Hungarian GP 2008

[Conceptual]

Massa's start is probably the best that I have seen in F1 since I started watching (2004). Kimi almost came through in 3rd on the first corner, but got turned inside out, and actually lost a place to Alonso. It is a shame that it is so difficult to overtake on this track, since there were ALOT of fast cars stuck behind slow cars for most of the race.

I guess that just means that 90% of the race weekend is Qualifying, and the other 10% is pit strategy.

Not very spectacular, but it was a good race.

Congrats to Heikki on his first win!

Glock had a good drive, but I would have to say that Alonso also had a very good race. To keep Kimi in the far superior Ferrari behind him for 50 laps was the result of zero mistakes, too bad that he lost the position in the pits, or he could have been on the podium.

Anyways, looking forward to Valencia!

Chris

[Harrelson]

Will Ferrari submit new engine changes to the FIA claiming reliability (after Massa's blow-out) and then add a few more ponies?

[timbo]

Will Ferrari submit new engine changes to the FIA claiming reliability (after Massa's blow-out) and then add a few more ponies?

I think they added too much reliability already...

[WhiteBlue]

Bad luck for Hamilton and Massa. Particular commiseration to Massa. He drove very well and had a very ballsy start.

The track is crap and I'm happy that they will finally change it and move the race to the Balaton onto a new track.

Glock was sensational. He lost 1.5 seconds and could not pass behind Massa as Kimi lost 1.5 s behind him. It really is a shitty track. Congrats also to Heikki for a long deserved win.

BMW was nowhere to be seen. What a rubbish weekend for them.

I suspect that Ferrari and McLaren are playing with oil temperatures to get more horses. It would explain why the engines are failing now with restricted revs. I guess they are thinning the oil to have less friction and the hot ambiant today led to a miscalculation in Massa's case.

[Miguel]

Alonso was good but IMHO he trusted too much his gap and had a terrible second outlap trying to conserve his soft tires. Come on, Fernando, we all know that soft tires suffer a lot if you drive carelessly the first two laps, but four seconds is just too much.

[Badmon]

My heart goes out to Massa... even though I am a Big LH fan I felt very bad for him. I think Ferrari is really falling off, I think Massa was really pushing hard to break away from Mclaren. He took off like a bullet in the begining and was pulling away. I think he pushed too hard. Towards the end he started slowing down and the comentators said he may have a problem. Meanwhile KiMi was balls to the wall, petal to the metal, then boom for Massa, as soon as that Happened Kimi slowed down. I think he got a call from the pitwall telling him to back off. Mercedes did pretty good this weekend overall.

[Kriss]

Ferrari and McLaren say Good Bye to BMW Sauber, and maybe Renault and Toyota too,
The politics and management in Theissen team is not understanding. IMO it is a big mistake, that every force concentrait in 2009 season.
2008 season is now only in a half. KUB was able to fight for WDC title, now it seems to be after all.It is unpleasant

[bar555]

3 teams , Torro Rosso (Bourdais) , Honda (Barrichello) & Williams (Nakajima) had a pit stop fire incident Luckily none of the drivers faced a serious threat .


I will try to find some photos from all 3 incidents

[MattF1]

3 teams , Torro Rosso (Bourdais) , Honda (Barrichello) & Williams (Nakajima) had a pit stop fire incident Luckily none of the drivers faced a serious threat .


I will try to find some photos from all 3 incidents

It happened to Bourdais twice.

[tuj]

Massa's Start. Was is just a really good move on his part? Good clutch/throttle control? Or were we seeing something more; something new from Ferrari?

I believe its known that there are a number of adjustments now for the bite point on the clutch. I'm wondering if Ferrari has figured out a way to improve the starting ability of the car. After all, both the McLaren's got relatively good starts, particularly compared to the rest of the grid.

Guy just looked like a rocket; really makes me wonder if its something new from Ferrari or just good luck/good skill.

[JamesS]

Massa's Start. Was is just a really good move on his part? Good clutch/throttle control? Or were we seeing something more; something new from Ferrari?

I believe its known that there are a number of adjustments now for the bite point on the clutch. I'm wondering if Ferrari has figured out a way to improve the starting ability of the car. After all, both the McLaren's got relatively good starts, particularly compared to the rest of the grid.

Guy just looked like a rocket; really makes me wonder if its something new from Ferrari or just good luck/good skill.

Perhaps they have found something. But if you look at the 1st corner, Massa braked as late as he dared and after Hamilton was slowing to corner, creating a huge amount of smoke in the process. A very brave move, could have gone very very wrong, but he pulled it off and made the place stick depsite having the outside line.

[ESPImperium]

Good race, best since Canada i think.

Hekki is the 100th diffrent Grand Prix winner, and a deserved one, quiet and unasuming, and a team player. May just give him the confedence now to go and win more and challange Hamilton at Mclaren.

It was a race of themes;
Fires: Bourdais X2, Nakajima and Rubens
Punctures: Hamilton, Sutil

Theres a few others i cant remember tho.

I will say that McLaren should look into the way their car uses the front tyres, Hamilton has had 2 punctures in the heat (Istanbul 2007 anyone???), the car maybes is a bit more agressive on the tyres than the Ferarri, whitch is good in quali, but not good in the race if Hamilton is gonna risk a puncture at sometime in the race.

And did anyone see Toyotas interpritation of McLarens rear wing splitter:

[JamesS]

I think today Lewis did a good job with the super soft. He went further than anyone on that compound and was able to, at the very least, not chew them up to the extent his lap times suffered horrendously.

[Belatti]

PS: Anybody knows what happened to Alonso on his out lap with supersofts? He was 4 sec up on Raikonen (following the Finn's error) while he pitted, and when Raikonen exited the pits at his turn the next lap he had a 2 sec gap! I know the Ferrari is faster, but come on! not 6 sec a lap... TV only showed Nakajima having a contact with Sutil, but something must have happen to Fernando.

He was 4 sec up on Raikonen following the Finn's error at the beginning of that lap, he pitted with 3 seconds up as Raikkonen pushed hard. Kimis´ pitstop was 5secs vs. Alonsos´ 7 secs.
So that means Kimi was 2 secs faster (with a light car) than Fernando with a heavy one and cold tires.

[shotzski]

I'm sorry for being a bit off-topic on this one, but what is it with Alonso? He bemoans about almost everything nowadays. I know he did not get the treatment he wanted from Mclaren, but my Lord! It's been a year ago and he's still at it. I just cant understand it. Drivers have their bad days, normal people do. But they dont complain about it. They find ways to make things work. He bickers about driver equality, blah blah. He got out of Mclaren right? He's saying that he's happy at Renault. So what's his point? What he should be doing is, develop his car, fight for points, and challenge for championship next season(if they get things right that is). Cheers!