Lewis Hamilton: Start will be crucial

With overtaking opportunities at the Hungaroring limited, Lewis Hamilton knows a good start will be vital to his chances of claiming a race win

Hamilton is on a high having won last time out in Germany, and having qualified second in Hungary is in with a shout of claiming back-to-back wins for the first time in 13 months.

However, the Briton is well aware of the importance of being in front at the first corner.

"It's going to be important to start like a rocket man because you can't overtake here, apart from in the pit stops, so it's vital to have an even better start if I'm to win," said Hamilton.

"But I'm not thinking I should have been on pole, although it was a possibility because we've been quick this weekend.

"I knew it was going to be very close, and if I'm honest I knew it was going to be difficult to be ahead of Sebastian.

"But I'm positive ahead of tomorrow. Jenson (Button) qualified third, and he is in a nice sweet spot ready for tomorrow for the start down to turn one.

"I'm just massively happy we're in the fight because not so long ago we were behind the Red Bulls and Ferraris, and now we're splitting them.

"We have both been saying how nice it is to drive the car, and we hope it will continue to be like this for the rest of the season."

Button too heads into Sunday's race feeling positive having secured his best grid position since May.

"Qualifying has been my issue of late, which has made it difficult for the race, so it's nice to be positioned well," said Button.

"When you are that close to the front you have to go for the win," he added.

Source: Planet-F1

SEBASTIAN VETTEL HUNGARY GP Q&A | DON'T PANIC!

After a couple of races not particularly covered in glory, Formula One World Champion Sebastian Vettel comes to Hungary saying that’s just the way it’s going to be...

by Matt Youson on Jul 30, 2011

Sebastian Vettel has won six races out of ten this year, and in the other four taken three second places and a fourth. He comfortably leads the F1 Drivers’ Championship. But all is not rosy in the garden of Red Bull as Vettel’s fourth place in Germany is his worse finish since Monza last year and the generally improving Ferraris and McLarens seem intent up on making a fight of it this season.

Vettel may take some satisfaction - though probably not much in the way of consolation - from having consistently stated that a dip in Red Bull’s dominance was inevitable at some point this year, and simply a fact of life when competing against teams with the resources and calibre of Ferrari and McLaren. It was a view he espoused again when sitting down the press before the Hungarian Grand Prix weekend. This is what he had to say…

Seb, what have you done over the past few days? Have you analysed the performances from the past races?
"What did I do? I went back home, had a couple of days rest and did some training in preparation for this weekend. Obviously we have analysed what happened last weekend, but, y’know, there’s only three days in between the races, so it’s not much time for the team because we have to get all of our stuff back into the trucks and come here. It’s a lot of work and very short nights. We had a deep look but now we have to re-focus on this race. We cannot spend too much of our time thinking about Nürburgring instead of driving here."

'We can’t change the result at the Nürburgring but we can change the result here.'

What do you take away from the results in Germany?
"Well, we finished third and fourth, it’s a result that’s not a disaster but we’re not happy with it. So, we can’t be satisfied but we have to accept it. For here, obviously our target is to do better than third and fourth and, yeah, we have a couple of things to play around with to try to make the package a little bit more competitive again. I think Nürburgring was pretty tricky, particularly for myself: I didn’t really feel comfortable Friday through Sunday but I think we have understood most of it - and this is a different track with different conditions.

"We can’t change the result at the Nürburgring but we can change the result here. There’s no point trying to find any excuses, that race is done. I think the people who finished ahead of me deserved to finish ahead of me but as I said, I’m not happy with that and I want to have it the other way around this weekend.

Why did you not feel comfortable in Germany? Was there something wrong with the car or the tyres?
"No, I think it was a tricky weekend with the conditions. It was very cold but I don’t want to blame it on conditions. Obviously, Mark was a little bit quicker throughout the weekend and I was struggling a little bit and I never really found a good balance. But, as I said, though we didn’t have the easiest time and I think we have understood most of it.

"We’ll have more time in the break to look at the Nürburgring again with the conditions we had and compare that to other races - maybe this one as it’s straight after - but it’s hard to say within only a few days."

Source: Red Bull

'Just this once, I'll ride my luck' – Mark Webber

Ever since his points-scoring debut at the Australian Grand Prix in 2002, Mark Webber has learned the hard way that one minute you're riding high in Formula One, the next, the fates conspire and dump you on your backside. So when the chance of an unxpected win came his way at the Hungarian Grand Prix, the Aussie took it with both hands.

You could argue that this win was a bit lucky because Sebastian Vettel's challenge was curtailed by a drive-through penalty, but I'll take it! I've been in F1 long enough to know that you take the rough with the smooth in this sport.

I still had to deliver the lap times when it mattered and I've now led 314 laps this season, which is more than any other driver.

My victory in Hungary was the perfect way to enter Formula One's four-week summer break.

It was my fourth win of the year and it put me back in the lead of the world championship.
With Seb coming home third, Red Bull Racing are now leading the constructors' table as well, so it was a good day for the team.

We knew very early in the weekend that the RB6 would be competitive. The Hungaroring had no long straights and lots of corners, which was a combination that played to the strengths of the car.

After first practice on Friday, we knew we had a very good chance of winning the race. First, though, there was the battle for pole. It was a straight fight between Seb and me: I had the edge in Q2, but he did a better lap in Q3 to take pole.

That left me on the dirty side of the grid, which is a huge disadvantage at this track because it's so dirty off-line. And it was no different this year.

Seb and Fernando Alonso, starting third, got away better than me, so I slipped into Fernando's slipstream and fought him in to Turn 1. But this wasn't his first grand prix; like me, he was celebrating his 150th F1 start and he knew what he was doing.

He defended well and I had to settle for third place. Thereafter, my plan was to jump the Ferrari at the pitstops but I didn't have to wait that long. Some debris at Turn 11 brought out the safety car on lap 15 and everyone dived in to the pits for new tyres. Except for me.

The team told me to stay out because they thought I had the pace to open a gap big enough to jump Fernando later in the race. Once the race had gone green, I put in one qualifying lap after another for 25 laps. I needed a minimum of 20 seconds over Fernando for it to work, so I pushed very hard.

It wasn't without its risks because we didn't know how the super-soft tyre would hold up over a 42-lap stint.

We hadn't done anything like that mileage with a single set during practice and the hotter track temperature on race day put more wear on the tyre. The left-front tyre was pretty worn by the end of the stint, but it worked out well.

The guys gave me a great pitstop on lap 43 and I emerged from the pits six seconds ahead of Fernando. Job done. I knew then that the race was in the bag and all I had to do was rattle off the remaining laps.

So I had some luck but as I said earlier, I still had to deliver the lap times when it really counted.

This is the last you'll hear of me for a while because I'm going to switch off my phone and go nowhere near an aeroplane or a hotel room during the summer break.

I'm going to chill out with Annie, the dogs and my sister, who's coming to stay with her family for a while.

Only once I've had some proper R&R will I turn my attention to the next race at Spa-Francorchamps. It's one of the classic F1 venues, which all of the drivers enjoy. It's fast and exciting to drive, and I hope the RB6 will be competitive there as well.

Happy holidays!

Mark

Source: RedBull

Mark Webber Q&A: A nice way to celebrate my 150th!

Red Bull’s Mark Webber is looking forward to some relaxation in Formula One’s traditional summer break, spending some time with his dogs and avoiding planes and hotel rooms. And what better way to start that break than by winning your 150th Grand Prix and seeing yourself and your team take the lead in the championship...

Q: Mark, it was a great race for you…
Mark Webber: Yeah! It was not an easy Grand Prix. We knew that the start these days is very, very crucial - and how the strategy then unfolds, especially at venues like this where it is really difficult to make options open up in the race by passing people. So I was a little bit on the back foot fighting with Sebastian (Vettel) and also with Fernando (Alonso) very quickly and settling in for the first stint thinking that we have to jump Ferrari. Then the safety car came out and the guys told me to stay out and when I saw Fernando coming into the pit lane I thought ‘Go in, go in!’ And then I saw him going in and I knew that now we have a chance to do something - and that’s what happened. I settled for a very long stint on the soft tyres and tried to get that 20-second lead over Fernando which I needed not to come in second after pitting, because anything under 20 seconds would have meant P2. We got that, even though the left-front tyre was a bit like toast, but from then I was able to control the race. And it was a nice race celebrating my 150th Grand Prix! Sure the team lost some points with Sebastian’s situation with the safety car, but still it was a great day for the team.

Q: When did you have the feeling that this could be your race?
MW: I knew early on that I had to feed Fernando, that he was the guy I had to get away from. But somehow I got away from everybody and said to myself ‘Hey, that looks interesting, I can beat everyone!’ And actually I did. The strategy for me was just perfect and the car was super reliable.

Q: You are now at the top of the championship standings, even though it is really, really tight. Will you try to keep the momentum or just relax for the next couple of weeks as Formula One takes its traditional summer break?
MW: To be honest I am looking for a little bit of relaxation - and then preparing for Spa. If you are only five points in the lead and you have five drivers within 20 points you better keep your momentum, as there is still a lot of water going under the bridge before the championship is decided. But believe me, it is nice to have a couple more points than other people - in fact it’s a good problem to have before the break!

Q: You were a bit frustrated after qualifying, but as you always say, there is a race following qualifying…
MW: Yes, Saturday was not that fantastic, but today the safety car stirred up everything. The problem is nowadays that with the refuelling ban you can hardly work on the strategy, so at tracks like this coming out first of the first corner can mean the podium. So again, thank God for the safety car.

Q: It’s your fourth race win this season. How did this one feel?
MW: They all feel special. All my victories have somewhat been earned, either from pole position or from turning fortune to my favour. And sure today there was a certain amount of fortune involved, but I’ve been around long enough to know that you also have to be ready when luck strikes.

Source: Formula1.com

Sebastian Vettel Q&A: A very solid Friday

Leading the field by half a second is quite a statement, even if Red Bull’s Sebastian Vettel does play down the importance of Friday’s practice times. He has marked the Hungaroring as his territory for the weekend and now it is up to the rest to take it from him. After several Grands Prix when things have somehow slipped through his fingers, has the young German’s time come again in Budapest?

Q: How was the day developing for you?
Sebastian Vettel: I think today was actually quite a good day, even though the timings are not really important. Of course it is good if you are somewhere at the front, but still the gaps today do not reflect the actual situation, as for example we have not been loaded with too much fuel. Also we did not have any problems with the car, so I would call today a very solid Friday.

Q: Would you also say that there is now a very strong competitor joining the fight for the championship?
SV: Ferrari has again also shown a very strong day, especially in the afternoon session. It looked as if they were very quick on both the short and the longer run. As I said, it is not really possible to say anything for the rest of the weekend taking a look at the Friday timings. It is just important that you run the car with a heavy, but also with a light, fuel load and be able to be in the front.

Q: Also your team mate has again shown that he is amongst the competitors for the championship. Will there be a showdown before the end of the season?
SV: In general it is very good if both drivers in a team are on the same level, as long as I am a little bit in the front! In general I think we have a normal relationship as team mates, and the both of us try our best. So for tomorrow it will not only be tight between Mark (Webber) and myself, but also the rest of the field will show its competitiveness. For example McLaren has shown not only once that they are capable of making a step forward overnight.

Q: Of course both drivers are also gaining points for the team and the constructors’ championship, but from when will you be thinking in terms of yourself becoming the drivers’ world champion?
SV: In general I think that being a sportsman you have to have a certain amount of egoism. Also I do think primarily of the drivers’ championship title, but still you always have to keep in mind that you are working with and on behalf of the whole team. Basically it comes down to a good mixture of both, as of course due to recent happenings this is a very current topic. One also should not over-dramatize the whole topic.

Q: How did you perform on the super soft tyres and did you encounter any problems with them today?
SV: I have not really been able to get a proper long run, but if you take a look at the others that have been able to, I would say that there are no problems and the super soft lasted quite long, even against expectations.

Q: What are your feelings on the track itself?
SV: The track here in Hungary is quite tough, as it is very bumpy and tricky at various places. So let’s see what we can do in qualifying and then in the race.

Source: Formula1.com

Fernando Alonso Happy Birthday!

Source: mariogf24

Prac Two: Ferrari join Red Bull battle

Red Bull Racing did not have it all their own way in Friday's second Hungarian practice as Ferrari joined the battle for the P1 slot.

In much the same style as Friday morning's session, Sebastian Vettel and Mark Webber led the way for much of the afternoon session with Ferrari closing the gap as Fernando Alonso and Felipe Massa slotted into third and fourth places.

And although it appeared as if the Red Bull's would end with another 1-2 result, Alonso managed to split the two, slotting in behind Sebastian Vettel and ahead of Mark Webber.

Massa was fourth, and the only other driver to get within a second of Vettel's P1 time, while Vitaly Petrov, Lewis Hamilton, Robert Kubica and Nico Hulkenberg completed the top eight.

Report: With cloud cover building up the west of the Hungaroring, the track temperature dropped to 31'C at the start of Practice Two. The drivers were quick to make their mark on the timesheets with Kamui Kobayashi setting the early pace before he was soon overhauled by Vitaly Petrov, Nico Hulkenberg and Lewis Hamilton. Jenson Button took second place on his first run while Hamilton moved up behind his team-mate and ahead of Hulkenberg and Rubens Barrichello. Barrichello continued lapping, taking the P1 slot with a 1:22.468.

The Brazilian's reign was short-lived as Fernando Alonso went quickest of all with a 1:21.826. Button and Hamilton and Robert Kubica slotted in behind him. Felipe Massa made it a Ferrari 1-2 before Mark Webber took control, almost half a second up on Alonso's best. His team-mate Sebastian Vettel then made it a Red Bull 1-2.

The two Bulls, armed with their controversial front wings, continued to pound the track, both improving their times with Vettel just 0.04s behind his team-mate. Vettel finally overhauled Webber, lapping the Hungaroring 0.105s quicker the Aussie.

Behind the Red Bulls and Ferraris, the chasing pack did what they could to make a dent. Hulkenberg was the first up into fifth place, followed by Petrov and then Nico Rosberg. As for Rosberg's Merc GP team-mate, Michael Schumacher, he was down in 15th place.

Webber retook the P1 slot off Vettel while Alonso overhauled Massa and still it remained a Red Bull 1-2 and a Ferrari 3-4. Petrov put an end to the Red Bull, Ferrari domination when he slotted into fourth place ahead of Massa. Button improved to P8 but was still 1.6s off the pace.

Hamilton put in a much-improved lap, getting within a second of the Bulls and taking fifth place in the process. However, there was no stopping the Red Bull drivers as Webber put in two purple sector times to extend his lead with a 1:20.597. Massa, meanwhile, climbed back up to fourth place. Alonso also put in a flyer, taking second place off Vettel only for the German to respond with three purple sector times and a 1:20.087 as once again it became a Red Bull 1-2.

Alonso again brought the Red Bull 1-2 to an end, improving to second place, 0.497s behind Vettel. Schumacher was another to make gains, although his only just put him into the top ten in tenth place.

23 of the 24 drivers, excluding Heikki Kovalainen, hit the track in the final ten minutes and yet there was very little movement on the timesheets with practice eventually ending with Vettel quickest, ahead of Alonso and Webber.

Times:
01. Vettel Red Bull-Renault 1:20.087 33 laps
02. Alonso Ferrari 1:20.584 + 0.497 34 laps
03. Webber Red Bull-Renault 1:20.597 + 0.510 36 laps
04. Massa Ferrari 1:20.986 + 0.899 33 laps
05. Petrov Renault 1:21.195 + 1.108 33 laps
06. Hamilton McLaren-Mercedes 1:21.308 + 1.221 30 laps
07. Kubica Renault 1:21.375 + 1.288 37 laps
08. Hulkenberg Williams-Cosworth 1:21.623 + 1.536 41 laps
09. Button McLaren-Mercedes 1:21.730 + 1.643 33 laps
10. Schumacher Mercedes 1:21.773 + 1.686 31 laps
11. de la Rosa Sauber-Ferrari 1:21.809 + 1.722 38 laps
12. Barrichello Williams-Cosworth 1:21.844 + 1.757 36 laps
13. Rosberg Mercedes 1:22.039 + 1.952 28 laps
14. Kobayashi Sauber-Ferrari 1:22.212 + 2.125 37 laps
15. Alguersuari Toro Rosso-Ferrari 1:22.469 + 2.382 43 laps
16. Sutil Force India-Mercedes 1:22.507 + 2.420 22 laps
17. Buemi Toro Rosso-Ferrari 1:22.602 + 2.515 38 laps
18. Liuzzi Force India-Mercedes 1:23.138 + 3.051 36 laps
19. Trulli Lotus-Cosworth 1:24.553 + 4.466 37 laps
20. Glock Virgin-Cosworth 1:25.376 + 5.289 35 laps
21. di Grassi Virgin-Cosworth 1:25.669 + 5.582 32 laps
22. Senna HRT-Cosworth 1:26.745 + 6.658 33 laps
23. Yamamoto HRT-Cosworth 1:26.798 + 6.711 32 laps
24. Kovalainen Lotus-Cosworth 1:27.705 + 7.618 5 laps

Source: Planet-F1