Official Hungary GP for those who enjoyed the race

[Mini1275]

I'm a big Lewis fan so was obviously pleased with his drive from the back, it really was sensational, he picked up four positions on the first green lap after the safety car alone! . Having said that I couldn't be more pleased to see Ricciardo win again, he really is proving to be something special and has some fantastic racing ability and seemingly a cool head. I'm sure this season has changed many people's opinion of him. He's certainly showing Vettel how to do it.

His pass around Lewis at turn 2, although being on fresher tyres, was brilliant.

Alonso outperformed the car yet again, a really great drive but nothing you wouldn't expect from him.

I really, really don't understand how McLaren can get it wrong so many times. Mistakes and poor strategies like yesterday's have happened way too often in the last few years and something needs to be done. It's really not good enough for a team of their stature. Although people have been saying this for a while and nothing has changed.

There have been several times where people, sat at home posting on here, have called the right decision only for McLaren to balls it up and go along with something else. Something must be wrong there.

Not a bad drive from Raikkonen, either.

[Jasandjules]

It was fascinating. I have to say Red Bull got the call spot on for Ric. Had it been a few laps earlier his tyres might not have been good enough to get past and a few laps later and he might not have got there quickly enough or had enough time to plan his overtakes, as Lewis and Alonso can have rather wide cars....

McLaren relying on Mr Bean's weather predictor.

But the action was all the way through the field, the producer didn't know where to point at next!

[KarlMac]

I'd have loved Alonso to have finished 1st going into Monza, just because.

From an admittedly casual F1 consumer (I watch the races but tend not to get involved with the pantomime and politics) I can't help but be impressed with LH's performance. Twice now he's had mechanical failures and had to drive through the grid.

[Floor Tom]

A bit of a strange race, and I can't say I liked the safety car lottery that went on but it did lead to some outstanding driving and exciting racing.
I think Lewis was very lucky today, not only was he really close to finishing his race on the second corner but the safety car situation made his race worthwhile too. Having said that he put in some fantastic driving including that pass around the outside (sorry, forgotten who it was on) and I think he also made the right choice in not lifting to let Rosberg through. Rosberg never really got close enough for Himilton to let him through without losing a chunk of time himself.
Alonso and Ricciardo both showed fantastic skill today, well done to them.

[pozi]

McLaren never seem to have much luck with rain, I still fondly recall a very wet 2002 Silverstone back in the days when they used to have their own expensive weatherman and he claimed it was not going to rain anymore.

This spectacularly back fired and within a few laps both cars were heading back in for wets, however in the confusion we had over the team radio a weatherman adamant it was not raining when clearly for those standing in the pit lane it was, but seeing as this was back in the days before intercoms the weatherman's protests blocked the team call for which tyres leaving the car on jacks until he finally shut up.

Understandably said weatherman was banned from having a radio at the next race although after yesterday I did wonder if he was back??

[Otispunkmeyer]

007 VXR said:

Derek Smith said:

Rick_1138 said:

As a Rosberg fan I was a little disappointed

You want to try supporting McLaren. Then you will know disappointment.

+1

I know, when he went back out on inters I was immediately questioning what planet they were on. McLaren, kings of strategy once again! I hope Button didn't make that decision!

[kimducati]

pozi said:

McLaren never seem to have much luck with rain, I still fondly recall a very wet 2002 Silverstone back in the days when they used to have their own expensive weatherman and he claimed it was not going to rain anymore.

This spectacularly back fired and within a few laps both cars were heading back in for wets, however in the confusion we had over the team radio a weatherman adamant it was not raining when clearly for those standing in the pit lane it was, but seeing as this was back in the days before intercoms the weatherman's protests blocked the team call for which tyres leaving the car on jacks until he finally shut up.

Understandably said weatherman was banned from having a radio at the next race although after yesterday I did wonder if he was back??

They continually get it wrong because the strategy calls are being made by a team of boffins back in Woking, not someone at the track who can look up and think "good, it's stopped, time for softs" or whatever may be appropriate.
Maclaren overthink everything. I'd hoped that Boulier (sp?) would have taken control of things by now - I'm pretty sure Ross Brawn would have.
Which, presumably, is the reason he didn't get the job that he was clearly the best candidate for.

Kim

[Otispunkmeyer]

BritishRacinGrin said:

How, Fernando? How? He finally succumbed in the dying moments, but jesus that was a drive to drag that Ferrari up to second. Hamilton coming from the pitlane to take third was sensational, and he has been rightly vindicated for his decision not to let Rosberg past. So many good drives it's hard to pick, and many which are being overlooked because their tyres were just a little bit too gone by the end. How about Vergne running 4th all that time and making life difficult for the established front runners? This is a driver who used to keep Riccardo on his toes at Torro Rosso but nobody talks about him. Each safety car was a roll of the dice and unfortunately several good drivers where knobbled by unfortunate timing... but with everybody out of position it was a fantastic race.
I bet Perez isn't flavour of the month, takes out his team-mate and then himself shortly afterwards...

This as well. He had old, battered softs on and Hamilton could not get past him and he only succumbed to Danny with a few laps to go. Epic driving again and properly showing Kimi up in the process too. Either Kimi isn't arsed anymore or he really cannot get his eye in with this car.

[RDMcG]

Great race, great season.

One thing I have noticed across the board is that the level of TV direction seems to have improved. Virtually blanker converge of the tracks and generally very competent choice of what to concentrate on. I recall times in the past when the leader was given a huge amount of coverage and less of the midpack was shown.

There is racing right through the field, and some very promising newer faces... apart from the winner of the race,Bottas and Kviat are promising, and it is wonderful to see the new drivers battling with the veterans.

Apart from the awful "Bernie says" posters it is a great season, and am looking forward to the second half.

[pozi]

kimducati said:

They continually get it wrong because the strategy calls are being made by a team of boffins back in Woking, not someone at the track who can look up and think "good, it's stopped, time for softs" or whatever may be appropriate.
Maclaren overthink everything. I'd hoped that Boulier (sp?) would have taken control of things by now - I'm pretty sure Ross Brawn would have.
Which, presumably, is the reason he didn't get the job that he was clearly the best candidate for.

Kim

There is a strategy guy at the track and the race engineers make the final calls, alas sometimes when people have too much information available if clouds their judgement from doing the obvious.

[kimducati]

pozi said:

There is a strategy guy at the track and the race engineers make the final calls, alas sometimes when people have too much information available if CLOUDS their judgement from doing the obvious.

Very good - I can see what you did there!!
Kim

[johnfm]

Good race.

Interested as to why Merc didn't just put both drivers on the fast tyre & two stops.

Looks like race simulation is still a bit of an art and not just a computer simulation....

[tonybhr]

I thought it was a superb race and, for whatever reason, we've had a few of them this season. The cars are clearly harder to drive this year which really highlights the quality of the top drivers in delivering such close racing with so few incidents...I also admire the respect they show each other, give the minimum amount of space without preventing a good move.

With Spa, Suzuka, Interlagos and CotA to come among others I'm hoping the remainder of the season will be excellent. Just a shame the last track is a) Abu Dhabi (although other normally dull tracks have had good racing this year) and b) double points. I have a horrid feeling the double points will decide things.

Maybe my memory is bad but races like yesterday seem to have almost as many thrills as most of last season.

[Speed Badger]

Great race from Jean-Eric Vergne, lucked out at the end to finish 9th but great middle stint and to hold off (the frankly disappointing) Rosberg was rather amusing.

[TuxMan]

Enjoyed it too but as a Button fan it was painful to watch !!! great drive by Lewis though !! roll on Spa

[P-Jay]

I thought it was a bloody brilliant race - it had everything, 2 fast guys starting from the back, changing weather conditions and it didn't matter who you support really, at some point or other they were in the mix, usually at the sharp end.

It even had a few crashes for the hard of thinking, like me

I know some people prefer the science and agonise over split-times, aero data and like DC once said (something like) "in a sport that decides on the starting position from who's the fastest the day before - why should there be over-taking?" but, sod it, give me a pantomime with engines and tyres any day.

[Derek Smith]

Speed Badger said:

Great race from Jean-Eric Vergne, lucked out at the end to finish 9th but great middle stint and to hold off (the frankly disappointing) Rosberg was rather amusing.

I thought Rosberg had a problem and that was why he couldn't pass him. But his times later on showed this not to be so. I thought LH was going to struggle likewise.

Lots and lots of air time for Verne and the team so he more than did his bit I think.

[ajprice]

Speed Badger said:

Great race from Jean-Eric Vergne, lucked out at the end to finish 9th but great middle stint and to hold off (the frankly disappointing) Rosberg was rather amusing.

Was going to say that myself, JEV held his own while he was in the bunch at the front. Nice Job certificates also go to Ricciardo and Alonso for me. Ricciardo for getting another win in the Year Of The Merc, Alonso for getting the car up on the podium, however much of a pig it might or might not be.

[Riff Raff]

Otispunkmeyer said:

BritishRacinGrin said:

How, Fernando? How? He finally succumbed in the dying moments, but jesus that was a drive to drag that Ferrari up to second. Hamilton coming from the pitlane to take third was sensational, and he has been rightly vindicated for his decision not to let Rosberg past. So many good drives it's hard to pick, and many which are being overlooked because their tyres were just a little bit too gone by the end. How about Vergne running 4th all that time and making life difficult for the established front runners? This is a driver who used to keep Riccardo on his toes at Torro Rosso but nobody talks about him. Each safety car was a roll of the dice and unfortunately several good drivers where knobbled by unfortunate timing... but with everybody out of position it was a fantastic race.
I bet Perez isn't flavour of the month, takes out his team-mate and then himself shortly afterwards...

This as well. He had old, battered softs on and Hamilton could not get past him and he only succumbed to Danny with a few laps to go. Epic driving again and properly showing Kimi up in the process too. Either Kimi isn't arsed anymore or he really cannot get his eye in with this car.

To be fair though Hamilton's tyres were past their best before date too. On the live coverage, he was being told to rev the car past the normal shift point, presumably to keep the engine in a range where torque was lower to try to preserve them a bit longer.

[ExV8]

Great race, probably the best of the year for excitement.

I thought Lewis did well but probably Fernando had the best result.