The notebook of the Hungarian Grand Prix – F1

Nearly four months after his exploit in Bahrain (4th), Pierre Gasly (Toro Rosso) has managed another this weekend in Hungary. It all started on Saturday when he came out of a tricky qualifying session in the rain with 6th place. The showers have leveled the gaps, and the French has brilliantly benefited. But on Sunday, it was not raining on the Hungaroring, and when his teammate Brendon Hartley went from 8th to 11th, the Normand kept him 6th on the finish line. Despite a departure he himself described "not fantastic" he managed to contain without much concern his pursuers, including the Haas. And it has yielded, quite logically, only against the Red Bull Daniel Ricciardo. With 8 more points in his wallet, he is now at the head of 26 units, more than 90% of his team's total.
                    

After being trapped in qualifying (12th), he was certain that Daniel Ricciardo would go back into the peloton and enter the points. Only the unknown of her final place remained. The Australian stopped in 4th place, leaving in front of him the Hamilton Mercedes and the Ferrari, unattainable. But Ricciardo is undoubtedly the driver who has had the most fun on the track, and has offered the most spectacle in a GP overall boring. He has multiplied the overtaking at the end of the pit straight, even having to extend his attack to the second corner. And against Bottas, he has recovered twice after being touched by the Finn on his first attempt. His fourth place, however, does not forget the setbacks of Red Bull in Hungary (abandonment of Max Verstappen on engine break), who hoped to score many more points and even dreamed of doubling.
                    

Difficult to miss the winner, who after his balancing act Saturday in the rain, perfectly managed his race Sunday. But the Briton was not very flamboyant, relying mainly on his teammate Valtteri Bottas to retain the Ferrari. We can not know what would have happened if Sebastian Vettel had the opportunity to titillate the Brit, but the GP would probably have been more exciting. Anyway, the leader of the Championship has scored a sixth success in Hungary, and a 67th career, to afford 24 points ahead of his German rival before the holidays.
                    

Admittedly, the Italian team scores 33 points by placing both drivers on the podium behind Lewis Hamilton. But how could it not be disappointed when the double was clearly conceivable after the first three free practice sessions. The Scuderia were the most competitive team in Hungary, but they missed their qualifications in the rain, and were unable to blow the Bottas cap in the race, with a small pit error when Vettel stopped. she stretched the stick to be beaten. And Hamilton took advantage of it.
                    

To celebrate his 37th birthday, Fernando Alonso offered himself a new result in the top 10, his eighth of the season. McLaren goes bad, but can always count on the vista and talent of his Spaniard. Saturday, he was however disillusioned with the slowness of his car. But he took advantage of his bold strategy in the race. He made 39 laps in Tender (second biggest total of a first stint behind Ricciardo) to win 5 places, from 12th to 7th, between the 23rd and 32nd rounds. Positions that he knew how to preserve then, taking advantage of a route where it is very difficult to exceed.
                    

Renault barely saved the furniture with 9th place Carlos Sainz, who was 5th on the grid ahead of Pierre Gasly. The French team has generally missed his race, far from the best (his two drivers finish one lap). If the Spaniard did not hold the distance, losing three places in the first lap by being trapped in the first corner, his teammate was not much more successful. 13th on the grid, Nico Hulkenberg has certainly won a position in the race, but a week after his 5th place in Germany, it shows the path that remains to be covered for the French team.
                    

Lewis Hamilton's "lieutenant" had a bizarre race. Used to slow down the Ferrari, he has never really been able to exploit the potential of his Mercedes, though faster than the team hoped. His boss praised his team spirit, which he did not really like. And if he was successful in corking Vettel at the beginning and end of the race, he was also involved in two skirmishes, with the German, then with Daniel Ricciardo, which earned him a penalty of 10 seconds. The Finn will certainly not go on holiday with a light spirit.
                    

Catastrophic weekend for Force India. Friday evening, we learned that the Indian team, bankrupt, was placed under judicial administration, on the initiative of one of his pilots, Sergio Perez, who claims the payment of his salary (3.5 million euros) . The team could be bought soon, or disappear. Saturday, qualifying went very badly, for Esteban Ocon, handicapped by brake problems (18th), and Perez (19th). And the race did not really rebadure. Not enough to allow the two drivers to enter the points, the French finishing 13th just in front of his teammate. Force India is now 6th, seven points behind Haas, and seven points ahead of McLaren.
                    

F. B.