Main events
4/70 Some say that Russell cut Sainz back at that start but the verdict is that he did nothing wrong. Ocon and Alonso are ahead of Verstappen, in eighth place.
3/70 Out of that virtual safety car, Russell showed off his driving skills as he sped away from his chasers, in a manner not dissimilar to the one he stole third at Paul Ricard. Sergio Perez is complaining to Red Bull about his engine.
2/70 Verstappen managed to overtake his teammate Perez, and he took advantage of those around him giving up. Alonso is not happy with Ocon. Russell leads Sainz, Leclerc and Norris, Hamilton fifth.
Lights out!
1/70 Out we go. Russell starts well, with Leclerc and Sainz on his tail holding him back. He remains in charge, and someone has gone off the road. Verstappen also moves up the field. Pierre Gasly pulls out of the pit lane, and there is virtual safety when Alex Albon hits Lance Stroll. Russell managed to move very defensively on Sainz, and now he has to defend further.
Out they go in the lap formation, and it’s taking a while, and that means George Russell could spend a long time on the grid, with Nicholas Latifi, always Latifi, going slowly. No sign of rain yet.
The Hungarian GP has won from pole 16 times from 37 total races in Budapest. No pressure, George Russell. This could be tough going for those on hard tires.
Toto Wolff, Mercedes team principal, he has just suggested that rain is coming, and as soon as he does so, the rain descends in Hungary, a big black cloud over the track. Here are the variables.
And this is the Hungarian national anthemHimnusz, sung by one singer and piano.
Max Verstappen relentless on missing to get to the podium: “It’s going to be pretty tough but we’re going for it.”
The cars are being loaded into their starting locationsand George Russell, in pole, after talking to Sky F1.
The biggest challenge is to manage the coins and try to make each period as long as possible. There are no guarantees. If the two Ferraris are around us they can do as they please but I will go as fast as I can. Ferrari have a better chance than us but we are starting from a better place.
The cars are out of their garages and out on the road ahead of the grid. There are a few headwinds and tailwinds out there. This is a classic difficult track, with that straight distance. Lewis Hamilton has won eight times here, where your head is calm with some sharp turns, especially from the start.
A reminder of the standings in the drivers’ championship
- 1. Max Verstappen – 233 points
- 2. Charles Leclerc – 170 points
- 3. Sergio Perez – 163 points
- 4. Carlos Sainz – 144 points
- 5. George Russell – 143 points
- 6. Lewis Hamilton – 127 points
- 7. Lando Norris – 70 points
- 8. Esteban Ocon – 56 points
- 9. Valtteri Bottas – 46 points
- 10. Fernando Alonso – 37 points
- 11. Kevin Magnussen – 22 points
- 12. Daniel Ricciardo -19 points
- 13. Pierre Gasly – 16 points
- 14. Sebastian Vettel -15 points
- 15. Mick Schumacher – 12 points
- 16. Yuki Tsunoda – 11 points
- 17. Guanyu Zhou – 5 points
- 18. Stroll Lance – 4 points
- 19. Alex Albon – 3 points
- 20. Nicholas Latifi – 0 points
- 21. Nico Hulkenberg – 0 points
There is a chance of rain for this race, and that brings in additional intangibles. Lewis Hamilton was regarded as the best driver in the wet. Is that still the case?
#F1 #BBCF1 #HUNGARIANGP 🇭🇺 SUNDAY 1/2: It’s been a wet morning in Hungary, where ~7mm of rain has fallen since 6am (now 9am local). As some forecast models have shown, clearance of low pressure is slow. As a result, uncertainty about conditions by race to start >>
— Ian Ferguson (@fergieweather) July 31, 2022
A reminder of what happened last week at Paul Ricardwhere Max Verstappen was the beneficiary of Charles Leclerc’s mistake, which the Ferrari driver admitted was his fault.
This was the week Sebastian Vettel announced that this season would be his last.
Vettel’s decision to retire did not come as a huge surprise when presented to the Hungarian GP this weekend. The 35-year-old of late was the demob-happy recovery after 15 years in F1, after securing 53 wins, behind only Michael Schumacher and Lewis Hamilton.
He had a carefree air that suggested F1 had ceased to be at the center of his universe. In fact as he grew out his hair and began to wear a shaggy beard he was more than a little bit relaxed and at ease by Jim Morrison’s LA Woman period. That’s Mr. Mojo’s extra pound of course.
Masi received death threats after the Abu Dhabi decision
Sacked Formula One director Michael Masi It has been said that he received death threats after the decision to defend Lewis Hamilton’s eighth world title.
Masi stood down from the role of race director following an investigation into his handling of the Abu Dhabi title scrutineering finish in December. The Australian controversially allowed lapped cars to pass the safety car on the final lap – meaning title rival Max Verstappen had a clear run at Hamilton on much faster tyres.
Verstappen took the one-lap victory, denying Hamilton the crown in the season finale. Masi quit F1 last month to return home to Australia, and the scale of the abuse he received has now been revealed.
“There have been some really dark days,” Masi told Sydney’s Daily Telegraph. “I felt like he was the most hated man in the world. I received death threats, people saying they were going to come after me and my family. I still remember walking down the street in London a day or two later. I thought I was fine until I started looking over my shoulder.
“I was looking at people wondering if they were going to find me.”
Giles Richards had a good day qualifying – finally – for Mercedes.
The Mercedes garage at Hungary was delighted as mechanics and engineers who had been under pressure all season were able to enjoy the adrenaline rush again. While Russell, the 24-year-old who is always careful to keep his emotions tight, lit up with pleasure.
“This is what racing is all about,” he said. “Why do I wake up every day because you can’t dream about feelings like this in reality.”
Pierre Gasly will start in the pit lane. He was 19th on the grid anyway, so there wasn’t much movement in the field.
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Pierre Gasly will start the 2022 Hungarian Grand Prix from the pit lane, having fitted a new power unit aboard his AlphaTauri AT03 – but without the permission of FIA technical delegate Jo Bauer.
Gasly, along with Red Bull’s Max Verstappen and Sergio Perez, received a new internal combustion engine, turbocharger, MGU-H and MGU-K each – and Gasly also received a new energy store and control electronics, as chosen by the Red Bull pair for a new exhaust.
Verstappen and Perez remain within their allocation for the above power unit components, meaning they retain their respective 10th and 11th positions on the grid.
Breast
George Russell in pole, the young Englishman’s first, a triumph of speed and tire management. The first of many to come? Probably, now how long he can protect himself from the rampant Ferraris and Red Bull wounded, provoked by Max Verstappen back in 10th, and trying to speed through the field. Verstappen’s condition can end this championship with nine races to go – this is the last before the summer break. Sergio Perez, who is third on the grid, has a big job to keep the field occupied as his team leader tries to come in from way back. And Lewis Hamilton, in seventh place, who finished second at Paul Ricard, and to his satisfaction, has a part to play. Mercedes has grown into a very interesting season.
Lights out at 2pm, join me.
The grid sites
- 1. George Russell
- 2. Carlos Sainz
- 3. Charles Leclerc
- 4. Lando Norris
- 5. Esteban Ocon
- 6. Fernando Alonso
- 7. Lewis Hamilton
- 8. Valtteri Bottas
- 9. Daniel Ricciardo
- 10. Verstappen Max
- 11. Sergio Perez
- 12. Guanyu Zhou
- 13. Kevin Magnussen
- 14. Stroll Lance
- 15. Mick Schumacher
- 16. Yuki Tsunoda
- 17. Alex Albon
- 18. Sebastian Vettel
- 19. Pierre Gasly
- 20. Nicholas Latifi