After Lewis Hamilton won a dramatic German Grand Prix and reclaimed the championship lead, round 12 of the 2018 FIA Formula One World Championship returns to the hot Hungaroring in Mogyoród, Hungary for the Formula 1 Rolex Magyar Nagydij 2018. This will be the 33^rd edition of the Hungarian Grand Prix as part of the world championship. This the final round before the Grand Prix circus hits it’s four-week traditional summer break before the second half of the season continues, beginning with the Formula 1 2018 Johnnie Walker Belgian Grand Prix at the legendary Circuit De Spa-Francorchamps from August 24-26.

 

 

A look at the Hungaroring

 

 

The Hungaroring is a permanent racing circuit in Mogyoród, Hungary where the Hungarian Grand Prix has been held since 1986. In 1986, it became the first Formula 1 Grand Prix held behind the Iron Curtain. Bernie Ecclestone wanted a race in the USSR (now held in Sochi), but a Hungarian friend recommended Budapest. They wanted a street circuit similar to the Circuit de Monaco to be built in Nepliget, Budapest’s largest park but the government decided to build a new circuit outside the city near the major highway.

 

Construction works started on October 1, 1985. It was built in eight months, less time than any other Formula One circuit. The first race was held on March 24, 1986, in memory of Janos Drapal, the first Hungarian who won motorcycle Grand Prix races. According to a survey put together by the national tourism office of Hungary, Mogyoród ranks third among Hungarian destinations visited by tourists, behind the Danube Bend area and Lake Balaton, but ahead of Budapest.

 

The Grand Prix is held in the middle of summer, which is usually very hot and dry in this region. It’s very first wet Grand Prix race was in 2006. The circuit is normally dusty due to underuse throughout the rest of the year and its sandy soil. As the circuit is in a valley about 80 percent of it can be seen from any point.

 

Normally, an underused circuit becomes faster over the weekend as the track surface gathers more rubber; however, with the Hungaroring this generally does not happen, because the track can get dusty so quickly. The track becomes faster during a qualifying session, which leads competitors to try for their best lap as late as possible. Described as “Monaco without walls” by Ricciardo, the Hungaroring is also a circuit less reliant on engine power meaning the field could be closely bunched than in recent races. Teams run their maximum downforce packages in Hungary to cope with the many slow corners. The issue that will occupy the minds of engineers during the practice sessions is the need to maximise traction to get the best return from the many low-gear acceleration points.

 

The twisty and bumpy nature of the circuit makes overtaking very difficult in dry conditions. Nonetheless, the Hungaroring has been the scene of some several memorable races such as the duels of Nelson Piquet and Ayrton Senna, Nigel Mansell’s lost wheel in 1987, Mansell’s win from 12th on the grid after a dramatic overtake on Ayrton Senna in 1989, Damon Hill’s almost victory with Arrows in 1997,  Michael Schumacher’s change in strategy to beat the McLarens of Mika Häkkinen and David Coulthard in 1998 and maiden victories for Hill in 1993, Fernando Alonso in 2003, Jenson Button in 2006 in the track’s first wet Grand Prix, Heikki Kovalainen in 2008, and the second win for Daniel Ricciardo in 2014, overtaking the Mercedes of Lewis Hamilton and Alonso’s Ferrari using very degraded soft tyres in the penultimate lap, grabbing an incredible victory.

 

The current Grand Prix circuit layout is 4.381km (2.722mi) in length and runs in a clockwise direction with 16 corners.

 

Race distance is 306.663km (190.560mi) with 70 laps in total.

 

Michael Schumacher holds the fastest lap record set at the Hungaroring in 2004 with a 1:19.071 in his Ferrari F2004.

 

Lewis Hamilton holds the record for most wins at the Hungarian Grand Prix with five victories.

 

McLaren are the most successful constructor at the Hungarian Grand Prix with 11 victories.

 

The Last Five Winners

 

 

2017: Sebastian Vettel, Scuderia Ferrari. 2016: Lewis Hamilton, Mercedes AMG Petronas F1. 2015: Sebastian Vettel, Scuderia Ferrari. 2014: Daniel Ricciardo, Red Bull Racing. 2013: Lewis Hamilton, Mercedes AMG Petronas F1.

 

Tyres

 

 

Pirelli will be bringing with them to Hungary, the purple-side walled (Ultra-Softs), the yellow-branded (Softs) and white (Medium) rubber alongside the green-marked (Intermediates) and blue-branded (Full Wets) in case of rain.

 

Ferrari has gone for a more aggressive approach to the Hungarian Grand Prix selecting more sets of ultras than its archrivals.

 

While Mercedes and Red Bull chose seven sets of the ultras for each of their respective drivers, Ferrari have given Sebastian Vettel nine sets of the softest rubber available for the weekend and Kimi Raikkonen has eight.

 

The Scuderia’s selection sees Vettel and Raikkonen have three sets of softs each respectively and one set of mediums for the German and two sets of the white-branded compounds for the latter.

 

However, Ferrari has not been the most extreme in their tyre choices for the Hungaroring, with Renault opting for 10 sets of the softer ultras for Nico Hulkenberg and Carlos Sainz.

 

Championship leader Lewis Hamilton has the most sets of soft tyres available for the weekend with five, one more than Mercedes team-mate Valtteri Bottas and the Red Bull pairing of Daniel Ricciardo and Max Verstappen.

 

DRS Zones

 

There will be two DRS zones sharing a detection point 5 metres before turn 14. Activation points are 130 metres after the apex of turn 14 and 6 metres after the apex of turn one.

 

Pitlane Speed Limits

 

Pitlane speeds will be 80km/h during practice, qualifying and the race.

 

ICYMI: German GP rewind – Hamilton wins wet and wild German GP as Vettel retires

 

 

Lewis Hamilton won a spectacular German Grand Prix from 14^th on the grid as title-rival Sebastian Vettel crashed out as a rain storm hit the 4.574km Hockenheim circuit.

 

Polesitter Vettel lead most of his home race but dropped out of contention on lap 52 when the German slid off the track at the stadium section, bouncing through the gravel and struck the Sachskurve barriers.

 

Hamilton started from 14^th and took the drenching conditions during the later stages to his advantage, which caught out a lot of the drivers – including leader Vettel – and led to the deployment the safety car.

 

A number of teams went straight for the pits including Valtteri Bottas and Kimi Raikkonen.

 

Hamilton stayed out and held the lead despite a momentary battle with team-mate Bottas at the restart to claim his 66^th career victory and the championship lead with Raikkonen coming home third.

 

How the 67 lap German GP unfolded

 

 

Polesitter Vettel got a clean getaway as Bottas slotted in between the two Ferrari’s as Max Verstappen had a look at Raikkonen into the first corner but couldn’t make the move stick.

 

Verstappen had another run again on Raikkonen at the hairpin, but the Dutchman was on the outside and still couldn’t get his way through.

 

Verstappen tried again at the Mercedes section, but the Finn held firm as this allowed Vettel and Bottas to pull away.

 

By the eighth lap, Vettel held a comfortable 3.2 second lead over Bottas whilst title-rival Hamilton made his way past Haas F1 Team’s Romain Grosjean for eighth.

 

Hamilton made his way up into fifth place by the 14^th lap, flying through the field during the early stages.

 

Also starting out of place, Daniel Ricciardo was slowly making his way through the pack but at a much stable rate than Hamilton.

 

Using a set of the more durable white side-walled Medium tyres, Red Bull planned to run the Perth-born Australian on a longer opening stint though he never made his first stop when he was forced to retire on lap 29 due to a loss of power.

 

The order went Vettel, Bottas, Raikkonen and Verstappen as the front four built a comfortable gap over the other Haas VF-18 of Kevin Magnussen, with Vettel continuing to build on his solid lead.

 

Raikkonen was the first to pit on lap 15 and emerged ahead of Hamilton as Ferrari attempted to put pressure on second placed Bottas.

 

Vettel pitted from the lead on lap 27, handing the race lead over to Bottas before coming out in between his Ferrari team-mate and Hamilton.

 

Bottas stopped three laps later, rejoining behind Mercedes team-mate Hamilton as Verstappen stayed out a lap longer before stopping.

 

This left Raikkonen in the lead over Vettel with Hamilton yet to make his stop.

 

Despite a fresher set of softer compounds, Vettel was unable to pass Raikkonen until Ferrari made the call to switch their drivers positions on lap 39.

 

Mercedes brought Hamilton in on lap 42, putting on a fresh set of the faster ultrasofts just before the rain started falling.

 

The much-anticipated rain shower hit on lap 44 at the turn six hairpin.

 

Sauber went for the gamble first, pitting Charles Leclerc for a set of intermediates, sparking a hive of activity from McLaren and Toro Rosso despite most of the circuit remaining dry.

 

With the fresher set of ultras, Hamilton was flying and lapping more than a second quicker than everyone on track.

 

The early risk-takers decisions backfired as Leclerc put on a fresh set of ultras on lap 49 along with Toro Rosso’s Pierre Gasly.

 

Red Bull also tried their luck with Verstappen switching for intermediates but was forced to change back to slicks a few laps later.

 

The conditions changed once again as the rain returned, Leclerc and Perez spun as Bottas made a move on Raikkonen’s SF71-H racer as his fellow Finnish compatriot struggled on his soft tyres.

 

The on the rundown into the Mercedes section, Magnussen forced Raikkonen wide as Bottas snatched second place.

 

 

Conditions worsened, and disaster struck for Vettel as the German lost the rear of his Ferrari as he turned into the hairpin, slid through the gravel and crashed into the barriers from the lead at Sachskurve.

 

This deployed the safety car with Bottas diving into the pits where he was held up while the Brackley-based squad hurried to find the right compounds.

 

Hamilton travelled across the grass at the final corner on pit entry, looking as if the Briton wanted to stop but changed his mind at the last moment causing confusion within the Mercedes garage.

 

Ferrari pitted Raikkonen a lap after the safety car came out, putting on a set of ultras and relegated him to third.

 

It left Hamilton in-front, making a Mercedes one-two with most of the field between the Briton and team-mate Bottas.

 

The advantage was erased when the lapped runners were allowed to pass the safety car, leaving the leaders stabilised at the restart.

 

The race resumed on lap 58 as the two Mercedes drivers pulled clear from Raikkonen.

 

Bottas attacked Hamilton at the turn six hairpin as the two Silver Arrows battled wheel-to-wheel before Hamilton regained the advantage.

 

The team called off the fight between the two Mercedes, telling Bottas to hold position as Hamilton took the victory ahead of the Finn with Raikkonen completing the podium.

 

Verstappen came home in fourth place and in-front of Renault’s Nico Hulkenberg who finished fifth and Grosjean’s Haas who was sixth.

 

The two Force India’s followed as Sergio Perez and Esteban Ocon finished in seventh and eighth places respectively taking home a total of 10 points for the Silverstone-based squad.

 

Sauber’s Marcus Ericsson took ninth place and ahead of Toro Rosso’s Brendon Hartley who rounded out the top ten.

 

The other Haas of Magnussen finished outside the top 10 in 11^th place and in-front of Renault’s Carlos Sainz who was 12^th and McLaren’s Stoffel Vandoorne who finished 13^th.

 

Toro Rosso’s Gasly and Sauber’s Leclerc finished a lap down from the leaders in 14^th and 15^th respectively and brought up the rear.

 

The Situation

 

Lewis Hamilton returns to Hungary sitting on top of the Driver’s Championship with 188 points and a 17-point advantage over Sebastian Vettel who is second on 171 points while Kimi Raikkonen is a further 57 points behind the Briton in third on 131 points.

 

Mercedes heads to the Hungaroring leading the Constructors Championship with 310 points and an eight-point lead over nearest rivals Ferrari who is second on 302 points while Red Bull Racing are a further 99 points behind the Silver Arrows in third on 211 points.

 

2018 Formula 1 World Driver’s Championship Standings

1. Lewis Hamilton – 188 Points.
2. Sebastian Vettel – 171 Points.
3. Kimi Raikkonen – 131 Points.
4. Valtteri Bottas – 122 Points.
5. Daniel Ricciardo – 106 Points.
6. Max Verstappen – 105 Points.
7. Nico Hulkenberg – 52 Points.
8. Fernando Alonso – 40 Points.
9. Kevin Magnussen – 39 Points.
10. Sergio Perez – 30 Points.

 

2018 Formula 1 World Constructors Championship Standings

1. Mercedes AMG Petronas Motorsport – 310 Points.
2. Scuderia Ferrari – 302 Points.
3. Aston Martin Red Bull Racing – 211 Points.
4. Renault Sport F1 Team – 80 Points.
5. Sahara Force India F1 Team – 59 Points.
6. Haas F1 Team – 59 Points.
7. McLaren-Renault F1 Team – 48 Points.
8. Scuderia Toro Rosso-Honda – 20 Points.
9. Alfa Romeo Sauber F1 Team – 18 Points.
10. Williams Martini Racing – 4 Points.

 

The Formula 1 Rolex Magyar Nagydij 2018 weekend begins on Friday July 27 with Free Practice 1 and 2, then Free Practice 3 and Qualifying Saturday July 28 and the 70 lap Hungarian Grand Prix Sunday July 29.