It only feels like yesterday that the 2017 Formula One season kicked off in Melbourne, alas the mid-point of the championship has been reached as we hit the Hungarian Grand Prix. Join The Roar for a live blog of the race from 10pm (AEST).
The Hungarian Grand Prix represents the final race before the summer break, where the teams and drivers earn a well-deserved layoff.
However, there is still 70-laps of the 4.3km Hungaroring to be contested – with a solitary point separating Sebastian Vettel from Lewis Hamilton in the Championship standings.
The Budapest-based circuit is often described as ‘Monaco without the barriers’, referring to its technical and demanding layout. Overtaking is limited also, as with the Principality.
Tyres are put to the limit also and with the medium, soft and supersoft compounds on hand this weekend, there will be an onus on the multi-stop strategy.
Little emphasis is put on power, hence the reliance upon the individual chassis to perform.
Following their late tyre blowouts at Silverstone, Ferrari has responded and have locked out the front-row in Hungary, with Sebastian Vettel on pole position ahead of Kimi Raikkonen.
Valtteri Bottas will start third and as the best placed Mercedes AMG, while car issues plague the Silver Arrows’ weekend and in particular, Lewis Hamilton, who from fourth will chase a record sixth win at the Hungaroring.
Red Bull were unable to turn their positive Friday form into a solid qualifying result, with Max Verstappen heading up Daniel Ricciardo on the third row of the grid.
A team that will certainly be enjoying the less emphasis on power is McLaren, who will occupy seventh and eighth for the race.
Fernando Alonso and Stoffel Vandoorne both secured Q3 berths, however, are now elevated a position due to a five-place gearbox penalty for Nico Hulkenberg.
Williams have been forced to call upon their reserve driver Paul di Resta to deputise for Felipe Massa, who has taken ill.
While there are no major concerns for the Brazilian, the decision to withdraw from the remainder of the weekend was precautionary.
Scotsman Di Resta makes his return to the sport three and a half years since he last raced for Force India, qualifying nineteenth.
With the Ferraris in such a dominant position following qualifying and Hamilton’s chequered history in Hungary – the race outcome remains up in the air.
Who will survive the heat in Hungary?
Tune into The Roar for live blog coverage from 10pm (AEST) as another exciting Hungarian Grand Prix looms.
Scott Pryde
Expert
Cheers Jawad, Let's hope Max keeps his car as far away from Ricciardo's as possible next time.
Jawad Yaqub
Roar Guru
Eleven races down, nine now remain in the race towards the 2017 world championship. A short break will now be enjoyed by the teams and drivers, before this intense battle for the title resumes at the end of August in Belgium and the Spa-Francorchamps circuit. Until then, thanks again for tuning into The Roar's live blog coverage of the Hungarian Grand Prix. We shall be back at Spa!
Jawad Yaqub
Roar Guru
-------- DRIVER'S -------- 202 - Sebastian Vettel 188 - Lewis Hamilton 169 - Valtteri Bottas 117 - Daniel Ricciardo 116 - Kimi Räikkönen 67 -- Max Verstappen 56 -- Sergio Perez 45 -- Esteban Ocon 35 -- Carlos Sainz 26 -- Nico Hulkenberg 23 -- Felipe Massa 18 -- Lance Stroll 18 -- Romain Grosjean 11 -- Kevin Magnussen 10 -- Fernando Alonso 5 --- Pascal Wehrlein 4 --- Daniil Kvyat 1 --- Stoffel Vandoorne 0 --- Jolyon Palmer 0 --- Marcus Ericsson 0 --- Antonio Giovinazzi 0 --- Jenson Button
Jawad Yaqub
Roar Guru
----- CONSTRUCTOR'S ----- 357 - Mercedes AMG 318 - Scuderia Ferrari 184 - Red Bull Racing 101 - Force India Mercedes 41 -- Williams Mercedes 39 -- Scuderia Toro Rosso 29 -- Haas Ferrari 26 -- Renault Sport 11 -- McLaren Honda 2 --- Sauber Ferrari
Jawad Yaqub
Roar Guru
RACE REPORT Sebastian Vettel cruises to his fourth victory of the 2017 Formula One season, winning the Hungarian Grand Prix ahead of his Ferrari teammate Kimi Räikkönen. The one-two finish for the Scuderia is delivered under acrimonious circumstances, with Vettel ostensibly slowing the pace of the race, whilst nursing issues with his steering. Räikkönen, who for most of the race was faster than his teammate, was kept by Ferrari from overtaking the championship leader – even with the clear and present threat of the Mercedes AMGs. Valtteri Bottas rounded out the podium places, after the Silver Arrows had their own race of team orders. Lewis Hamilton could pass the Finn to have a shot at the Ferraris, though at the final corner let Bottas back into third. Red Bull endured a race of mixed fortunes, with Daniel Ricciardo being eliminated on the first lap after a collision with teammate Max Verstappen, which had brought out the safety car. The Dutchman went on to receive a 10-second time penalty, which was served during his one and only pit-stop – finishing fifth at the chequered flag. Ricciardo meanwhile was left furious and without any points. A solid race for McLaren, saw the beleaguered outfit have their best race of the season, yielding sixth for Fernando Alonso and a solitary point for Stoffel Vandoorne – being the Belgian’s first for 2017. Alonso also emphatically punched in the fastest lap of the race too, on the final lap. Both Force Indias from starting outside of the top ten, went on to finish eighth and ninth with Sergio Perez ahead of Esteban Ocon, as they continue to add to their constructor’s championship tally where they are 60-points ahead of Williams; who were without points. Paul di Resta, in substitution for the ill Felipe Massa, unfortunately didn’t make it to the end of the race – despite a solid effort, having not raced in Formula One since 2013. Neither Nico Hulkenberg or Romain Grosjean finished the race either, following their clash on the first lap at the first corner. A cross-threaded wheel-nut was the Frenchman’s undoing in the Haas, whilst Hulkenberg parked up his Renault late in the race. Vettel’s win extends his lead in the championship back up to 14-points, with Formula One now set to go on break for the next four weeks.
Jawad Yaqub
Roar Guru
STANDBY FOR RACE REPORT AND UPDATED STANDINGS
Jawad Yaqub
Roar Guru
PODIUM INTERVIEWS - Hosted by David Coulthard VETTEL - "It was a very difficult race, where I had my hands full." "I didn't do a favour to Kimi, who could've been faster." RÄIKKÖNEN - "I had a great car today, but we got one-two for the team." "It's not ideal, obviously I want to win." BOTTAS - "Thanks to Lewis to keep the promise." "It's a shame, because we had good pace today."
Jawad Yaqub
Roar Guru
RESULTS FROM THE 70-LAP HUNGARIAN GRAND PRIX 1 S. Vettel 2 K. Räikkönen 3 V. Bottas 4 L. Hamilton 5 M. Verstappen 6 F. Alonso 7 C. Sainz 8 S. Perez 9 E. Ocon 10 S. Vandoorne 11 K. Magnussen 12 D. Kvyat 13 J. Palmer 14 L. Stroll 15 P. Wehrlein 16 M. Ericsson RET N. Hulkenberg RET P. Di Resta RET R. Grosjean RET D. Ricciardo
Jawad Yaqub
Roar Guru
SEBASTIAN VETTEL WINS THE HUNGARIAN GRAND PRIX! KIMI RÄIKKÖNEN completes the one-two finish for Ferrari, claiming second place. And VALTTERI BOTTAS rounds out the podium with third.
Jawad Yaqub
Roar Guru
Lap 70/70: FINAL LAP
Jawad Yaqub
Roar Guru
Lap 69/70: Hulkenberg in the pits again from P15 and it looks like he is out of the race, unfortunately.
Jawad Yaqub
Roar Guru
Lap 68/70: 3 LAPS TO GO
Jawad Yaqub
Roar Guru
Lap 67/70: VET, +1.3 RAI, +1.8 HAM, +7.6 BOT, +1.4 VER are the gaps between the top five.
Jawad Yaqub
Roar Guru
Lap 66/70: 1.1 seconds between Lewis and Kimi again!
Jawad Yaqub
Roar Guru
Lap 65/70: But have Mercedes AMG left it too late for the switchback? As Verstappen is getting nearer and nearer to Bottas in P4.
Jawad Yaqub
Roar Guru
Lap 64/70: Hamilton is the one who has dropped further behind the Ferraris, with a 2.4 second deficit to Räikkönen. Mercedes AMG could be making the switch here and putting Bottas back up to third; the position he was originally in.
Jawad Yaqub
Roar Guru
Lap 63/70: Verstappen has shaved the gap between himself and Bottas to 3.9 seconds. Impressive, considering that loss of 10-seconds in the pit-lane.
Jawad Yaqub
Roar Guru
Lap 62/70: Williams inform Di Resta that there is a problem with the car and this will see the Scotsman on his return to F1 out of the race.
Jawad Yaqub
Roar Guru
Lap 60/70: Vettel 2 seconds clear of Kimi.
Jawad Yaqub
Roar Guru
Lap 59/70: Not much else going on elsewhere, with the focus solely on the top three.