- 33,150
- Hammerhead Garage
After that three week gap between Britain and Germany, the Tuesday before the next round seems to have come around very quickly. But here it is, which means it's time for another installment of discussions in the lead up to Round Ten of the 2009 FIA Formula One World Championship:
ING Magyar Nagydíj
from the Hungaroring
One Lap of the Hungaroring with Michael Schumacher
Lap Record - 1:19.071
(Michael Schumacher, Scuderia Ferrari, 2004)
2008 Results
1st - Heikki Kovalainen (McLaren-Mercedes)
2nd - Timo Glock (Toyota Racing)
3rd - Kimi Raikkonen (Scuderia Ferrari)
2009 Standings After Nine Races:
Jenson Button (Brawn-Mercedes) - 68
Sebastian Vettel (Red Bull-Renault) - 47
Mark Webber (Red Bull-Renault) - 45.5
Rubens Barrichello (Brawn-Mercedes) - 44
Felipe Massa (Scuderia Ferrari) - 22
Jarno Trulli (Toyota Racing) - 21.5
Nico Rosberg (Williams-Toyota) - 20.5
Timo Glock (Toyota Racing) - 13
Fernando Alonso (Renault F1) - 13
Kimi Räikkönen (Scuderia Ferrari) - 10
The championship moves into what could be its most critical series of races, and it's somewhat ironic that they will be held at the Hungaroring and the Valencia Street Circuit, considered the most boring circuits on the calendar. But the Hungaroring has the unusual claim to fame that it has produced seven different winners in the past seven years, with three of the current lineup - Alonso, Button and Kovalainen - all taking their maiden victories at Budapest.
This race is Red Bull's to lose. The conditions in Hungary have been constantly warm and dry in the twenty years that it has held the event; the one recorded wet race was won by Jenson Button. With the Nurburgring being cooler than expected, we'll finally get to see how the Red Bulls stack up against the Brawns in conditions that suit the latter. With Jenson Button still holding a twenty-one and twenty-four point lead over Sebastian Vettel and Mark Webber respectively, Red Bull will want to come away from Hungary and Valencia with one driver the clear challenger to Button. But with conditions in Hungary and Valencia suiting the Brawns, it may already be too late. If Webber and Vettel cannot sort themselves out, and quickly, they may not be able to touch Button. It's a critical race for everyone invovled, but Red Bull have more to lose than Jenson Button. As for Barrichello, if he doesn't perform here, Brawn may order him to ride shotgun for Button from Valencia onwards, a luxury the duelling Red Bulls will not be able to afford ... but if the order comes, will Barrichello comply?
If any race is going to throw up an unexpected result, it's Hungary; the past seven years suggest as much. Both McLaren and Ferrari are confident that they'll be challenging for points and even podiums here, while Nico Rosberg is hunting for Williams' first podium since the 2008 Singaporean Grand Prix. And elsewhere, Force India are looking to maintain their current form. Any one of these drivers could prove pivotal in the championship standings; on a circuit notorious for difficulty in passing, mistakes by Red Bull and Brawn are not going to be tolerated.
Whatever happens, everything hinges on this race.
ING Magyar Nagydíj
from the Hungaroring
One Lap of the Hungaroring with Michael Schumacher
Lap Record - 1:19.071
(Michael Schumacher, Scuderia Ferrari, 2004)
2008 Results
1st - Heikki Kovalainen (McLaren-Mercedes)
2nd - Timo Glock (Toyota Racing)
3rd - Kimi Raikkonen (Scuderia Ferrari)
2009 Standings After Nine Races:
Jenson Button (Brawn-Mercedes) - 68
Sebastian Vettel (Red Bull-Renault) - 47
Mark Webber (Red Bull-Renault) - 45.5
Rubens Barrichello (Brawn-Mercedes) - 44
Felipe Massa (Scuderia Ferrari) - 22
Jarno Trulli (Toyota Racing) - 21.5
Nico Rosberg (Williams-Toyota) - 20.5
Timo Glock (Toyota Racing) - 13
Fernando Alonso (Renault F1) - 13
Kimi Räikkönen (Scuderia Ferrari) - 10
The championship moves into what could be its most critical series of races, and it's somewhat ironic that they will be held at the Hungaroring and the Valencia Street Circuit, considered the most boring circuits on the calendar. But the Hungaroring has the unusual claim to fame that it has produced seven different winners in the past seven years, with three of the current lineup - Alonso, Button and Kovalainen - all taking their maiden victories at Budapest.
This race is Red Bull's to lose. The conditions in Hungary have been constantly warm and dry in the twenty years that it has held the event; the one recorded wet race was won by Jenson Button. With the Nurburgring being cooler than expected, we'll finally get to see how the Red Bulls stack up against the Brawns in conditions that suit the latter. With Jenson Button still holding a twenty-one and twenty-four point lead over Sebastian Vettel and Mark Webber respectively, Red Bull will want to come away from Hungary and Valencia with one driver the clear challenger to Button. But with conditions in Hungary and Valencia suiting the Brawns, it may already be too late. If Webber and Vettel cannot sort themselves out, and quickly, they may not be able to touch Button. It's a critical race for everyone invovled, but Red Bull have more to lose than Jenson Button. As for Barrichello, if he doesn't perform here, Brawn may order him to ride shotgun for Button from Valencia onwards, a luxury the duelling Red Bulls will not be able to afford ... but if the order comes, will Barrichello comply?
If any race is going to throw up an unexpected result, it's Hungary; the past seven years suggest as much. Both McLaren and Ferrari are confident that they'll be challenging for points and even podiums here, while Nico Rosberg is hunting for Williams' first podium since the 2008 Singaporean Grand Prix. And elsewhere, Force India are looking to maintain their current form. Any one of these drivers could prove pivotal in the championship standings; on a circuit notorious for difficulty in passing, mistakes by Red Bull and Brawn are not going to be tolerated.
Whatever happens, everything hinges on this race.
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