There is a saying that a Hungarian is the only man who can follow you into a revolving door and come out ahead. Such is the skill needed to pass on what is often described as a large go-kart circuit. Thats right, we have arrived at the Hungaroring in Budapest Hungary. As we have heard constantly from F1 punters this season this is a known as a Lewis Hamilton track, though true to form it is yet to deliver its promises to the British driver as qualifying could be said to not have gone his way.

f1 2014 hamilton qualy a

Hamilton was only on his first qualifying lap when his Mercedes caught fire ending his session and those to follow, placing him at the back of the grid for the start of this final race before the August break.

“I can’t believe it has happened again,” said Hamilton. “This is not a track you can overtake on so coming from last to the podium is unlikely.”

f1 2014 hungary hamilton qualy b

The 29-year-old had been in stunning from in Friday and Saturday’s practice sessions, winning all three, and looked likely to beat Michael Schumacher’s circuit record of four race victories but his latest slice of misfortune has made that aim an improbable one.

Meanwhile Team mate Nico Rosberg finds himself in Familiar company at the front of the grid in the form of Red Bull’s Sebastian Vettel and Williams Valtteri Bottas take up second and third on the grid respectively.

Qualifying Results

1. Nico Rosberg Germany Mercedes-Mercedes 1m 22.715s 
2. Sebastian Vettel Germany Red Bull-Renault 1m 23.201s 
3. Valtteri Bottas Finland Williams-Mercedes 1m 23.354s 
4. Daniel Ricciardo Australia Red Bull-Renault 1m 23.391s 
5. Fernando Alonso Spain Ferrari-Ferrari 1m 23.909s 
6. Felipe Massa Brazil Williams-Mercedes 1m 24.223s 
7. Jenson Button Britain McLaren-Mercedes 1m 24.249s 
8. Jean-Eric Vergne France Toro Rosso-Renault 1m 24.720s 
9. Nico Hulkenberg Germany Force India-Mercedes 1m 24.775s 
10. Kevin Magnussen Denmark McLaren-Mercedes No time 

11. Daniil Kvyat Russia Toro Rosso-Renault 1m 24.706s 
12. Adrian Sutil Germany Sauber-Ferrari 1m 25.136s 
13. Sergio Perez Mexico Force India-Mercedes 1m 25.211s 
14. Esteban Gutierrez Mexico Sauber-Ferrari 1m 25.260s 
15. Romain Grosjean France Lotus-Renault 1m 25.337s 
16. Jules Bianchi France Marussia-Ferrari 1m 27.419s 

17. Kimi Raikkonen Finland Ferrari-Ferrari 1m 26.792s 
18. Kamui Kobayashi Japan Caterham-Renault 1m 27.139s 
19. Max Chilton Briton Marussia-Ferrari 1m 27.819s 
20. Marcus Ericsson Sweden Caterham-Renault 1m 28.643s 
Lewis Hamilton Britain Mercedes-Mercedes No time (mechanical problem – fuel leak) 
Pastor Maldonado Venezuela Lotus-Renault No time (mechanical problem) 

107% time: 1min 30.886secs 

all times unofficial 

Hungaroring Circuit

F1-2014-Germany-track

Hungary first hosted a grand prix in the 1930s, but following the Second World War and the building of the Iron Curtain it was not until the 1960s that motorsport began to find a place in the country.

At first a street race through Budapest was suggested, but in the end the decision was taken to build a brand new circuit in a valley 19 kilometres outside Budapest. The valley provided natural vantage points for spectators and in 1985 work began on the Hungaroring. The track opened in 1986 and it held its first Formula One event in August that year. It was a huge success and almost 200,000 fans showed up. 

Although tight and twisty, the circuit has been known to throw up some great races, the most memorable being Thierry Boutsen’s win in 1990, beating Ayrton Senna by 0.3 seconds, and of course the 1997 race where Damon Hill in the Arrows sensationally passed Michael Schumacher’s Ferrari only to be denied the win by mechanical failure on the very last lap.

Budapest

Race Date: 27 Jul 2014
Circuit Name: Hungaroring
First Grand Prix: 1986
Number of Laps: 70
Circuit Length: 4.381 km
Race Distance: 306.630 km
Lap Record: 1:19.071 – M Schumacher (2004)

Images, track info, qualifying results: Formula1.com, Crash.net

Roger Baillie (@Rojn8r)

Previous articleBMW to Restore Elvis’s 507
Next article2014 Toyota HIlux SR5 – Car Review – Still King of the Utility?
Roger Baillie
Brought up in a world of Mini's, road trips, rallying and tinkering it is unsurprising that among my passions, since I can remember, cars have been something very special to me. The way they look, the way they smell and especially the way the sound. This passion has grown over the years from a spectator's seat at Formula 1 and WRC events to active participation in events such as the Cannonball Run NZ and Stance Off Events. My current love affair is with a slightly tuned Mk4 Golf GTI which brings me nothing but joy on the road. This love for driving and cars has led me start a Podcast dedicated to my love of driving called Drive Life NZ where I hope to share my story while exploring the varied stories of other enthusiasts. Dispelling the myths surrounding car people and celebrating our diversity.

LEAVE A REPLY

Please enter your comment!
Please enter your name here

 

This site uses Akismet to reduce spam. Learn how your comment data is processed.