Lewis Hamilton scored an unexpected pole position for the Hungarian Grand Prix on Sunday after an intense qualifying session at the Hungaroring. His fast lap of 1:35.658 in the final round of knockout was .26 of a second better than runner-up and teammate, Valtteri Bottas. It was Hamilton’s 77th career Formula One pole, his fifth this season and his sixth at the Hungaroring. Despite looking strong the entire weekend, Ferrari drivers handed the front row to Mercedes but secured the second one with Kimi Raikkonen on third […]
Friday’s F1 track action has come to an end at the Hungaroring with Ferrari's Sebastian Vettel leading FP2 with a mark of 1:16.834, which was .074 of a second better than his nearest pursuer, Red Bull’s Max Verstappen. The Hungaroring track record of 1:16.276, set last year by Vettel in the final round of qualifying, remained intact. “I was pretty happy in the afternoon” Vettel said “more than in the morning session, as I think the car is performing well also over one lap. "We can […]
TEAM REPRESENTATIVES – Otmar SZAFNAUER (Force India), Toto WOLFF (Mercedes), Mario ISOLA (Pirelli) PRESS CONFERENCE Q: Otmar, in that very seat yesterday Esteban Ocon was telling us that there’s been a lot of interest in him for 2019. What can you tell us about his future? Otmar SZAFNAUER: Well, I’m glad there’s interest, he’s a great driver and glad we chose him a couple of years ago and have helped him to progress to the point where others are interested. Just happy to say he’s our […]
DRIVERS – Valtteri BOTTAS (Mercedes), Carlos SAINZ (Renault), Esteban OCON (Force India) PRESS CONFERENCE Q: Valtteri, if we could start with you please. New Mercedes contract announced at Hockenheim last weekend. Can we just get your thoughts on that? How much confidence does it give you and what do you feel it says about your performances so far this year? Valtteri BOTTAS: Thank You. Yes, of course, at this point of the year it’s a very, very good point to know what you’re doing next year. […]
Scuderia Ferrari's driver Sebastian Vettel explains the challenges of the Hungaroring track ahead of the Hungarian GP.
After an unpredictable German Grand Prix, Renault narrowly extended their advantage in fourth place in the Constructors’ Championship. Chief Technical Officer Bob Bell shares his thoughts on the first-half of the season and the plan of action for the second-half. Q: What’s there to say about the Hungaroring? Bob Bell: It’s a tight and twisty circuit, which requires maximum downforce from the car. The circuit has been resurfaced recently, so it should be relatively smooth. We’re going with Pirelli’s Medium, Soft and Ultrasoft tyres, like […]
With an average speed of just 200 kph, the Hungaroring is the slowest permanent circuit on the Formula One calendar. Slow, however, doesn’t mean easy as the circuit requires precision and preservation. It is a physical track, demanding a lot from the drivers who, in turn, demand a lot from their car. Hungaroring has 14 corners and few straights, which puts increased emphasis on downforce and mechanical grip. Likened to Monaco or a full-sized karting circuit, the Hungaroring offers few overtaking opportunities, meaning qualifying is of utmost […]
The most anticipated addition to the Formula One calendar of the recent years has been delayed due to "a sub-optimal race track". The decision was made in consultation with the Miami authorities when it became clear that the period of time left until the first discussed debut in 2019 was not enough to carry out all of the necessary plans. Statement from Sean Bratches, Managing Director of Commercial Operations at Formula 1: “In the last few months we have worked diligently alongside our promoter Stephen […]
A possible win for Ferrari at the German GP became an open wound as Sebastian Vettel retired from lead on lap 51 after making a mistake in the rain at turn 13. The Italian squad left Hockenheim with only 15 points, courtesy of Kimi Raikkonen's third place finish. Vettel started the race from pole and, having been the only driver to score points in every race so far this season, suffered his first retirement of the season. Both cars got away well at start, with the […]
Lewis Hamilton and Valtteri Bottas race to a perfect result on Mercedes home turf at Hockenheim, scoring a 1-2 finish after Ferrari's Sebastian Vettel slithered into the barriers on lap 52. After starting from P14, Hamilton stormed through the field to claim his 66th career victory – his fourth of the 2018 season and fourth at the German Grand Prix, equalling Michael Schumacher’s record for most F1 wins at the race. With this win Hamilton took the lead of the Drivers’ Championship by 17 points from Vettel […]
Ferrari president and Fiat CEO Sergio Marchionne steps down from his role due to unexpected complications after his recent shoulder surgery. FCA Announcement With reference to the health of Sergio Marchionne, Fiat Chrysler Automobiles N.V. (“FCA”) (NYSE: FCAU / MTA: FCA) communicates with profound sorrow that during the course of this week unexpected complications arose while Mr. Marchionne was recovering from surgery and that these have worsened significantly in recent hours. As a consequence, Mr. Marchionne will be unable to return to work. The Board […]
Tough Saturday for the Mercedes team as one of its drivers set the second fastest time in qualifying while the other retired at the end of Q1. Valtteri Bottas will start from P2 on the grid and Lewis Hamilton from P14 after having to stop the car due to a loss of hydraulic pressure from failed power steering. "It’s been a tough day, but these things happen in sport. This is a part of racing," says Hamilton. "We had a hydraulic failure at Turn 1, then lost […]