Hungary is not always the most popular circuit on the calendar, but this is what we are faced with, so we might as well make the most of it.
Weather Update
It's supposed to be nice and hot today, which will make a change from the temperatures and conditions we've seen at recent races. It's also supposed to continue to be good throughout the weekend as well.
One to Watch
The Brawn team are hoping that the high temperatures will work better for them, and Bridgestone have confirmed they are bringing their stickiest tyres to the race, so expect to see Jenson and Rubens flying around the Hungaroring.
Predictions Please
Will we see another mix up in the order, or will it revert to the beginning of the season? Will Red Bull be able to continue their good form? How will Alguersuari do in his first official session? Will anyone crash?
We reduced the length of the competition by several days, putting two matchups in some of the earlier heats, but it didn't make this Circuit Character Cup any less exciting. Spa-Francorchamps has emerged victorious of all the 2009 circuits (bar Abu Dhabi).
There was only one circuit it could face in the final, and that was Monaco, but the end result wasn't even close as Spa romped away to victory.
Some of the earlier heats were much less obvious, though, and it was a fascinating journey around the globe as we narrowed down the calendar to just one characterful circuit.
How did Spa do it?
It was the initial matchup to end all matchups - Spa and Silverstone meeting in the first round. As soon as the draw was made, the hype began, and we knew it would be a good one. As it turns out, it created some great conversations, but the eventual voting was not that close, and Spa took the victory by over 100 votes.
The Belgian track then had to face off the inaugural night race, but history won out over novelty, and Singapore was also consigned to its fate. A quick semi-final against Monza, and Spa sealed the victory to become the 2009 champion.
It's All About the Fans
We saw a few other tracks make it a fair way through the competition, with both Monza and Suzuka faring well at their respective ends of the matchups. Albert Park was also a popular destination, but the real surprise came in the form of the Hungaroring.
Having been mentioned on a Hungarian site, the polls were bombarded with some Hungarian votes. Whilst some were worried this would skew the competition beyond repair, it only threw the new Nurburgring out of the first round - not a huge loss, I'm sure you'll agree. Plus, it just goes to show how loyal fans can be. Bernie could learn a lot from this.
Statistical Evidence
Total votes cast: 2,549
Lowest voted poll: Suzuka v Albert Park (86)
Highest voted poll: Hungaroring v Nurburgring (518)
Closest vote: Monaco v Suzuka (11 votes)
Largest split: Hungaroring v Nurburgring (272 votes)
Thank you to everyone who joined in the fun and took the time to vote. We had almost 1,000 more votes than last year, and that wasn't all on the Hungarian matchup. If you've got any ideas of future Cups we could run, then please feel free to leave them in the comments. Otherwise, we'll simply be looking forward to the race at Spa this year.
Our final set of tracks for round two go head to head today, to fight for a place in the semi finals tomorrow. The winners of these two heats will face each other for a chance to fight for the coveted title: Sidepodcast's Circuit Character Cup Winner 2009. Catchy, eh?
Suzuka vs. Albert Park
Suzuka well and truly trounced Barcelona in the first round, gathering over 100 more votes than the ever-present test track. Albert Park's initial battle was slightly closer, but Istanbul was soon knocked out of the competition. How will the two fare against each other?
Suzuka vs. Albert Park
Suzuka 63% (54 votes)
Albert Park 37% (32 votes)
Total voters: 86
Hungaroring vs. Monaco
Hungaroring was heading for a certain exit until the fans came in their droves to vote their circuit above the Nurburgring. The track scored a whopping 400 votes. However, Monaco overcame Bahrain with a slightly less, but very similar, margin. Can it face up to the unlikely challenge of the 'Ring?
We are now into the final heat of round one (isn't it nice how the first round went by so much quicker this time?), and our final two matchups. This time we're pitting the two 'Rings against each other, and it's another case of old versus new.
Hungaroring vs. Nurburgring
The Nurburgring no longer has a permanent seat on the calendar, finding itself stuck in a timeshare with Hockenheim. Although the track has been slashed from it's former glory, there's plenty to make it stand out. Can you say the same about Hungary? Only one way to find out.
Hungaroring vs. Nurburgring
Hungaroring 76% (395 votes)
Nurburgring 24% (123 votes)
Total voters: 518
Bahrain vs. Monaco
Bahrain never seemed like a likely candidate for holding a Grand Prix but of all the new additions to the calendar, it is holding it's own nicely. A baby of a track compared to Monaco, though, which has a place throughout the history books.
This article was originally written for BellaOnline, but is republished here for posterity.
The Hungaroring is a twisty circuit, with more corners than straights, and very little room for overtaking. It's not usually popular amongst drivers, teams or fans, and as the final race before the three week summer break, it can sometimes be something of a let down.
Last year saw the McLaren controversy kick into high gear with the Alonso/Hamilton qualifying controversy. It was assumed that this year wouldn't live up to such high expectations, and all the pointers looked that it would be a McLaren walkover. Hamilton was coming off the back of two consecutive wins, the team led three of the four days at the recent Jerez test, and they were strong in the Practice sessions.
Hamilton lined up on pole position, with Kovalainen and Massa behind him. The rest of the field was mixed up slightly, with Vettel and Button outperforming their cars to line up 11th and 12th. Heidfeld in the BMW was stuck at the bottom of the field after being held up in qualifying by Bourdais. The Toro Rosso driver subsequently received a five place grid drop.
The first corner was a magnificent start to the race. Massa dived past one McLaren on the straight, and took the outside line to get past the other round the corner. He was in the lead, and started to pull away. Hamilton tried to keep in contention, but the Ferrari was just too fast. After the first round of pit stops, Hamilton was still in second, but then suffered a puncture, forcing him to bring forward his second stop.
This hampered his campaign for the win, and it looked like Massa would take an easy victory though. Three laps from the end, however, Massa's Ferrari engine gave out, and he had to pull to a stop on the home straight. Kovalainen was next in line, and inherited the win. This makes him the 100th unique Grand Prix winner since records began. Lewis ended up fifth, meaning he retains his lead on the driver's championship, and McLaren close up to Ferrari in the constructors.
We were all expecting a dull race, so it's nice to have a bit of a surprise waiting for us on track. Nobody said that all suprises have to be good ones.
The Race
As predicted, there was very little overtaking to be had, except perhaps off the line. All the excitement came from the tyres and from the pit stops, and the odd engine failure as well.
Conclusions
Those drivers having a good day had a supremely good day, count them, Kovalainen, Glock and Alonso. But for those who couldn't make the end of the race, or who struggled every inch of the way there, they can only be glad there's a three week break coming up.
Race day in Hungary and it's hot. According to Stuart in the comments, the track temperature is up to 35C already, and only likely to get hotter.
Post-qualifying yesterday, we learned that Bourdais had received a five-place grid drop for impeding Heidfeld. Personally, I think this is a bit harsh, but no doubt it makes Heidfeld feel slightly better and masks the fact that he still hasn't put his qualifying woes behind him. Teammate Kubica starts from a much better position up front in fourth, and I'm looking on him to get a good start and mix it up with the McLarens.
At a track where there is very little overtaking, McLaren's 1-2 makes them almost unbeatable, especially considering how strong Hamilton has been recently. It may be that Hamilton can get his third consecutive win, but it would be even better if Kovalainen could get his maiden victory, proving his extended contract is worthwhile.
As for the rest, and I'm now counting Ferrari in that bunch, Raikkonen may get stuck behind Glock in the Toyota, and if Glock is capable of a Trulli-train himself, Kimi will want to put his foot down. I'm also curious to watch the battle between Alonso, Webber, Trulli and Piquet at the bottom of the top ten. We know the Renault drivers like a battle, and Alonso will be hoping to get the upper hand this weekend. Keep your eye on Vettel as well, in 11th, as the Toro Rosso has appeared strong so far in Hungary, and has whatever fuel load the team desire.
We're still testing out the new Live Commenting page, so join in, let us know where you are, how you're watching, and your predictions for the top five.
At first glance, it looks like McLaren will walk this weekend easily, securing a 1-2 in qualifying. However, there are glimpses of hope from unexpected quarters, including Kubica, Glock and maybe even Massa.
Free Practice 3
Another slow start to the day, but once the cars were out on track, it was worth keeping an eye on them. The Renault's were trying out a radical new (slow) strategy, whilst Vettel was making the most of being able to get through an actual session.
Qualifying
Heidfeld had issues from the very start, whilst Kubica was very much best of the rest. Hamilton and Kovalainen led the way, looking unbeatable.
Conclusions
A five-place grid drop for Bourdais means that he lines up in 19th place, whilst at the very other end of the grid, Hamilton is ecstatic with the new updates to the car.
The man is making some tweaks to the new Live Commenting beta page, so I have been entrusted to write my very first Live Commenting opening thread.
What did we learn from Free Practice 3? On the face of it, very little. It was a slow start to the day, and even when cars were out on track, we were getting some very mixed results. Hamilton continued to dominate, and as it's looking very much like a McLaren weekend, we have to look further down the field for any notable scraps.
Raikkonen appeared to be struggling for pace in FP3, although he looks to have chosen the shark fin as a viable aerodynamic option, and may have been fiddling with the setup to accomodate that. Massa continues to be right on Hamilton's tail, so he may opt for a super-competitive qualifying lap to outpace the McLaren in qualfiying.
Renault look to be playing the long game, apparently choosing tyre optimisation over any flat-out lap times, but even so, by the end of the session Piquet still jumped into 5th. Compared to Alonso's 11th, the Spaniard may have something to prove in the qualifying sessions.
At the back of the grid, this may be a perfect opportunity for Force India to finally get into their desired second qualifying session, after both Hondas, Nakajima, and even Webber wound up FP3 towards the lower end of the timesheets. With little overtaking to be had on the Hungaroring, qualifying is going to be super-important for those wishing to fight for points.
Let us know if you are tuning in to watch / listen / read about qualifying, and how you are consuming it. We'll be ogling the Live Timings and watching on ITV. Hopefully 5live will deign to give us some coverage as well, although with Anthony on the box, it's not a difficult choice between the two.
Remember to test out the new Live Commenting for us, it seems to be holding up, and if you spot any problems, I'll get the man straight on it. Enjoy.
It's that time of year again, when F1 descends upon Hungary. All the drivers appear to like it, but is it a matter of protesting just that little bit too much?
Vital Statistics
Date: 3rd August
Circuit: Hungaroring
Length: 4.4km
Laps: 70
2007 Winner: Lewis Hamilton
Preview
Glock returns to action and is looking forward to the race, as many of our drivers are. It seems that Hungary was a time of firsts for a lot of them, first win for Button, first race for Vettel. Nakajima is slightly nervous as he's never driven on the track in an F1 car before. All this, plus a dusty track and no overtaking should lead to a less than stellar race.
