Grand Prix 2020 Hungarian Grand Prix Practice, Qualifying & Race Discussion

As F1 continues to salvage something out of 2020 and the covid restrictions, hot on the heels of the Austrian double header, the show rolls over the border to their former imperial partner in crime, Hungary for the 35th running of the Hungarian GP as a world championship point scoring event.

As is well known, F1 first lifted the iron curtain and held an event in the then communist country of Hungary in 1986, exactly 30 years after the brutal crack down and overthrow of the government during the 1956 Hungarian revolution. By 1985 the Hungarian economy was in real danger of collapse and the governement were forced into a series of economic and political reforms. In a 1986 survey 61 percent of Hungarians responded that their position was hopeless or continually worsening. That first Grand Prix almost certainly brought some much needed publicity and a moral boost to the country. As a result of the growing problems within the country and a wider push towards reform, Hungary provided the first spark that would eventually light the end of the cold war. In May 1989 they removed the old border between Austria and Hungary allowing unrestricted travel between the two. The people of East Germany, who were alowed unrestricted travel between socialist countries took the opportunity to circumvent the hated Berlin wall by fleeing into Austria using this newly opened route. Through the summer of 89 the trickle became a flood and by October Hungary had declared itself a Republic with parliamentary elections scheduled to take place the following year and on the 9th of November the Berlin Wall opened.

The Hungarian GP circuit has changed very little since its first race in 1986. There have been modifications to the first corner altering the line into and throught it but little else. The track is seldom used outside of F1 leading to the early race weekend practice times often being misleading due to a dusty circuit with little grip. As the track beds in, the times soon fall. Known as a tight, twisty track, overtaking is very rarely an option here with CTA database statistics showing that for much of the time race overtakes are in single figures. Strangely however, despite all of this, it actually throws up some interesting results, providing debuts and debut wins for a number of drivers. 17 years ago, among the hysteria for the debut of the first ever Hungarian driver to take to the track in his home GP, Zsolt Baumgartner in a Jordan, a well known young Spaniard took his debut win and broke the record for the youngest ever GP winner at that time. I wonder what ever happened to that young driver?

Mercedes have won the last two races here but as it's a track that is less reliant on power and more on grip and handling, it tends to open the race up a little. Last years pole sitter for example was Max Verstappen who went on to finish 2nd in the race, and also qualifying gave Williams one of their best results of the season. With marked improvements from McLaren this year, who had both cars firmly in the points and top 10 all weekend last year, they could also be on for a very strong result this weekend.

Let's hope we get a classic.
 
Also cider_and_toast technically by announcing they were not renewing his contract prior to the season starting Ferrari sacked Vettel prior to this season so ner ner ner ner ner ner pack up and go back to your own private country!
 
George Russell commented on Alex Albon saying that he and a number of other drivers have known Alex for years and he (Russell) quote "Doesn't know what the hell is going on there but he's being made to look an idiot and they need to sort it out"

Red Bull driver management at its finest then.

Well Albon just said in the radio that they should not have risked him in traffic and the engineer had to quiet him . I think he has every right to be angry with them
 
Stroll best of the rest now can he do it for the entire race. It is a long race in mixed conditions he seems to excel strangely enough.

The worse that might happen is if there is a traIn behind him
 
Also cider_and_toast technically by announcing they were not renewing his contract prior to the season starting Ferrari sacked Vettel prior to this season so ner ner ner ner ner ner pack up and go back to your own private country!

Take your ner ners and stick them up your exhaust pipe.

Rebuttal point the first - you said "about to" implying the decision had yet to be made when the season was under way which contradicts your follow up defence.

Rebuttal point the second - Prost was actually sacked before the 1991 season had ended and long before anyone knew how quick the 1992 Williams would be.

:p
 
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Anyone think Albon might be replaced before the next race by Gasly ? I see the irony it's the Hungarian GP again but Red Bull left red faced like the raging bull.

This track was suppose to be their best chance but they have swapped upgrades back and forth. The car appears to be on a knife edge to drive.

Verstappen tells Russell to mind his own business for insinuating that Albon is not getting fairly treated at Red Bull and the resources directed to him solely. Maybe because his credibility is being questioned especially if things are not going well
 
There’s a couple of decisions that were never actually investigated:

  1. Bottas’ jump start - that was as clear a jump as I’ve ever seen. In athletics, a jump start is where you move before the gun, or within 0.1 seconds of the gun. In F1, as long as you start after a point, two-tenths of a second before the lights go out, then it’s not a jump start. Ludicrous.
  2. The repairs that were made to Max’s car on the starting grid. Strictly speaking, that car was under parc ferme conditions. I’m really struggling to understand how it is acceptable to repair the car on the grid (rather than in the pit lane).
  3. of course, if Red Bull dried the track in front of Albon, I wouldn’t be surprised if they did the same in front of Max - not least as Max got such a good start.
 
Bottas did move then stopped, apparently, as the race started he was actually stationary, So even though he had moved he wasn’t moving as the lights went out, so that makes it ok. Is that as clear as mud for everyone ?
I mean, it’s not like he was too far forward ............ oh wait .
 
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It was only pole, win and fastest lap olegg as Max Verstappen led for 1 lap. None the less though it was another dominant win for Mercedes and Lewis Hamilton today.
 
It was only pole, win and fastest lap olegg as Max Verstappen led for 1 lap. None the less though it was another dominant win for Mercedes and Lewis Hamilton today.
Hamilton went for the tires a lap later than Verstappen and returned to the track ahead of him.
So Hamilton led all laps of the race.
This can be seen also in the race's LapsChart
 
start of with the depressing news 1st. i think this is 1988 but mercedes are going to finish the job & i dont see them beaten fair & square this season. if lewis finishes lewis wins. not as confident bottas could make up a gap but he would win 80% of them. because
Britain X2 - where hamilton has won 5 of the last 6 years at silverstone (but for pirelli disaster in 2013 wouldve 6 of last 7 years).
Spain - mercedes have won every year since 2014 bar 1 & that was when both mercedes crashed into each other
Spa - Hamilton loves it here & is power circuit
Monza - power circuit mercedes have the best engine
Sochi - Bottas thrives here. its always 1 of his best races of the season

take nothing away from Lewis. nailed the start & then got great 6 sec gap on inters, from then it was plain sailing wouldve need a monsoon to stop Hamilton today & if you have the best driver in the best car. i repeat Palmer statement it is impressive & depressing in equal measures because hats off to the team. but this is like watching the le mans 24 last few years when 2 Toyota's are country mile clear of everyone else. & as i say above i just dont see that on merit & no reliability issues where mercedes lose. cant we just for the show swap bottas & verstappen. at least lets have a new prost & senna.

brilliant day (eventually) for both red bull's. Verstappen had cracking start getting his muscles out to get into 3rd place at the start, to benefit for this. then Albon i thought drove just as well as Verstappen to go from 13th to 5th pulled off some great overtakes driving brilliantly & badly needed to shake off the doubts. leclerc just had 1 of them struggles on worst tyre for far too long & could never repair the damage. Haas great strategy 3rd & 4th while they have points. its got to be alarming to still come 9th & 15th despite such a mighty advantage
 
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