Friday drivers
Three teams in the 2003 Constructors' Championship had the right to run a third car on Friday's additional testing. These drivers were not scheduled to compete in qualifying or the race.
Race
Alonso, starting from pole on the clean side of the track, made a clean start and lead into the first corner, while the two Williams of Ralf Schumacher and Juan Pablo Montoya , who had started second and fourth respectively on the dirty line had difficulty getting away and were down to around tenth place by the first corner, being compounded by Schumacher's spin at the second corner. The McLaren-Mercedes of Kimi Räikkönen managed to climb to third on the opening lap from his grid position of seventh. With Mark Webber struggling in second place, Alonso managed to gain 7s in the first three laps and 21s in the first 13 laps before being forced to pit for fuel. Webber, who had also light-fueled to a high qualifying position, also pitted. Alonso reentered the track in second place, just behind Räikkönen, while Webber dropped much further down the field. At the end of the 16th la... On lap 17 Jacques Villeneuve 's BAR came to a halt with a hydraulic failure before Michael Schumacher pitted, and was passed by Montoya while in the pits, who had been able to do a quicker lap while not being held up by Schumacher. On the following lap, David Coulthard , the last of the front-runners, who had been in front of both Schumacher and Montoya, pitted for a very long fuel stop, re-entering behind both. On lap 19, the Ferrari of Rubens Barrichello suffered a left rear suspension failure... Alonso's teammate Jarno Trulli led a train of Montoya, Michael and Ralf Schumacher in a train of cars battling for fourth place, when Ralf overtook his brother on the 28th lap. Alonso and Webber were again the first to have a second fuel stop, on lap 30 and 31 respectively but this time Alonso had enough of a lead to re-enter the track ahead of Räikkönen while Webber dropped to ninth after his stop. Trulli pitted on the next lap, allowing the faster Williams duo of Montoya and Ralf Schumacher into clear air to set fast laps required to jump him, after Räikkönen rejoined after his pit stop behind them, therefore not causing any impedance. Ralf Schumacher immediately pitted on the next lap and rejoined ahead of Trulli but behind Webber who set a fast lap. Montoya set the fastest lap of the race on the next lap, and pitted on the next, exiting in front of Webber as well as Ralf Schumacher and ... Following the Hungarian GP, Ferrari complained about Michelin front tyres used by its competitors, which, according to the complaint, were wider than allowed towards the end of the race and thereafter. Michelin had to narrow its tyres by the next race . [ clarification needed ] [ citation needed ]
Qualifying
Notes
References
47°34′56″N 19°14′59″E / 47.58222°N 19.24972°E / 47.58222; 19.24972
Race Result
| Pos | No | Driver | Constructor | Q1 Time | Q2 Time |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 8 | Fernando Alonso | Renault | 1:22.953 | 1:21.688 |
| 2 | 4 | Ralf Schumacher | Williams-BMW | 1:22.413 | 1:21.944 |
| 3 | 14 | Mark Webber | Jaguar-Cosworth | 1:22.625 | 1:22.027 |
| 4 | 3 | Juan Pablo Montoya | Williams-BMW | 1:23.305 | 1:22.180 |
| 5 | 2 | Rubens Barrichello | Ferrari | 1:22.892 | 1:22.180 |
| 6 | 7 | Jarno Trulli | Renault | 1:22.358 | 1:22.610 |
| 7 | 6 | Kimi Räikkönen | McLaren-Mercedes | 1:23.695 | 1:22.742 |
| 8 | 1 | Michael Schumacher | Ferrari | 1:23.430 | 1:22.755 |
| 9 | 5 | David Coulthard | McLaren-Mercedes | 1:22.786 | 1:23.060 |
| 10 | 20 | Olivier Panis | Toyota | 1:22.986 | 1:23.369 |
The Paddock Breakdown
Barry · Gary · KatGary — 33 · Three Fantasy F1 leagues
The air in the garage smells of burnt rubber and barely suppressed fury. McLaren's engineers are dissecting telemetry, a grim dance of numbers revealing a critical miscalculation in tire pressure management – a gamble that ultimately spat out a fifth-place finish for Coulthard. Don't be fooled by the slick performance of the MP4-19; the inherent instability of the Bridgestone compound, exacerbated by the Hungaroring's abrasive asphalt, was the true architect of their woes. Rumor has it, Bernie's already circling, sniffing for leverage against a team that's suddenly found itself adrift.
The air in the garage smelled of burnt rubber and simmering ambition – a familiar cocktail at Hungaroring. Alonso's victory wasn't simply a youthful surge; observe the Williams-BMW's consistent inability to convert pole position into a win. Seven poles, zero victories… a statistical anomaly that reveals a chasm between potential and execution within the German team's engineering. Don't be fooled by McLaren-Mercedes' dominant points haul; their win ratio is a paltry 18% – a sobering reflection of the battle being fought in the corners.
Kat — 30 · Technical journalist
The air in the Renault garage hung thick with a calculated fury. Briatore wasn't breathing, just a slow, deliberate exhalation of controlled rage. McLaren's team, meanwhile, were attempting a practiced nonchalance – a brittle facade over a simmering resentment. Alonso's victory wasn't just a triumph for Renault; it was a brutal, exquisitely timed dismantling of their rivals' strategy. You could practically taste the bitterness in Flavio's words about "unacceptable interference. " A contract renegotiation was already being drafted, the terms, predictably, heavily weighted in Renault's favor. Don't mistake this for sportsmanship.
The rain hadn't bothered Alonso, not a lick. You could practically taste the smugness radiating from the Renault garage – a distinctly Spanish brand, I might add. Let's be frank, the whispers about Renault's engine development, fueled by those late-night meetings with Flavio Briatore, weren't just speculation. That McLaren team, perpetually chasing shadows, looked utterly bewildered. A young Alonso, basking in the victory, was already building a legend, a dangerous one. Briatore, ever the strategist, was already calculating how to leverage this win – a contract, perhaps, a seat at Mercedes when the time came. Don't mistake ambition for naivety, though. This wasn't just a victory; it was a statement.