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6/70 Sainz sets fastest lap as he chases down Russell’s Merc, who will have to go through some tough defensive work very soon. Kevin Magnussen is called to attend to something hanging from his car.
5/70 Verstappen spots a slip and overtakes Alonso and now has Ocon in his sights.
4/70 Some say that Russell cut Sainz off in that start, but the verdict is that he did nothing wrong. Verstappen, eighth, has Ocon and Alonso ahead of him.
3/70 Out of this virtual safety car, Russell showed his driving skills by accelerating away from his pursuers in a manner not dissimilar to that which stole third from Paul Ricard. Sergio Perez complains to Red Bull about his engine.
2/70 Verstappen managed to pass his teammate Perez and took advantage of the snarls of those around him. Alonso is not happy with Ocon. Russell leads Sainz, Leclerc and Norris, Hamilton fifth.
Lights out!
1/70 We’re leaving. Russell is off to a good start and holding off Leclerc and Sainz are on his tail. He remains in the lead, and someone has gone off the track. Verstappen is also moving up. Pierre Gasly pulls out of the pit lane and has a virtual safety as Alex Albon hits Lance Stroll. Russell held off Sainz with a very defensive move and now has to defend even more.
They go on the formation lap and it takes a while, and that means George Russell could spend a long time on the grid, with Nicholas Latifi, always Latifi, going slow. No sign of rain yet.
The Hungarian Grand Prix has been won by a pole 16 times out of a total of 37 races in Budapest. No pressure, George Russell. This can be difficult for those with hard tires.
Toto Wolff, the Mercedes team boss, just guessed that rain was coming, and as soon as he did, the rain poured down in Hungary, a big black cloud over the track. This is where the variables come in.
And here is the Hungarian national anthem, Himnusz, sung by a singer and a piano.
Wind-obsessed Max Verstappen on podium bid: ‘It’s going to be pretty tough but we’re going to try.’
Max Verstappen climbs into his Red Bull. Photo: Mark Thompson/Getty Images
Updated at 13.49 BST
The cars load into their starting positions and George Russell, on pole, speaks to Sky F1.
The biggest challenge is managing the tires and trying to make the most of each bump. There are no guarantees. Having the two Ferraris around us means they can do whatever they want, but I’ll just go as fast as I can. Ferrari have better chances than us, but we start from a better position.
The cars have come out of their garages and are on the track in front of the starting grid. There are several head and tail winds there. It’s a classic hard track, with such a long straight. Lewis Hamilton has won eight times here, it’s a place to keep a cool head with some sharp turns, especially at the start.
A reflection of Lewis Hamilton’s car heading towards the starting grid. Photo: Lisa Leutner/Reuters
Updated at 1.40pm BST
Reminder of the drivers’ championship standings
- 1. Max Verstappen – 233 points
- 2. Charles Leclerc – 170 points
- 3. Sergio Perez – 163 points
- 4. Carlos Sainz – 144 points
- 5. George Russell – 143 points
- 6. Lewis Hamilton – 127 points
- 7. Lando Norris – 70 points
- 8. Esteban Ocon – 56 points
- 9. Valtteri Bottas – 46 points
- 10. Fernando Alonso – 37 points
- 11. Kevin Magnussen – 22 points
- 12. Daniel Ricciardo -19 points
- 13. Pierre Gasly – 16 points
- 14. Sebastian Vettel -15 points
- 15. Mick Schumacher – 12 points
- 16. Yuki Tsunoda – 11 points
- 17. Guanyu Zhou – 5 points
- 18. Lance Stroll – 4 points
- 19. Alex Alban – 3 points
- 20. Nicholas Latifi – 0 points
- 21. Nico Hulkenberg – 0 points
There is a chance of rain for this race and that brings additional intangible benefits. Lewis Hamilton was considered the best driver in the wet. Is that still the case?
#F1 #BBCF1 #HUNGARIANGP ðŸ‡ðŸ‡º SUNDAY 1/2: It was a wet morning at the Hungaroring where ~7mm of rain fell from 6am (now 9am local). As some forecast models show, the disappearance of low pressure is slow. Therefore, uncertainty about conditions at the start of the race >>
— Ian Ferguson (@fergieweather) July 31, 2022
A reminder of what happened last week at Paul Ricard, where Max Verstappen benefited from a mistake by Charles Leclerc, which the Ferrari driver admitted was entirely his fault.
This was the week Sebastian Vettel announced that this season would be his last.
Vettel’s decision to retire did not come as a huge surprise when it was made ahead of this weekend’s Hungarian Grand Prix. The 35-year-old has recently had the demeanor of a demographic happy after 15 years in Formula 1, having secured 53 victories, behind only Michael Schumacher and Lewis Hamilton.
He had a nonchalant air that suggested F1 had ceased to be the center of his universe. Indeed, when he let his hair down and started growing a scruffy beard, there was more than a little Los Angeles Woman -era Jim Morrison laid-back, swagger about him. Without Mr. Mojo’s extra pounds, of course.
Massi received death threats after the Abu Dhabi decision
Sacked Formula One race director Michael Massi said he received death threats following the decision that cost Lewis Hamilton his eighth world title.
Massi was removed from his role as race director following an investigation into his conduct at the title final in Abu Dhabi in December. The Australian controversially allowed lap cars to pass the safety car on the final lap – which meant his title rival Max Verstappen had a clean performance in Hamilton on much faster tyres.
Verstappen won the one-lap shootout, denying Hamilton the crown in the grand finale of the season. Massi quit F1 last month to return home to Australia and has now revealed the extent of the abuse he received.
“There have been some really dark days,” Massey told the Daily Telegraph in Sydney. “I felt like the most hated person in the world. I received death threats, people said they would come after me and my family. I still remember walking down the street in London a day or two later. I thought I was fine until I started looking over my shoulder.
“I was looking at people, wondering if they were going to catch me.”
Giles Richards witnessed a good day in qualifying – finally – for Mercedes.
There was elation in the Mercedes garage at the Hungaroring as the mechanics and engineers who had been under scrutiny all season finally got to enjoy the adrenaline rush of success again. While Russell, 24, who is always careful to keep his emotions in check, was beaming with pleasure.
“That’s what racing is all about,” he said. “Why I wake up everyday because feelings like this are something you can’t dream of.”
Pierre Gasly will start in the pits. In any case, he was 19th on the grid, so no big moves in the field.
From the official F1 website
Pierre Gasly will start the 2022 Hungarian Grand Prix from the pit lane after taking a new engine on board his AlphaTauri AT03 – but did so without the approval of FIA technical delegate Jo Bauer.
Gasly, plus Red Bull’s Max Verstappen and Sergio Perez, all got a new combustion engine, turbocharger, MGU-H and MGU-K each – with Gasly additionally getting a new energy store and control electronics, as the Red Bull pair were opted for new mufflers.
Verstappen and Perez remain in their allocation for the upper powertrain components, meaning they retain their respective 10th and 11th places in the standings.
Preamble
George Russell in pole, a first for the young Englishman, a triumph of pace and tire management. The first of many to come? Very likely now how long he will be able to defend against rampant Ferraris and an injured Red Bull, irritated by Max Verstappen in 10th and looking to leapfrog the field. Verstappen’s predicament could illuminate this championship with nine races to go – the last before the summer break. Sergio Perez, third on the grid, has a big job to keep the field occupied as his team leader tries to come in from far back. And Lewis Hamilton, seventh to finish second to Paul Ricard and to his obvious satisfaction, has a role to play. Mercedes were a growing factor in one of the most interesting seasons.
Lights out at 2pm, join me.
Grid positions
- 1. George Russell
- 2. Carlos Sainz
- 3. Charles Leclerc
- 4. Lando Norris
- 5. Esteban Ocon
- 6. Fernando Alonso
- 7. Lewis Hamilton
- 8. Valtteri Bottas
- 9. Daniel Ricciardo
- 10. Max Verstappen
- 11. Sergio Perez
- 12. Guanyu Zhou
- 13. Kevin Magnussen
- 14. Lance Stroll
- 15. Mick Schumacher
- 16. Yuki Tsunoda
- 17. Alex Alban
- 18. Sebastian Vettel
- 19. Pierre Gasly
- 20. Nicola Latifi
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