton - Two wins (2007, 2009)
Rubens Barrichello - One win (2002)
Fernando Alonso - One win (2003)
Jenson Button - One win (2006)
Heikki Kovalainen - One win (2008)
Mark Webber - One win (2010)

Current teams who have won at the Hungaroring:

McLaren - Nine wins (1988, 1991, 1992, 1999, 2000, 2005, 2007, 2008, 2009)
Williams - Seven wins (1986, 1987, 1990, 1993, 1995, 1996, 1997)
Ferrari - Five wins (1989, 1998, 2001, 2002, 2004)
Renault - Two wins (as Benetton 1994, 2003)
Mercedes - One win (as Honda 2006)
Red Bull - One win (2010)


Memorable Hungaroring moments

1986 - In the latter part of his career, Nelson Piquet tended to rack up his triumphs and titles through guile and tactics, rather than swashbuckling driving. But in the Eastern bloc's inaugural F1 race he gave a reminder of his old fire by passing Brazilian nemesis Ayrton Senna for the lead around the outside of the first corner, while sliding sideways on full opposite lock! It looked more like a Speedway move than an F1 pass, but it worked.

1989 - Overtaking is supposed to be hard in Hungary, but no one told Nigel Mansell as he somehow hacked his way through from 12th on the grid to take a shock win for Ferrari, with his final pass on leader Senna in traffic a particular marvel.

1990 - It was a different story the year after, as Thierry Boutsen sat his Williams in the lead and resisted a whole afternoon of very intense pressure from a gaggle of more fancied rivals on the way to his third and final grand prix win.

1997 - Reigning champion Damon Hill's move to Arrows had received much mockery as the team struggled to live up to new boss Tom Walkinshaw's grand ambitions in the first half of the season, but in Hungary a sensational drive by Hill (at a circuit where he always thrived) and a particularly good day for the team's Bridgestone tyres saw the British hero charge into the lead and dominate until a minor technical problem forced him to slow and drop to second behind Jacques Villeneuve.

1998 - Up against the faster McLarens, Michael Schumacher used a three-stop strategy and a remarkable charging drive to pull off one of his greatest wins.

2003 - It wasn't the most exciting of races, but it was a significant turning point in modern F1 history as Fernando Alonso took his first grand prix win and lapped Schumacher along the way...

2006 - Hungary normally sees relentless sunshine, but in 2006 it rained! And then set the stage for Jenson Button to fly through from 14th on the grid to take what turned out to be the sole grand prix win for the works Honda team in that guise, as well as breaking the Briton's duck.

2007 - Angered by Lewis Hamilton apparently ignoring a team instruction in qualifying, Alonso blocked his McLaren team-mate in the pits to prevent him getting a final shot at pole – but paid the price when demoted from first to sixth on the grid as a punishment. Hamilton went on to win.

2008 - If he doesn't ever get back into a top team, this could go down as Heikki Kovalainen's only F1 win. The Finn picked up victory for McLaren when leader Felipe Massa had a late engine failure.

2009 - After the terror of Massa's horrific accident in qualifying, F1 revived its spirits with a thrilling race in which Hamilton charged to the first win for a KERS-equipped car, just weeks after he had struggled to get his McLaren into the top 15 at his home race.


Currently we are due some weather issues over the weekend so could be interesting but the track does seem to suit the Ferrari more then Mclaren and Red Bull

Current weather forecast : http://news.bbc.co.uk/weather/forecast/5004
source: itv + bbc

I predict a Red Bull walkover unless it rains......... please rain!

fantantonio wrote:I predict a Red Bull walkover unless it rains......... please rain!

ive added the weather forecast just so you can keep an eye on it

fernando wrote:

fantantonio wrote:I predict a Red Bull walkover unless it rains......... please rain!

ive added the weather forecast just so you can keep an eye on it

Thank you, I have heard it is supposed to be a wet weekend

fantantonio wrote:

fernando wrote:

fantantonio wrote:I predict a Red Bull walkover unless it rains......... please rain!

ive added the weather forecast just so you can keep an eye on it

Thank you, I have heard it is supposed to be a wet weekend

I should have checked your link before posting

fantantonio wrote:

fantantonio wrote:

fernando wrote:

fantantonio wrote:I predict a Red Bull walkover unless it rains......... please rain!

ive added the weather forecast just so you can keep an eye on it

Thank you, I have heard it is supposed to be a wet weekend

I should have checked your link before posting

it changes every 3 hours so i wouldn't worry just yet

ABV this weekend again please!

ABV?

I heard it was wet too, certainly the BBC site is showing friday practice as heavy showers. WOuld be good if it is a wet race

ABV = Anyone but Vettel

Similarly:

ABH = Anyone but Hamilton

Gregers wrote:ABV = Anyone but Vettel

Similarly:

ABH = Anyone but Hamilton

Whilst you may not like Hamilton, he seems to be the only one capable of challenging the lapper. I'm in the ABV camp as I want a world champion who can actually race, not a time trialist. Hell, I'll even support Alonso

Belgarion of Riva wrote:

Gregers wrote:ABV = Anyone but Vettel

Similarly:

ABH = Anyone but Hamilton

Whilst you may not like Hamilton, he seems to be the only one capable of challenging the lapper. I'm in the ABV camp as I want a world champion who can actually race, not a time trialist. Hell, I'll even support Alonso

Lets not get too hasty

im in the ABVPH

Anyone But Vettel Preferably Hamilton (this could get silly couldnt it).

Id agree with what BofA says - at the mo its looking as if only Hamilton and id even say Alonso can put up a fight with Vettel.

Looking for rain in Hungary and if so i reckon Hamilton will be a top challenger, if not i fear a RB dominance. Though if lewis' car is like it was at hungary it could well be close

I remember the old 606 used to be full of ABBA (Anyone But Bloody Alonso) fans.

Ahem.

For the sake of the championship we do need Vettel to have another couple of races where he's off the pace or suffers a mishap, though I've nothing against the guy personally.

Looking at the stats posted by fernando it does seem to be a track where McLaren do well, so I'm hoping for a Hamilton / Button 1-2. In any order.

Won't be too disappointed though if Webber, Alonso or even Massa shake things up a bit. Even a "freak" result for Mercedes or Force India would be cool.

I'm in the same boat as you dryewolfe, I do not want anything bad to happen to Seb but a couple of DNFs will be great for the championship.

Let's hope for a repeat of Turkey 2010

although they don't have top pace id reckon Renault could be someone to watch over the weekend, they have alot of traction out of corners which will make them hard to pass.

i don't mind who wins the title if they deserve it and you can't argue with seb's record this season its clinical as it can be really although he has started to fade recently which is rather similar to last season.