Lewis Hamilton scored his first victory for Mercedes thanks to an impressive drive at the Hungaroring.
The 2008 world champion pulled himself clear of a fraught race behind. Kimi Raikkonen fended off the championship leader Sebastian Vettel to the runner-up spot.
Mark Webber salvaged fourth for Red Bull while Romain Grosjean’s chances for race victory was spoiled by a drive-through penalty.
Hamilton’s initial battle was with qualifying rivals Vettel and Grosjean, after a thrilling opening lap in which slow-starter Vettel had to defend from the Lotus as Fernando Alonso and Nico Rosberg also tried to get involved.
The Red Bull was right on the gearbox of the leading Mercedes initially, but as the opening stint wore on, Hamilton was able to pull away, while Vettel came under pressure from Grosjean.
The crucial moment for Hamilton was when he emerged behind Jenson Button after his first pitstop.
Hamilton made the important pass, not so for Vettel. The defending champion couldn’t find a way by after making a pitstop too.
The McLaren and Red Bull made light contact, leaving Vettel concerned about his front wing and allowing Grosjean plenty of opportunity to attack, as Alonso closed in too.
It took until lap 24 for Vettel to finally pass Button, with Grosjean clashing with the McLaren as he tried to follow.
Both were able to continue, but the incident will be investigated post-race.
Grosjean still got a penalty though… Following his second pitstop, he boldly passed Felipe Massa’s Ferrari around the outside of the fast Turn 4.
But the race stewards adjudged that he had exceeded track limits in doing so and was given a drive-through penalty, dropping Grosjean out of contention.
By the time Vettel was clear of Button, Hamilton had a commanding advantage over the triple world champion that he would not lose.
The other Red Bull driver was not defeated yet, though. Webber ran a very long first stint on his medium tyres and spent a while in the lead.
On their slightly different sequences, Hamilton twice emerged right behind Webber after pitstops, and twice passed him on the outside of Turn 3, with Webber ending up taking to the run-off in the second move.
Those passes ensured Webber had no chance of delaying Hamilton’s progress as the Briton achieved Mercedes GP’s third victory of the 2013 season.
Meanwhile Raikkonen worked his way forward on a two-stop strategy, spending the early part of the Hungarian Grand Prix trapped behind Massa before bringing himself into contention.
His consistent pace meant that he emerged in second place as the final stops played out, with both Red Bulls behind him.
Vettel tried his utmost to pass Raikkonen in the closing laps and complained that the Finn was over-defensive in what turned out to be a decisive battle with two laps to the flag.
Webber tried to chase down the pair but had to settle for fourth, while Alonso fell away from the leaders and could only fend off Grosjean for fifth.
McLaren got both its cars in the points on two-stop strategies, with Button seventh and Sergio Perez ninth.
First-lap contact with Rosberg and a later brush with Adrian Sutil hampered Massa’s day and he finished eighth.
Rosberg tumbled down to P12 in his incident with the Ferrari. He recovered to ninth before a fiery late-race failure.
His retirement allowed Pastor Maldonado to end the Williams team’s points drought in tenth position.
So a fantastic result for Lewis Hamilton. His fourth victory at the Hungaroring and yet his first for the Mercedes. He becomes the first British driver to win for the Silver Arrows since Sir Stirling Moss back in 1955.
Formula 1 now heads into the summer break and it will be fascinating if the other teams can keep up this close competition as the racing resume at Spa-Francorchamps next month.
Race results from the Hungaroring after 70 laps:
1. Hamilton Mercedes 1:42:29.445
2. Raikkonen Lotus-Renault +10.938
3. Vettel Red Bull-Renault +12.459
4. Webber Red Bull-Renault +18.044
5. Alonso Ferrari +31.411
6. Grosjean Lotus-Renault +32.295
7. Button McLaren-Mercedes +53.819
8. Massa Ferrari +56.447
9. Perez McLaren-Mercedes +1 lap
10. Maldonado Williams-Renault +1 lap
11. Hulkenberg Sauber-Ferrari +1 lap
12. Vergne Toro Rosso-Ferrari +1 lap
13. Ricciardo Toro Rosso-Ferrari +1 lap
14. van der Garde Caterham-Renault +1 lap
15. Pic Caterham-Renault +1 lap
16. Bianchi Marussia-Cosworth +1 lap
17. Chilton Marussia-Cosworth +1 lap
Retirement/non-finishes:
Di Resta Force India-Mercedes +66 laps
Rosberg Mercedes +64 laps
Bottas Williams-Renault +42 laps
Gutierrez Sauber-Ferrari +28 laps
Sutil Force India-Mercedes +19 laps
World Championship standings, round 10:
Drivers:
1. Vettel 172
2. Raikkonen 136
3. Alonso 133
4. Hamilton 122
5. Webber 105
6. Rosberg 84
7. Massa 61
8. Grosjean 49
9. Button 39
10. Di Resta 36
11. Sutil 23
12. Perez 18
13. Vergne 13
14. Ricciardo 11
15. Hulkenberg 7
16. Maldonado 1
Constructors:
1. Red Bull-Renault 277
2. Mercedes 206
3. Ferrari 194
4. Lotus-Renault 185
5. Force India-Mercedes 59
6. McLaren-Mercedes 57
7. Toro Rosso-Ferrari 24
8. Sauber-Ferrari 7
9. Williams-Renault 1
Next race: Belgian Grand Prix, Spa-Francorchamps. August 23-25.
Lewis Hamilton has described this winning feeling as the most important in his Formula 1 career. Autosport.com has the news story.
Lewis Hamilton says his Hungarian Grand Prix victory is one of the most important of his career so far.
The Briton took his first win in Mercedes colours in Budapest, converting his third consecutive pole position into a first victory.
The win came despite Hamilton all but ruling out a win after taking pole, his pessimism prompted by Mercedes’ tyre woes.
“We hadn’t had the test, we were on backfoot when we came in, not expecting it to be on pole and were surprised with that,” he said after the race.
“I think this is probably one of the most important grand prix wins of my career. To go to a new team and win with Mercedes Benz is a real privilege, the guys did a great job.
“It is an incredible feeling and my team did an incredible job.
“We studied a lot last night, and hoped the tyres would work for us. [We had] no idea it would go that well, in the last 20 minutes I was managing tyres and cruising.
“I think you could tell I was hungry for it today. I was going all out. I needed to get past those people, usually I got stuck – today I wasn’t having it, I was going for every move I had.”
Hamilton added that the win was an important step forward to the team, as it looks to improve its use of the Pirelli tyre.
“We have to work hard, you never know how the tyres will last elsewhere,” he said.
“[But] if we can come here and make the tyres last, we should be able to do it anywhere.”
Championship leader Sebastian Vettel plays down his Kimi Raikkonen rage in the closing stages of the Hungarian Grand Prix. Autosport.com has the details.
Sebastian Vettel says his anger at Kimi Raikkonen late in the Hungarian Grand Prix was just a heat of the moment response.
Raikkonen resisted Vettel to claim second place in the race behind winner Lewis Hamilton.
The Finn’s Lotus progressed up the order via a two-stop strategy, so was on much older tyres than Vettel’s Red Bull when the world champion caught up in the closing laps.
Raikkonen managed to stay ahead, but prompted a frustrated radio reaction from Vettel with his defensive driving on the run to Turn 4 with three laps to go.
After the race Vettel joked that Raikkonen had shrugged off his complaints.
“I told him – but he only laughed!” said Vettel.
“In the heat of the moment it was quite tight going into there. I nearly lost the car but that is racing.”
Raikkonen played down the incident.
“I knew that my tyres were OK and good through the last sector so was pretty sure there was no chance to overtake me into first corner,” said Raikkonen.
“But Turn 2 was a bit more tricky for me all race. He got a run once before and the second time I defended and then moved right.
“It was a bit tight but I kept him behind.”
Vettel said he just could not get a sufficient run on the Lotus on the straights.
“It was close with Kimi,” he said. “In the end, we were quick in the last two corners, but couldn’t him on straights.
“We did what we could but surely we could have done a bit more today.”
Lotus driver Kimi Raikkonen has commented that the team’s poor qualifying performance played a part in the race. Autosport.com has the story.
Kimi Raikkonen believes Lotus is still squandering victories with poor qualifying performances.
The Finn came second in the Hungarian Grand Prix, but had only qualified sixth.
He used a two-stop strategy to come through the field and beat Formula 1 title rival Sebastian Vettel to the runner-up spot.
“The car was working well but unfortunately on Saturdays we keep making the race more difficult,” Raikkonen rued.
“Hopefully we can fix that a little bit and be a bit more at the front at the beginning of the race.
“It worked for us today but yesterday wasn’t as easy otherwise probably we could have won.”
Raikkonen was able to fend off Vettel in the closing laps despite the three-stopping Red Bull having much fresher tyres.
“I knew that it was going to be a bit tight,” said Raikkonen.
“I thought with 10 laps to go maybe the last two laps would be tough.
“But I didn’t have any doubts I could keep him behind. I had good speed in the first sector and I knew at the last corner he didn’t have a chance.”
McLaren’s Jenson Button was not impressed by Romain Grosjean and has hit out on the Lotus driver over that clash. Autosport.com has the details.
Jenson Button says his contact with Romain Grosjean in the Hungarian Grand Prix was entirely the Frenchman’s fault.
The pair made contact during a mid-race squabble, with the Lotus driver running Button out of road on the run into the Turn 6/7 chicane.
While both cars were able to continue, Button said afterwards that the outcome could have been a lot worse, and that there was nothing he could do to avoid contact.
The stewards are currently investigating the incident.
“I’m going to see the stewards about it, but I think it’s pretty straightforward – I couldn’t go any more left,” said the McLaren driver.
“That’s it, really. Unless I’m on the grass, which is not where I want to be when I’m braking for a corner, he had no way of not hitting me. I obviously didn’t realise how narrow the circuit was at that corner…
“It could have been a lot worse than it was. It could have ended both of our races. I was quite lucky. I think our cars are robust.”
Button added that he could see the incident happening, but was powerless to stop it.
“I was there, basically with my arm out the cockpit, going ‘what are you doing? I’m going to be on the grass in a second.’ And I was.
“I don’t know what he was thinking. I don’t think he was thinking at that point.”
Romain Grosjean has been hit with a 20-second post-race penalty for hitting Jenson Button’s McLaren while attempting to overtake him at the chicane during the Hungarian Grand Prix.
The penalty, issued in lieu of a drive-through because it was applied after the race, does not cost Grosjean sixth place because he was 21.524s clear of Button on the road.
Lotus trackside operations director Alan Permane believes the punishment was excessive, especially as other drivers escaped investigation for what he saw as more serious incidents.
“We discussed it [with the stewards] and agreed to disagree,” he said shortly after emerging from the stewards’ room.
“I think it was very harsh as it was a slight tap. I guess it’s the letter of the law and they had to do it.
“There were more serious incidents in the race. Sebastian [Vettel] on the run down to the first corner nearly pushes him off the circuit and nothing gets said.”
Grosjean admitted that he misjudged the track width at that part of the circuit
He also apologised to Button before facing the post-race stewards’ investigation.
“With Jenson, I was a bit too much on the left of him and the track goes narrow where we were, I thought it was wider than that.
“I went to apologise to Jenson.”
Button was unimpressed with Grosjean’s part in the incident and blamed the Lotus driver for moving over on him.
“I couldn’t go any more left,” he said. “Unless I’m on the grass which is not where I want to be when I am braking for a corner, he had no way of not hitting me.”
Source: Autosport.com
Ferrari’s Felipe Massa believes the drive-through penalty for Romain Grosjean was totally wrong. Autosport.com has the details.
Felipe Massa does not believe that Romain Grosjean should have been penalised for his bold passing move at Turn 4 during the Hungarian Grand Prix.
The Lotus driver made a brave move on Massa on the outside of the fast left-hander, but was ultimately given a drive-through penalty when stewards deemed he had all four wheels on the outside of the white line that defines the track limits.
After the race, Massa came to Grosjean’s defence, claiming that the incident did not deserve a penalty.
“If he took the penalty because of what he did with me, that’s completely wrong,” said the Ferrari driver.
“He didn’t go four wheels outside, he went with two wheels. Two wheels is possible.”
Lotus’s trackside operations director Alan Permane echoed Massa’s views on the subject.
“The one on Massa at Turn 4 is very harsh,” he said. “If Massa said so then it really must be.
“To the letter of the law, they say he left the track and gained an advantage. We dispute that because he was in front of Massa before he left the track.
“He could have easily stayed on the track but to avoid a contact with Massa he ran wide.
“Their [the stewards’] hands are tied a bit but I think it’s harsh. To the letter of the law, the stewards have had to do that but I did ask them what he should do – stay on the track and hit Massa or run wide and avoid the collision?
“It’s a very close one and maybe it just came down on the wrong side for us.”
Grosjean said he had not properly reviewed the footage to know if the decision was right or wrong.
“On the drive-through, I thought I had two wheels on the white line when I went on the outside of Massa,” he said. “To be honest, I haven’t seen the footage.”
Fernando Alonso and Ferrari have escaped with a fine for illegal DRS use during the Hungarian Grand Prix.
The FIA technical officials reported the team to the stewards as data downloaded after the race revealed that Alonso had been able to trigger DRS on three occasions when not within one second of another car.
In theory, the system should only be able to operate when a car is following within one second of another as they pass an activation point.
The officials said that a setting error by the team was to blame, but that the advantage gained had been negligible.
“The DRS enabling system was not changed by the team from the pre-race to the race setting,” said a stewards’ statement.
“The driver therefore incorrectly received ‘DRS enabled’ messages and reacted to them (when not entitled to) on three occasions.
“As soon as the team became aware of the problem they informed the driver to only use DRS when told to do so by the team.
“Whilst a small sporting advantage (less than one second over the entire race) was gained, the team argued #3 also suffered a disadvantage by being unable to use DRS on every legitimate occasion.
“However, the team is ultimately responsible for ensuring the system conforms to the regulations.”
The stewards chose to bestow a €15,000 fine rather than any form of result penalty.
Alonso therefore keeps his fifth place in the Hungaroring race.
Source: Autosport.com
After winning the Hungarian Grand Prix, Mercedes believes the Formula 1 title battle is now wide open. Autosport.com has the story.
Mercedes believes that the world championship battle has been blown open after Lewis Hamilton’s victory in the Hungarian Grand Prix.
Hamilton’s dominance at the hot Hungaroring pointed to Mercedes having made a big breakthrough in its understanding of the tyres, which might have also been helped by the new Pirelli construction suiting its car better.
Although team principal Ross Brawn would not go as far as declaring that the outfit’s tyre woes were now a thing of the past, he does think that the potential was there for it to pull off similar performances in the races to come.
When asked by AUTOSPORT about his feelings on the title fight with Hamilton 48 points behind Sebastian Vettel, Brawn said: “It is so fragile.
“I think it is still open and we certainly won’t be giving up.
“This was a very good weekend for the team – from beginning to end.
“We had a very good programme on Friday. The balance wasn’t great but we we did things on Friday and Saturday that helped.
“If we can replicate that there is no reason why we cannot win more races. If we don’t replicate it then we won’t.
“But we have to get both cars to the finish. We didn’t do that here and you have to have both cars right up there.”
Brawn also believes that the victory was vital for Hamilton’s mindset and thinks there is no reason why repeat performances cannot now come.
“I hope it is another step,” said Brawn. “It is an important step to get that race win, and there is absolutely no reason why more should not follow.
“Lewis showed faith in us at the end of last year, and people were speculating about whether it was a bad move or not.
“I hope we have now started to demonstrate that his faith was justified. It is very early days but it is encouraging.”
The Lotus team missed out on the opportunity to win the Hungarian Grand Prix and have blamed Sebastian Vettel. Autosport.com has the news story.
Lotus believes that Romain Grosjean’s Hungarian Grand Prix victory hopes were wrecked by Sebastian Vettel, rather than the drive-through penalty he received in the middle of the race.
Grosjean had been one of the pre-race favourites for victory at the Hungaroring, but he had a frustrating afternoon where his strategy was compromised by him being forced to run at Vettel’s pace early on.
In the end, the team gambled on a tweaked strategy to try to leapfrog Vettel, but it went wrong when he lost more time behind Jenson Button and then earned a penalty for running off the track after overtaking Felipe Massa.
Lotus team principal Eric Boullier thinks that the end result would have been different if Grosjean had been able to get in clear air early in the race.
“It could have been better, yes, but we were not expecting to get stuck behind Vettel at the beginning of the race, to be honest,” Boullier told AUTOSPORT.
“After that, the chance for Romain to win was off.”
Boullier said the short second stint for Grosjean was aimed at trying to do something different to overtake Vettel, but it did not work because Button delayed him afterwards.
“With the tyres we knew we had flexibility to change the stint length,” he said.
“But unfortunately the pitstop was longer than expected and we got stuck behind Button.”
Grosjean’s chances were then effectively killed off when he was given a drive-through penalty for running off the track at Turn 4 after completing a spectacular overtaking move around the outside of Massa.
Boullier backed the suggestion from Massa that the drive-through was too harsh a penalty for what he had done.
“I think so,” said Boullier. “But obviously we have to respect the rule and the decision of the stewards.
“It was a nice manoeuvre, and even Massa agreed it was a bit harsh.
“But you have fixed rules, and the rule is the rule.”
Red Bull says it is no surprise that Mercedes has got itself into championship contention as it always saw it as a title threat.
Lewis Hamilton’s victory in the Hungarian Grand Prix has set up the prospect of a thrilling contest over the second half of the season, especially if Mercedes can keep up its qualifying dominance.
When asked if he believed there was a genuine fight for the championship now, Red Bull boss Christian Horner said: “I don’t think it has ever been off.
“Mercedes from the second race have been very, very quick and that is still the case here.
“We have seen different races, and different cars emerging at front of field, whether it was Kimi [Raikkonen] in Germany, Lewis here or Nico [Rosberg] at Silverstone.
“We are set for an intense fight in second half of year. We have to keep maintaining our consistency, no matter who the opposition is.”
Horner says that Sebastian Vettel’s hopes of challenging Hamilton for the Hungarian GP win were wrecked by him losing time behind Jenson Button and then damage to his front wing.
“It was a great race for the fans but it was a tough race for us in all honesty,” said Horner.
“The damage Sebastian sustained in trying to go past Jenson after the first stop, obviously compromised his race quite badly.
“So to have salvaged a podium out of it was a very, very strong result.
“Lewis has always been extremely strong around here, and that is his fourth victory here – which is a tremendous score rate.
“The damage was effectively done in qualifying and I think we could have given him a harder time in the race if we had cleared Jenson early.
“We didn’t and he [Lewis] thoroughly deserved the win, and was able to control the pace.
“Once we were stuck behind Jenson that took quite a bit of pressure off.
“That was a shame for us and good for him, but I am still very pleased we got some decent points out of it.”
Source: Autosport.com