Nico Rosberg achieved his 26th career pole position in a rain-affected qualifying session at the Hungaroring. The championship leader grabbed the P1 slot from his Mercedes team-mate in the final moment of Q3.
Lewis Hamilton held provisional pole after the initial runs in a dry Q3, and looked on course to seal the deal on his second run, but backed out as Fernando Alonso spun his McLaren at Turn 9 and brought out the yellow flags.
Rosberg was running behind Hamilton on track, and though there was a yellow for Rosberg at Turn 8, Alonso had got going again by the time Rosberg reached Turn 9.
While the first sector of Rosberg’s final flying lap was more then four tenths slower than Hamilton’s, he was fastest of all through the second sector on a rapidly improving track and stole P1 from Hamilton by less than two tenths of a second.
Red Bull Racing’s Daniel Ricciardo also had to abort his final flyer and wound up third fastest, just 0.172 seconds slower than Hamilton in a session he called “crazy”.
Max Verstappen was fourth quickest, ahead of the Toro Rosso of Carlos Sainz, the McLaren pair of Alonso and Jenson Button, with Nico Hulkenberg’s Force India and the Williams of Valtteri Bottas completing the top ten.
Hamilton was fortunate to even make it through to Q3 after locking up and running wide at Turn 1 on his final Q2 lap.
On a rapidly drying track, the British Grand Prix winner tumbled down the order, but remained just inside the top ten as Romain Grosjean, Daniil Kvyat, Sergio Perez, Kimi Raikkonen, Esteban Gutierrez, and Felipe Nasr all missed the cut.
A twenty-minute rain delay and four red flags meant Q1 lasted well over an hour.
A second downpour shortly after an already rain delayed start caused the first stoppage, before Marcus Ericsson crashed at Turn 10, Felipe Massa at Turn 4 and finally Rio Haryanto – again at Turn 10 – all had crashes that prompted red flags. Q1 was eventually over despite a time of one minute, 18 seconds remaining on the clock after Haryanto’s incident.
“Aww f***ing hell, that’s really poor!” moaned Jolyon Palmer on team radio, as he became the biggest loser of the track position lottery and finished the session P17, having lapped inside the top ten in final practice.
Massa ended up P18, ahead of Kevin Magnussen – who began his final run on wets and aborted to switch to intermediates just before the final stoppage – Ericsson, Pascal Wehrlein and Haryanto.
So an incident-filled qualifying session which took two hours to settle the grid for the Hungaroring. Championship leader on pole, with his Mercedes team-mate and title rival alongside.
Qualifying standings, Hungarian Grand Prix:
1 Nico Rosberg Mercedes 1m19.965s
2 Lewis Hamilton Mercedes 1m20.108s
3 Daniel Ricciardo Red Bull-Renault 1m20.280s
4 Max Verstappen Red Bull-Renault 1m20.557s
5 Sebastian Vettel Ferrari 1m20.874s
6 Carlos Sainz Toro Rosso-Ferrari 1m21.131s
7 Fernando Alonso McLaren-Honda 1m21.211s
8 Jenson Button McLaren-Honda 1m21.597s
9 Nico Hulkenberg Force India-Mercedes 1m21.823s
10 Valtteri Bottas Williams-Mercedes 1m22.182s
11 Romain Grosjean Haas-Ferrari 1m24.941s
12 Daniil Kvyat Toro Rosso-Ferrari 1m25.301s
13 Sergio Perez Force India-Mercedes 1m25.416s
14 Kimi Raikkonen Ferrari 1m25.435s
15 Esteban Gutierrez Haas-Ferrari 1m26.189s
16 Felipe Nasr Sauber-Ferrari 1m27.063s
17 Jolyon Palmer Renault 1m43.965s
18 Felipe Massa Williams-Mercedes 1m43.999s
19 Kevin Magnussen Renault 1m44.543s
20 Marcus Ericsson Sauber-Ferrari 1m46.984s
21 Pascal Wehrlein Manor-Mercedes 1m47.343s
22 Rio Haryanto Manor-Mercedes 1m50.189s
Qualifying review as reported by Formula1.com:
It started very wet and ended – almost two hours later – practically dry. After a delayed start and four red-flag stoppages, Mercedes’ Nico Rosberg emerged fastest from Saturday’s qualifying at the Hungaroring to clinch pole position for the Formula 1 Magyar Nagydij 2016, beating team mate Lewis Hamilton – in arguably fortuitous fashion – by barely a tenth of a second.
As expected Red Bull proved to be Mercedes’ closest rivals, with Daniel Ricciardo and Max Verstappen third and fourth respectively, followed by Ferrari’s Sebastian Vettel and Toro Rosso’s Carlos Sainz.
If Hamilton felt cheated out of pole, after a topsy turvy, weather-affected session, it was perhaps understandable. The world champion had a great lap going on his final Q3 run, having already gone fastest, when he came across Fernando Alonso’s spun McLaren at the top of the hill. His own lap ruined, he then watched as team mate Rosberg arrived just as the yellows for the Spaniard had been cleared, and pipped him to the top spot.
The weather forecasts proved spot-on as it began to rain shortly after one o’clock, but those which predicted sun and a dry road by the time qualifying was due to start at two proved optimistic in the extreme. The track was wet, and the rain was still falling when the magic hour came.
The first 10-minute delay was announced at 13.55. Out went Bernd Maylander on an exploratory lap in the safety car. The second 10-minute delay was announced at 14.02, just as the first roll of thunder was heard. At 14.15 it was announced that proceedings would get underway at 14.20. Everyone went out on Pirelli’s wet tyres, as there remained a chance of rain within another five minutes.
They lasted four minutes, long enough to see Sergio Perez and Nico Hulkenberg fastest for Force India from Alonso, Sauber’s Felipe Nasr, Ricciardo, Williams’ Valtteri Bottas, Verstappen, Haas’s Romain Grosjean, Ferrari’s Sebastian Vettel and Renault’s Jolyon Palmer. Rosberg and Hamilton, meanwhile, were only 20th and 21st when the red flag came out. There was too much rain, and those who didn’t get the job done well enough on their first laps were about to suffer big time if the session wasn’t restarted.
Fortunately, it was, at 14.40. It lasted another four minutes, in which time Ricciardo went fastest from Verstappen, Perez and Hulkenberg on their former times, Alonso, Raikkonen, Rosberg, Nasr, Hamilton and Bottas.
Then Marcus Ericsson parked his Sauber in an advertising hoarding in Turn 10, damaging the right-front suspension in particular, and out came the red flags again. Nine minutes remained. And the sun was coming out.
The third attempt at completing Q1 started at 14.55, and by then a drying line was appearing in places. One thing you can say about the Hungaroring, it dries out fast. But it was still very wet in others. Most went for wet tyres but Vettel and Williams’ Felipe Massa gambled on intermediates.
Hamilton set a new fastest sector-one time, but then ran off road briefly at the top of the hill. Then just after the wet-shod Nasr had given Sauber’s new owners something to cheer about by setting fastest time, fellow countryman Massa crashed heavily after spinning in Turn 4 and hitting the opposite barrier.
This time the red flag was flown in fewer than four minutes. Five minutes, 20 seconds remained. The order was Nasr, Ricciardo, Verstappen, Kvyat, Perez, Hulkenberg, Alonso, Raikkonen, Rosberg, Hamilton.
What would prove to be the final Q3 restart was timed for 15.07. Everyone but Renault’s Kevin Magnussen – on wets – went for inters. Rosberg jumped to first with 1m 33.302s on a track that was improving with every lap, to dislodge Hamilton on 1m 34.210s. Alonso was third from Vettel, Haas’s Romain Grosjean, Toro Rosso’s Carlos Sainz and Daniil Kvyat, Raikkonen, Nasr and McLaren’s Jenson Button. Neither of the Red Bulls got a timed lap this time, and were effectively 12th and 13th from the Force Indias, which had never improved their original times.
The unlucky Palmer was on his best lap when the red flag came out for a final time with just over a minute remaining, when Manor’s Rio Haryanto performed a near carbon copy of Ericsson’s earlier shunt. That left the Renault driver 17th on 1m 43.965s, ahead of Massa on 1m 43.999s, Magnussen on 1m 44.543s, Ericsson on 1m 46.984s, Manor’s Pascal Wehrlein on 1m 47.343s and Haryanto on 1m 50.186s.
Q2 could only get better. The sun was out, the track was drying and a racing line was becoming more discernible, though inters were still standard wear initially.
Bottas was the first to switch to supersoft slicks and when he went quickest with 1m 30.647s it triggered wholesale tyre changes and times that improved faster than you could write them down, as the track improved with every lap.
In the end, Verstappen was fastest with 1m 22.660s from Rosberg on 1m 22.806s, Ricciardo on 1m 23.234 and Alonso on 1m 23.816s.
Hamilton just made it, having been fastest at one stage but dropping to 10th with 1m 24.836s after running wide on his last try, leaving Grosjean as the first to miss out on Q3 with his lap of 1m 24.961s for Haas. Kvyat didn’t make it either, with 1m 25.301s, and surprisingly Perez and Raikkonen also missed out, which showed how quickly things changed as both has been near the top only moments earlier. Perez lapped in 1m 25.416s, Raikkonen in 1m 25.435s. Esteban Gutierrez in the second Haas was 15th on 1m 26.189s, and Nasr, who had also been up there for a while, was 16th on 1m 27.063s.
Hamilton appeared to own Q3, lapping in 1m 20.018s as Rosberg managed only 1m 20.499s before trimming that to 1m 20.201s. On their second sojourns, the world champion set by far the fastest first sector time before having to abort his run as he came across Alonso’s stricken McLaren, but by the time Rosberg got there the yellows were cleared, and his subsequent lap of 1m 19.965s gave him the advantage.
Behind them, Riccciardo survived a big wobble on a damp patch coming out of the final corner on his first run and then improved to 1m 20.280s for third ahead of team mate Verstappen on 1m 20.557s. Vettel had an even bigger wobble than Ricciardo, and took fifth with 1m 20.874s.
Behind them Sainz displaced the McLaren pair with 1m 21.131s, leaving Alonso seventh on 1m 21.211 and Button eighth with 1m 21.597s. Hulkenberg was ninth for Force India on 1m 21.823s as Bottas put his Williams 10th with 1m 22.182s.
Thus with no penalties looming at present, the provisional grid will line up: Rosberg, Hamilton; Ricciardo, Verstappen; Vettel, Sainz; Alonso, Button; Hulkenberg, Bottas; Grosjean, Kvyat; Perez, Raikkonen; Gutierrez, Nasr; Palmer, Massa; Magnussen, Ericsson; Wehrlein, Haryanto.
Nico Rosberg insists he “had a very big lift” on his final lap in Q3, which earned the Mercedes man pole position for the Hungarian Grand Prix.
As drivers enter their last run in a wild wet-to-dry qualifying session, Lewis Hamilton held provisional pole and was improving when his attempt was scuppered by double yellow flags waved between the chicane and Turn 8 to signal a spin by Fernando Alonso
While the Briton aborted his lap, Rosberg, who arrived at the scene of the incident later than his team-mate, eventually managed to improve his mark and snatch pole for one tenth.
“For sure there were double-waved yellows but I had a very big lift, I lost a lot of time as a result,” said the championship leader. “I was also slower than on my previous lap in that yellow sector so I’m sure that it will be OK.”
Prior to that nail-biting finish, it had been a chaotic qualifying session, with the start being delayed twice as heavy rain swept across the Hungaroring.
Source: F1i/Eurosport
Red Bull Formula 1 driver Daniel Ricciardo admitted he was left “angry” by the yellow flags for Fernando Alonso’s spin at the end of Hungarian Grand Prix qualifying.
Ricciardo will start third at the Hungaroring, but felt the McLaren’s incident cost him a chance to at least reduce his 0.315-second deficit to Nico Rosberg’s polesitting Mercedes.
“We got caught by the yellow,” said Ricciardo.
“I was pretty angry on that last lap because I was up a bit and it would have put me closer to pole.
“It would have been interested without the yellow. So a little bit disappointed.
“At the same time, I think the session went well. In all conditions we were competitive.”
Lewis Hamilton had been on course to beat his provisional pole time until the Alonso spin, which happened just in front of him.
While he had to back off and abandon his lap, by the time team-mate Rosberg reached the scene the McLaren had been cleared and he was able to beat Hamilton’s time.
Rosberg said he backed off sufficiently for the stationary yellow at the corner beforehand and there is no indication his pole is being investigated.
“There was no waved yellow. I had a big lift, lost a lot of time as a result, and I was slower than on that previous lap in that yellow segment so I’m sure it’ll be OK,” he said.
Though Hamilton – ultimately beaten to pole by 0.143s – felt he was set to improve by 0.4s before the yellows, he was not too concerned to lose out.
“A bit unfortunate with Alonso but these things happen,” he said. “I’m not too disappointed.”
Red Bull had been tipped to threaten Mercedes at the Hungaroring but the indications from Friday practice were that it was too far adrift.
A more encouraging Saturday has left Ricciardo optimistic about his race chances from third.
“We’re even closer this year then we have been in the past in terms of pure pace,” he said.
“We’re getting stronger. We were close today, in all conditions we weren’t too far off pole.
“Tomorrow should be interesting, the Mercedes have shown good long run pace, we’ve seen in free practice, but we’ll be there.
“We start close enough to the front to make a fight for it.”
Max Verstappen starts fourth, having missed out on a final Q3 lap when he backed off to make space in traffic but fractionally mistimed it and ended up taking the chequered flag.
He pushed on until the Alonso yellow anyway and said his first sector time showed he might have been a pole threat too.
“I was straight away half a second faster in the first sector,” Verstappen said.
“If you count that off the lap I did previously, I would have been very close to Nico.”
Source: Autosport.com
Red Bull duo Daniel Ricciardo and Max Verstappen have retained their second-row grid slots for Sunday’s race in Hungary, despite failing to lap within 107% of the fastest time in the Q1 segment of qualifying.
Under normal circumstances the Red Bull pair, along with Force India’s Nico Hulkenberg and Sergio Perez, and Williams’ Valtteri Bottas, who also advanced beyond Q1 without lapping close enough to Nico Rosberg’s benchmark time, would have been demoted down the grid.
However, the stewards in Budapest have allowed all five drivers to retain their positions “due to the exceptional circumstances experienced during qualifying”, which included four red-flag stoppages in Q1 alone.
Similarly, Renault’s Jolyon Palmer and Kevin Magnussen, Williams’ Felipe Massa, Manor’s Pascal Wehrlein and Rio Haryanto, and Sauber’s Marcus Ericsson – all of whom were knocked out of qualifying in Q1 – have been given discretion to start by the stewards despite failing to lap within 107% of the fastest time, and will line up in the order they finished in FP3.
The stewards also investigated Nico Rosberg over alleged speeding under yellow flags during his pole position lap. However, the German was exonerated after telemetry demonstrated that he had significantly reduced his speed in the yellow-flag zone.
The provisional grid thus reads: Rosberg, Hamilton; Ricciardo, Verstappen; Vettel, Sainz; Alonso, Button; Hulkenberg, Bottas; Grosjean, Kvyat; Perez, Raikkonen; Gutierrez, Nasr; Palmer, Massa; Magnussen, Ericsson; Wehrlein, Haryanto.
Source: Formula1.com