Well we learned that the Mercedes Number 2 driver (make no mistake about that, he is the Number 2) can be a Bott-Ass under pressure. Extreme pressure, but more than you and I would like to be harassed by.
Back to the front, and there were two races. One had Lewis Hamilton (Mercedes) out front, on his own and nobody near him. The other race was between everybody else. In fact, Vettel in the Ferrari did come second, but 17 seconds behind Hamilton.
The Hungarian GP was notable in the fact that it rained during Qualifying and it ended up as a lottery as to where you went out for the important position setting lap. Hamilton did scrape in, in front of Bottas and the two Ferraris of Vettel and Raikkonen.
Come race day and it was imperative that at least one of the Ferraris get in front of Hamilton at the start, but neither did. In fact the two Mercedes kept station with Hamilton running away and Bottas riding shotgun to block Vettel and Raikkonen.
Back in the pack there was plenty of close racing, or running in single file to be truthful.
However, “running” was not what Max Verstappen (Red Bull) was doing, with his hand grenade Renault engine giving up after five laps. The team manager Christian Horner expressed his displeasure at yet another engine to go pop! They can do no worse with the Honda engines next year.
The other Red Bull saw Daniel Ricciardo grab it by the horns and drag it up from 13th to 4th, surviving a first lap thump and then a torpedo by Bottas on the second last lap, for which Bottas received a 10 second penalty.
As the Hungaroring is narrow, with many corners, it is very difficult for the drivers to pass each other, so this results in high speed processions, which it was for most of the runners. Even if nominally faster, the straights are not long enough for a driver to pass the car in front. If new owners Liberty Media wants action on the tracks, perhaps it is time to axe the Hungaroring. And while they are at it, Monaco should go too, or make it a no-points GP.
There is now an F1 Holiday with the next GP being at Spa in Belgium on August 26. The annual seat shuffles should be over by then, with the non-performers being cast aside. Those drivers in danger of getting a DCM (Don’t come Monday) include Grosjean, Hartley, Vandoorne, Sirotkin and Stroll.
Those drivers wishing to drive for another team include Hulkenberg, Ocon, Perez (owed three Million dollars by FIndia,), Alonso, Sainz, Ericsson and Leclerc.
A complicating factor is the Force India team being placed in Administration, but hopefully the team will continue for the second half of the racing calendar.
Results:
1 L Hamilton Mercedes
2 S Vettel Ferrari
3 K Raikkonen Ferrari
4 D Ricciardo Red Bull
5 V Bottas Mercedes
6 P Gasly Toro Rosso
7 K Magnussen Haas
8 F Alonso McLaren
9 C Sainz Renault – 69 laps
10 R Grosjean Haas – 69 laps
11 B Hartley Toro Rosso – 69 laps
12 N Hulkenberg Renault – 69 laps
13 E Ocon Force India – 69 laps
14 S Perez Force India – 69 laps
15 M Ericsson Sauber – 68 laps
16 S Sirotkin Williams – 68 laps
17 L Stroll Williams – 68 laps
Retired
S Vandoorne McLaren Gearbox – 49 laps
M Verstappen Red Bull Engine – 5 laps
C Leclerc Sauber Collision damage
