Sebastian Vettel secured his fourth consecutive pole position (the seventh this season) as Red Bull Racing continued to dominate the Hungarian Grand Prix weekend.
The speed advantage from the RB6 was highly impressive and that flexible front wing fitted to the Renault-powered car has caused many rivals – in particular McLaren – to complain.
Vettel’s pole lap around the 2.722-mile Hungaroring was one minute, 18.773 seconds, a superb performance as it breaks the previous lap record held by Michael Schumacher. Mark Webber lines up alongside his team-mate on the front row, but with a margin of 0.419 seconds.
But when compared to its nearest challenger, the Ferraris, the advantage was highly significant. A full second slower to the flying Red Bulls!
Controversial German Grand Prix winner Fernando Alonso qualified in third ahead of team-mate Felipe Massa. The Spaniard’s best lap in Q3 made him the only non-Red Bull driver to dip below the one minute, 20 seconds target all weekend.
McLaren’s Lewis Hamilton and Nico Rosberg’s Mercedes were next up with Vitaly Petrov producing his best-ever qualifying result with seventh. In doing so, the Russian out-qualified his Renault team-mate Robert Kubica by a single position.
Another impressive performance was Sauber’s Pedro de la Rosa with Nico Hulkenberg in the Williams completing the top ten.
As for the current world champion Jenson Button, the McLaren driver will start in a disappointed P11. Yet again, he complained about the loss of grip despite the MP4-25 was quite reasonable in the final practice session leading up to qualifying.
At least Button is ahead of Rubens Barrichello and Michael Schumacher. The pair had a difficult session although the seven-time world champion suffered the most with only P14 for Mercedes GP.
Sauber’s Kamui Kobayashi will start the Hungarian Grand Prix down in P18 after being baulked by Bruno Senna’s Hispania at Turn 14 on his final qualifying lap. After entering the pitlane, Kobayashi appeared to have ignored an instruction to stop at scrutineering, although the Japanese driver denied he had done anything wrong.
In the battle of the new Formula One teams, Timo Glock achieved Virgin Racing’s third ‘pole position’ against Hispania and Lotus. The German will start the race in P19, while Sakon Yamamoto had his most convincing performance since returning to Formula One. Even though he qualified last (P24), he was just five hundredths of a second slower than his Hispania team-mate Bruno Senna.
Qualifying times from the Hungaroring:
1. Vettel Red Bull-Renault 1:18.773
2. Webber Red Bull-Renault 1:19.184
3. Alonso Ferrari 1:19.987
4. Massa Ferrari 1:20.331
5. Hamilton McLaren-Mercedes 1:20.499
6. Rosberg Mercedes 1:21.082
7. Petrov Renault 1:21.229
8. Kubica Renault 1:21.328
9. de la Rosa Sauber-Ferrari 1:21.411
10. Hulkenberg Williams-Cosworth 1:21.710
11. Button McLaren-Mercedes 1:21.292
12. Barrichello Williams-Cosworth 1:21.331
13. Sutil Force India-Mercedes 1:21.517
14. Schumacher Mercedes 1:21.630
15. Buemi Toro Rosso-Ferrari 1:21.897
16. Liuzzi Force India-Mercedes 1:21.927
17. Alguersuari Toro Rosso-Ferrari 1:21.998
18. Kobayashi Sauber-Ferrari 1:22.222
19. Glock Virgin-Cosworth 1:24.050
20. Kovalainen Lotus-Cosworth 1:24.120
21. Trulli Lotus-Cosworth 1:24.199
22. di Grassi Virgin-Cosworth 1:25.118
23. Senna HRT-Cosworth 1:26.391
24. Yamamoto HRT-Cosworth 1:26.453
The top three drivers’ views on qualifying. Taken from Autosport.com.
Sebastian Vettel was full of praise for his ‘wonderful car’ after the Red Bull driver secured his fourth straight pole position in qualifying for the Hungarian Grand Prix.
The German led his team-mate Mark Webber in all-Red Bull front row, more than a second clear of Fernando Alonso’s third place Ferrari.
“All weekend we felt very comfortable and we’ve been able to improve [the car] another bit overnight,” said Vettel.
“I got on the radio to the boys and I told them that it was their moment. They built this wonderful car, which is such a pleasure to drive. I’m looking forward to racing tomorrow.
“It was actually quite a difficult session. I didn’t have a smooth run with the option [tyres] in Q2 and there was not too much we could do with the car, but in Q3 I was more confident. Hopefully we’ll have a good start tomorrow and a great race.”
Vettel was at a loss to explain the huge pace advantage over the rest of the field at the twisty Hungaroring.
“We were asking ourselves where Ferrari got their pace from at Hockenheim, and now it’s us ahead,” he added. “The track just suits us. We did the best we could and we can be very proud of this.”
He believes that after throwing away victory at last weekend’s German Grand Prix due to a poor start, his getaway will be more important than ever on Sunday.
“We found the problem from last weekend where I made bad start, so had to decide which way to go,” he said. But I’m confident we can have a normal start and at least able to defend the position.
“Usually in Hungary it’s important to be on clean side. I said last year, when I was second and Alonso was on pole, that if I’d been on the clean side, it would have been a difficult race. For sure with overtaking so difficult here, the start will be very important.”
Mark Webber conceded Red Bull team-mate Sebastian Vettel deserved pole position for the Hungarian Grand Prix after the German secured his seventh pole of the year.
Webber was unable to match the pace of Vettel today, the German finishing nearly four tenths of a second ahead to clinch his fourth consecutive pole.
The Australian admitted it was simply not his day.
“I did my best,” he said. “It was probably not the cleanest lap in the first one, but that is the way it goes. He deserved pole today.
“It was not my day today, but I’m still on front row. The guys have done a phenomenal job today. Looking forward to tomorrow.”
Webber said he expected Red Bull to be untouchable in qualifying, the Milton Keynes-based squad having dominated the weekend so far.
“It was pretty similar to Barcelona here,” Webber said. “We knew it would be between both of us. Whoever was going to do the quickest lap was probably going to get pole.”
And the Red Bull driver admitted the race is likely to be boring following the first lap.
“It is going to be an interesting start and after that, you know with these regulations, the race can be interesting in terms of trying to stay awake. We’ll see how the start goes and then see if we can stay awake.”
Fernando Alonso is pinning his hopes of troubling Red Bull Racing on a good start in tomorrow’s Hungarian Grand Prix.
The Red Bull team has been dominant so far this weekend, and secured a front-row lockout on Saturday, with Alonso over a whole second behind pole-setter Sebastian Vettel.
Alonso said his Ferrari team had achieved the best possible result with third position.
“I think we found a big gap between Red Bull and us this weekend,” said Alonso. “We maximised our potential today. We did our job to be the best of the rest.
“Congratulations to Red Bull, they have dominated the weekend and deserve this front row.
“Hopefully tomorrow we can make it difficult in the race because so far it has been too easy.”
The Spaniard reckons the start and the first lap will be crucial on a circuit where overtaking is virtually impossible.
“The start we know is important,” he said. “We know at this track is very difficult to overtake. We know the strategy is important as well. The start, the first corner and the first lap is 60-70 percent of the final result.
“Hopefully we can make a good start like in Hockenheim, gain a position and fight a bit.”
He added: “The dirty side here is quite bad, maybe the worst of the calendar, but at the same time, we had some good starts this year starting on dirty side and bad starts starting on the clean side.
“It will be down to the start and how the things go when the red lights are off, but no doubts that we have a good chance tomorrow to overtake the cars before the start.”
Renault’s Vitaly Petrov was the star qualifier at the Hungaroring. The Russian driver will start in his career-best with seventh, one position ahead of team-mate Robert Kubica. Read Petrov’s view on his performance below as taken from Autosport.com.
Vitaly Petrov was happy to finally outqualify Renault team-mate Robert Kubica ahead of tomorrow’s Hungarian Grand Prix.
The Russian rookie was the only driver yet to outqualify his team-mate this season, but he put an end to that on Saturday after his strongest qualifying performance yet.
Petrov will start from seventh position, right ahead of his Polish team-mate.
“We knew when we arrived here we knew that our car would be quick here,” Petrov told the BBC. “We worked hard. We improved, we brought some new parts here. A good result and everything is cool I think.
“When you drive around the track you are never thinking about beating your team-mate. You just focus on your job, you just focus on your laptime.
“Of course it is better to be in front but anyway you always just focus on good results.”
The Renault driver was also pleased to be starting from the clean side of the road, with the start likely to be crucial tomorrow.
“Tomorrow will be a very difficult start. The first corner is quite dangerous here,” he said.
“I hope it will be without accidents but I am starting with the good line [clean side] so we will have to do a good start and get in front of everybody in the first corner!”
As for the current world champion Jenson Button, the McLaren driver will start the Hungarian Grand Prix down in P11, complaining of a lack of grip. Autosport.com has the details.
Jenson Button blamed his poor Hungarian Grand Prix qualifying performance on a lack of grip from his McLaren.
The world champion failed to make it into Q3 and will start Sunday’s race from 11th place on the grid after lapping more than 1.7 seconds off the pace of the dominant Red Bulls in Q2.
“In practice the car was working really well, but in qualifying I just couldn’t find a balance,” he said.
“We changed the car a little bit, but it didn’t help a lot. The weather changed a bit [from practice]. I was happy with the car this morning, but this afternoon there was just no grip. It wasn’t a great session and I’m not really happy.”
Button, who lies second in the championship behind his team-mate Lewis Hamilton, remains optimistic of taking a strong points finish in Sunday’s race.
“I’m on the clean side [of the grid] at least, and I’ve got two new sets of tyres for the race as well. Hopefully we can fight from there.”
McLaren’s Lewis Hamilton has admitted he was shocked by the level of performance from Red Bull Racing following qualifying at the Hungaroring. Autosport.com has the full story:
Lewis Hamilton admitted he was mystified by the pace of the Red Bull Racing team after a dominant display in qualifying in Hungary.
The McLaren driver finished over over 1.5 seconds off pole-setter Sebastian Vettel, as Red Bull proved untouchable around the Hungaroring circuit.
“For us it’s not case of a tenth or two here and there. It’s a second in the middle sector and half a second in the last sector,” the Briton said.
“We look at the onboard footage and we just laugh. That’s just insane how fast they are going.
“Our car is the best is it has ever been. I don’t know what the hell they are doing, but it’s incredible the pace they have here.”
Hamilton said he extracted “every last drop” from his McLaren to qualify in fifth position.
“I’m happy with today’s result. I was relieved to get into Q3 – it was very close – and I feel I pulled every last drop out of the car. So I’m satisfied with the job we did today,” said Hamilton.
“Obviously, we’ll have to work hard again tomorrow – but, all things considered, it’s a good place for us to be starting from tomorrow: it’s on the clean side of the track, which is a positive, and it’s a long haul down to Turn One. So anything’s possible. As I say, I’m quite happy.”
The McLaren driver admitted the start and the first lap will be very important to achieve a good result.
“We’ll stay focused for tomorrow: I need to get as good a start as I’ve been getting for the past few races, stay clean, get around the first corner and keep moving forwards after that.
“It would be great to make up some places off the grid because it’s very hard to overtake around here. But we’ll do the best job we can. I’m ready for it. Bring it on!”
Sauber’s Pedro de la Rosa was pleased to have qualified in ninth and the Spaniard praised the team’s progress this season. Autosport.com has the details.
Pedro de la Rosa praised his Sauber team for its progress this season following a strong showing in qualifying in Hungary.
“I am happy with my performance but, more importantly, I am very proud of the team,” said de la Rosa after qualifying in ninth position, the second time in three races the Spaniard has reached Q3.
“The car was really good. My position proves how much progress the guys from Hinwil have made with the car, especially to make it quicker in slow corners.
“They just kept their heads down and worked hard, and they have turned it around. Tomorrow I will try and stay out of trouble at the start and during the first lap, and then I will certainly fight for points.”
De la Rosa was the only Sauber driver to make it into the top ten, after team-mate Kamui Kobayashi was knocked out in Q1.
The Japanese struggled with the handling of his car and finished down in 18th position.
“I am very disappointed,” he said. “We have done a lot of set-up changes since we arrived here, but still I am not happy. To me the car feels strange, different from what I’m used to, and I don’t have any grip.
“So the situation was quite difficult for me anyway, and then the team was over-optimistic sending me out on the harder tyres for my second run in Q1.
“I believe on the softer compound I would have managed to get at least to Q2.”
Kamui Kobayashi was handed a five-place grid penalty ahead of the Hungarian Grand Prix for missing a call to go into the FIA garage during qualifying.
The Sauber driver was called in by the FIA stewards to be weighed after the end of Q2, but the Japanese did not see the red light in the pitlane and continued to drive towards his team’s garage.
As a consequence, Kobayashi was given a penalty and will have to start the race from 23rd position.
“I obviously went past a red light in the pit lane and missed going to the FIA scales. I just didn’t see it,” he said.
Source: Autosport.com
Williams driver Rubens Barrichello has blamed the traffic during his qualifying run that resulted in the Brazilian to start the Hungarian Grand Prix down in P12. Autosport.com provides the details.
Rubens Barrichello blamed heavy traffic for his inability to make it into the final part of Hungarian Grand Prix qualifying.
The Williams driver ended up 12th on the grid after both his team-mate Nico Hulkenberg and Sauber’s Pedro de la Rosa relegated him from the top 10 late on.
He said that a slow out-lap behind a number of other drivers had prevented his Bridgestone tyres from reaching their optimum operating temperature.
“In Q1, I was very happy, the car was perfect and I only needed one run and was quite comfortable to see the rest of the session out in the garage,” said the Brazilian, who won at the Hungaroring in 2002.
“Then going into Q2, I had a lot of traffic on my out lap and basically because the lap was so slow, I don’t think the tyre got up to operating temperature. The tyres were just not there, and the car balance was out and by the last run, the tyres had given up.”
His team-mate Hulkenberg did make it into Q3 and qualified 10th. The German believed that he was capable of making it even higher up the grid though.
“Reaching Q3 was good today as everybody is very aware how closely bunched the field is behind the front few teams, but as always, it is human nature to feel that more could have been possible,” Hulkenberg said.
“The Renaults and de la Rosa were strong today with just a couple of tenths between us all. Although overtaking will be challenging tomorrow, we know that the race is going to be highly competitive with the form of the cars around us.”
Michael Schumacher is hopeful a set-up gamble helps him enjoy a stronger race following a disappointing qualifying on Saturday.
“Obviously qualifying was not ideal for us today,” said Schumacher, who will start the race from 14th position, eight places behind team-mate Nico Rosberg.
“After yesterday’s performance, we purposely went for a different set-up which was supposed to tell us more about the car and was targeted more towards the race.
“It seemed to be reasonable this morning but as the track became hotter in qualifying, it went against us. Our set-up should work better in the race although starting from 14th place does not make it easy.
“Being on the dirty side of the starting grid does not specifically help, but I will certainly try again to have a good start tomorrow. And from then on we will have to see how the race develops.”
Rosberg, on the other hand, was delighted with his sixth place, which he admitted he was not expecting after a difficult practice.
“I’m pleased to be starting from sixth place as we didn’t think we would be that far forward today, so it’s an unexpected and pleasant surprise,” said Rosberg. “We are a long way from the front which is a concern but we took everything that we could from today and I am happy with our performance.
“We did a very good job with the set-up which meant we could get the best out of the car. Hopefully I can have a good start and our aim as always is to make up a few more places and get some decent points again.”
Source: Autosport.com
World championship leader Lewis Hamilton has denied the idea that his title hopes are fading away following a frustrating qualifying session when compared to the faster Red Bulls and Ferraris. Autosport.com has the story.
Lewis Hamilton is confident his world championship hopes are not fading away on the back of continued frustrations for his McLaren team.
The world championship leader has seen Red Bull Racing and Ferrari enjoy a speed advantage for the last few races – and has found himself almost two seconds adrift of pole position at this weekend’s Hungarian Grand Prix.
But although well aware his situation is far from ideal, he is upbeat that McLaren can fight back – and will get a boost whatever the FIA does on the flexi-wing controversy.
“I don’t feel it [the championship] falling away from us,” said Hamilton. “If we continue for the rest of the season and we are more than one second behind, then inevitably it is going to be very hard for us to win the championship.
“But I think Martin [Whitmarsh, team principal] has made it clear that something will be sorted or made clear [on front wings], so we can either change our approach or someone else changes their approach.”
Hamilton says his desire to succeed now is just as strong as it was earlier in the season – and is unmoved by news that a number of bookmakers have now installed Sebastian Vettel as favourite for the title.
“My determination is as high as it could be,” he said. “I am pushing as hard as I can with the team – it is the same for me and Martin and everyone in the team. We want to win the championship, it doesn’t matter if a bookie says we won’t or someone else says we will. We will do everything we can and everything in our power to win the championship.
“You don’t really think about the championship until the moment when it really, really matters – which is when you are just about to win or just about to lose it. So for me I take it race by race and try to get as many points in the races. That has always been my approach, I don’t think of critical results or how that affects the championship.”
Team-mate Jenson Button also reckons his title challenge will not be too badly dented in Hungary, despite a disappointing qualifying session.
“I’ve made it difficult again in qualifying,” he said. “Starting 11th, it is never easy when you are that far back, but there is still everything to play for.
“The first four cars seem to have very good pace, but anything can happen as we have seen many times this season – and we have performed as a team very well, especially on a Sunday.
“I think we can still have a good race. It is tough starting so far behind Lewis, he is the guy leading the championship from myself, and finishing behind Lewis would hurt my championship hopes at this point of the season, that is obvious.
“So I am going to try and do as much as I can to move forward. I know we have a good balance around here with the car in race trim, so I am happy with that. I have new tyres, whether we start on the soft or the hard, and I am the first car to be in that position on the grid, so it’s not so bad.”
As for Red Bull Racing, the team is not expecting an easy race despite the speed advantage all weekend at the Hungaroring. Autosport.com has the details.
Red Bull Racing is refusing to get carried away that its dominant form so far in Hungary means only extreme bad luck can stop it sealing an easy 1-2 finish.
Sebastian Vettel and Mark Webber have been well clear of the opposition throughout this weekend, and easily locked out the front row of the grid from closest rivals Ferrari.
Although their pace makes them clear favourites for victory, team principal Christian Horner is not expecting an easy walkover in the race.
“The margin is very impressive,” Horner admitted to AUTOSPORT. “The team did an excellent job in producing a very dominant qualifying session on not one of the longest laps, so to have a 1.2 seconds advantage to P3 in qualifying is very, very impressive.
“But we often see in the race that the margin is somewhat less. So the start, the first corner and the first lap will be very important.”
With title rivals McLaren struggling for good pace at the Hungaroring, the race provides a perfect opportunity for Red Bull to make big strides in closing down the gap in the title standings.
But Horner denied there is any more need to take points here than there has been at any other race so far this year.
“There is still a long, long way to go,” he said. “We have to take each day as it comes, and there are the same points here as there were available last weekend.
“We are starting in the best possible place at a circuit that is traditionally hard to overtake at, and the team is very determined to try and reduce the gap to McLaren in both the constructors’ and the drivers’ championships.
“But I think we have just got to focus on doing the best job we can in the race. If we get a good start, a good clean first lap and a good pitstop, with good reliability, then we should be in good shape.
“The car is performing fantastically well, the drivers are very comfortable and very confident in the car, and they both have said it is an absolute pleasure to drive at this circuit. That is a compliment to the design and production team in Milton Keynes.”