Race
Tyre supplier Pirelli brought its white-banded medium compound tyre as the harder "prime" tyre and the yellow-banded soft compound tyre as the softer "option" tyre. It was the first time at the track in the single tyre supplier era (2008–present(Bridgestone then Pirelli)) where the 'supersoft' tyre had not been used. Dani Clos took Narain Karthikeyan 's place once again for the first free practice session on Friday morning. Jules Bianchi drove in the place of Nico Hülkenberg at Force India , while Valtteri Bottas drove for Williams , replacing Bruno Senna . At the end of the formation lap, Michael Schumacher stopped in the 19th place grid position, instead of 17th where he had qualified. Yellow lights were flashed as a result, with the intention of waving the cars through for a second formation lap. However, Schumacher switched his car off believing that the race was being delayed. The cars were waved through for the second formation lap, and Schumacher had to be pushed into the pits for his car to be restarted. Once his car was restarted, he faile... Schumacher pitted on lap two to switch to medium compound tyres. He then served a drive-through penalty on lap five for speeding in the pit lane at the start. Kimi Räikkönen initially had no KERS and was stuck behind Fernando Alonso . Romain Grosjean began to catch up with Lewis Hamilton towards the end of the first stint. Hamilton pitted first on lap 19, taking a second longer than normal due to a wheel gun problem, but Grosjean's pit stop on the next lap was even slower, leaving the running or... Romain Grosjean was finally able to catch Lewis Hamilton on lap 24, only to lose time due to mistakes, and then catch up again by lap 30. Kimi Räikkönen's KERS had recovered by this point, allowing him to make up ground. Jenson Button pitted from 3rd position on lap 35 and got stuck behind Bruno Senna , who was up to 7th running a long stint. Button was unable to pass Senna until Senna pitted on lap 43. This allowed Sebastian Vettel to come out ahead of Button when he pitted on lap 39. Kimi Räikkönen began turning out blistering lap times in clear air. He pitted for the second time on lap 46, and came out of the pits alongside his teammate Romain Grosjean. Räikkönen pushed Grosjean to the edge of the track in turn 1, Grosjean ran wide, and Räikkönen took second place. Räikkönen then began to reel in Lewis Hamilton, but was unable to pass. Pastor Maldonado slid into the side of Paul di Resta on lap 48, earning Maldonado a drive-through penalty. Drivers' Championship standings Constructors' Championship standings
Race Result
| Pos. | No. | Driver | Constructor | Part 1 | Part 2 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 4 | Lewis Hamilton | McLaren-Mercedes | 1:21.794 | 1:21.060 |
| 2 | 10 | Romain Grosjean | Lotus-Renault | 1:22.755 | 1:21.657 |
| 3 | 1 | Sebastian Vettel | Red Bull-Renault | 1:22.948 | 1:21.407 |
| 4 | 3 | Jenson Button | McLaren-Mercedes | 1:22.028 | 1:21.618 |
| 5 | 9 | Kimi Räikkönen | Lotus-Renault | 1:22.234 | 1:21.583 |
| 6 | 5 | Fernando Alonso | Ferrari | 1:22.095 | 1:21.598 |
| 7 | 6 | Felipe Massa | Ferrari | 1:22.203 | 1:21.534 |
| 8 | 18 | Pastor Maldonado | Williams-Renault | 1:22.475 | 1:21.504 |
| 9 | 19 | Bruno Senna | Williams-Renault | 1:22.271 | 1:21.697 |
| 10 | 12 | Nico Hülkenberg | Force India-Mercedes | 1:22.176 | 1:21.653 |
Championship Standings After This Race
The Paddock Breakdown
Barry · Gary · KatGary — 33 · Three Fantasy F1 leagues
Let's examine the Renault power unit deployment during Hamilton's opening lap. The engine's MGU-2, operating at approximately 975 horsepower, exhibited a marginally delayed boost deployment – a deliberate tactic to manage tire temperatures given the exceptionally dry and hot conditions. This brief hesitation, calculated to within 0. 2 seconds, represents a subtle shift from previous races, prioritizing consistency over immediate peak power delivery, a crucial element in maintaining optimal grip on the Hungaroring's asphalt.
Let's examine the heat differential. Sixty-eight degrees Celsius ambient air temperature, coupled with the track's inherent asphalt composition, presents a significant thermal challenge. Hamilton's pole position, his first since Sepang, wasn't simply a product of pace; it's inextricably linked to McLaren's astute tire management strategy – a crucial element given the predicted degradation. Observe, the win ratio for Red Bull-Renault this season is currently at 37%, a figure that, statistically, demands a deeper investigation into their powertrain development relative to Ferrari's 58%.
Kat — 30 · Technical journalist
Hamilton's tires… a critical element. The telemetry is screaming elevated pressures in the left-rear – 2. 8 bar, pushing the upper limit of the Pirelli compound's operational window. Observe the subtle, almost imperceptible, shudder in the rear of the car during that DRS activation; a direct consequence, I suspect, of the tire struggling to maintain grip under that level of lateral load. The heat, of course, exacerbates the situation, diminishing the compound's inherent mechanical strength. It's a delicate balance, isn't it? A single millisecond shift in pressure and the whole thing unravels.
The air hangs thick, doesn't it? Grosjean, visibly wiping his brow, a bead of sweat tracing a path down his helmet. Sixty-nine laps in this heat—a significant thermal load on the mechanical components, particularly the energy recovery system. Observe the subtle adjustments to the front wing angle; a delicate dance to manage airflow and minimize drag, exacerbated by the rising temperature. Hamilton's tire pressures are consistently lower than Räikkönen's, a calculated risk to maintain grip on the Hungaroring's unforgiving asphalt. The team's telemetry shows a marginal increase in brake bias—a proactive measure to combat potential fade. It's a nuanced performance, isn't it?