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Weekend logbook - Hungary 2014 - Stay in touch with the action from the 11th round of the season

Published by Christine

Looking back at the start line in Hungary
Credit: Mercedes AMG Petronas

With barely a chance to take a breath, Formula One moves on from Germany to the forests of Budapest, and the Hungaroring. As the final race before the summer break begins, we are tasked with making the most of the weekend to tide us over the August drought. Hungary doesn't always deliver cracking races, but this year has been set to surprise from the outset and as is the case with F1, anything could happen.

To stay on top of all the action from over the course of the weekend, plus build up in the latter part of the week and race reactions once the chequered flag has dropped, keep your browser tuned to the weekend logbook. Here you'll find links and results, quotes and facts, statistics, pictures and much more, so that you don't have to miss a thing.

As it happened: Hungary 2014 extended weekend coverage

  • 19:12

    Hello, welcome, make yourselves at home. This is the logbook for the final race ahead of F1's summer break. We're less than a week on from the German Grand Prix action but we already have to put that behind us and turn all our focus on the Hungaroring.

  • 19:16

    After the last race, we're official halfway through the season, and it's clear that the Mercedes domination is not going to be broken any time soon. But that's not to say they aren't being reigned in just a little. The Williams team continued to show well at Hockenheim, and Red Bull remain there or thereabouts.

  • 19:19

    Unlike Hockenheim, the Hungaroring is a constant on the F1 calendar, not always providing the best racing. Nevertheless, if you want to know more about the track, expected weather conditions or who has gone well here in the past, the race information has all that and more.

  • 19:20
    The last Thomann AG trucks are unloaded
    Credit: Twitter/OfficialSF1Team

    @OfficialSF1Team Hello from @HungaroringF1 The last #ThomannAG trucks are unloaded and we are ready for the #HungaryGP

  • 19:25

    Mercedes are up for a fight this weekend, but Toto Wolff has already been in the wars, The Executive Director found himself in need of medical attention after a bicycle accident. Anyone who has pondered Wolff's relationship to The Terminator will be convinced by the x-rays shared online.

  • 19:30

    Talking of the championship leaders and injuries, Mercedes will be paying close attention to Lewis Hamilton this weekend, as the Brit has revealed there were some lingering effects after his crash in Germany. "My knees are no problem but my back and my neck has been the issue really."

    Hamilton, who is now 14 points behind teammate Nico Rosberg in the fight for the 2014 title, explained on Monday that he intended to have physiotherapy and work on improving the neck during the week.

  • 19:36
  • 19:48

    TweetTweet from @andrewbensonf1: Germany's Sport Bild reporting that Mercedes want Vettel alongside Rosberg in 2016. Sport Bild also quote Helmut Marko saying McLaren have also made Vettel a "cheeky high offer".

    You can read the whole thing on the Sport Bild website.

  • 20:10

    Williams are bringing aero updates to Hungary with the aim of continuing their run of podium finishes. The characteristics of the Hungaroring don't necessarily suit the FW36 so the team are keen give it their drivers the best possible chance.

    Bottas, presumably relived not to have to surrender his chassis during first practice this time out, is keeping his expectations in check, "We know it’s not the best circuit for our car but we are working on getting more grip in the corners and we have some upgrades that should help as well."

    Rob Smedley, Williams's performance chief described the thinking behind the updates.

    "We identified what sort of improvement we would need to make to keep it competitive in Budapest and up to now we have met all the development targets that we are going to get on the car.

    "They will be very specific for Budapest, so I believe that we will go there and be able to maintain a decent pace in the car."

  • 18:52

    Alexander Rossi, the reserve driver who recently bailed from duties at the struggling Caterham outfit, has today been confirmed as third driver for the Marussia F1 team.

    Rossi in red
    Credit: Marussia F1 Team

    Rossi is pleased to have found himself a new home in F1 so quickly.

    "The timing of my affiliation with the team is perfect, especially beginning in Hungary before the summer break. My goal is Formula One, and I’m delighted to be immersed into the team as official reserve driver, where I have the opportunity to prepare for this next step, with plans to drive in Free Practice 1 this season."

  • 18:57

    Elsewhere at Marussia, junior driver Dean Stoneman received this tasty looking birthday cake to celebrate his 24th today.

  • 18:59

    In a final bit of Marussia news, Max Chilton has switched chassis this weekend after his previous machinery "seemed to go around lefts better than rights."

    Clearly a car with designs on a future in Nascar.

  • 19:37

    A quick reminder of this weekend's session times.

    Session Times (GMT)
    25 JulFree Practice 108:00
    Free Practice 212:00
    26 JulFree Practice 309:00
    Qualifying12:00
    27 JulGrand Prix12:00
  • 19:40

    The weather is just as hard to predict as ever for this event, but Caterham (currently) think rain will occur before and after the race on Sunday.

    @CaterhamF1 Sunday: showers early & late & dry in between, up to 29c which means mugginess! That's mugginess, not to be confused with Harry Potter

  • 19:49

    Adrian Sutil has hit back at rumour mongers who suggesting Giedo van der Garde might be in line to replace the German before the end of the season.

    "I think for half of my career they have said 'Adrian is out' but I'm still here and at my 120th Grand Prix. I'll be here a lot longer. Sorry but you'll have to live with my face!

    "You can always ask me and I will give you the right answer. This comes from someone out there who is bored or whatever. I don't know their problems, but we are good as a team and trying to get out of this difficult situation."

  • 21:22

    The World Cup may be over, but football was still the talk of the F1 paddock this afternoon as local freestyle baller Kitti Szász was on hand to teach Sebastian Vettel and Daniel Ricciardo a trick or two.

    Red Bull Street Style footballer Kitti Szász performs tricks in the paddock
    Credit: Thompson/Getty

    Szász is part of the Red Bull Street Style Tournament where competitors go head-to-head and show off their mad ball skills in an attempt impress judges with a series of tricks. Kitti won the women's title in 2013.

    Kitti Szász impresses Vettel and Ricciardo in Hungary
    Credit: Mark Thompson/Getty Images

    Afterwards both Vettel and Ricciardo took turns at trying out a few moves of their own, hopefully someone had the foresight to film the whole thing!

  • 08:35

    In an interview with F1.com, Sebastian Vettel reveals his thoughts about having to relinquish his world champion trophy this year. Although he's joking, you can sort of see the pain through the smiles.

    "Ha, maybe I don't have to give it back - mathematically - even if it doesn't look so likely that I'm keeping it. Maybe I'll tell them I've lost it or it was stolen... Usually I've had to give it back in October. I don't know why they need three months to put one name and one signature on."

  • 08:39

    Felipe Massa still hasn't gotten over the first lap crash that took him out of the German Grand Prix. When asked if he felt any better towards Kevin Magnussen ahead of this race, he was quite scathing in his response.

    "I think he was a little bit too aggressive... I was very cautious on that corner. I even backed off to let Valtteri to go in front. In my car it was impossible to know somebody was there. Impossible. I couldn't see. But he was behind, so... How many races has he caused problems in the first lap?"

    The Brazilian also feels agrieved that the stewards only investigated his part in the incident, when clearly he feels Magnussen had a part to play as well. Nevertheless, he says he wants to move on and look forward to Hungary, with fingers crossed he can see the chequered flag after retiring from the last two races.

  • 12:01

    First practice has been and gone, with fast Mercedes and a flaming Marussia!

    Free Practice 1 results
    1L Hamilton1:25.814
    2N Rosberg1:25.997
    3K Räikkönen1:26.421
  • 12:11

    The full results are available over here, with a glimpse at the improved pace from Ferrari, and just where on earth Valtteri Bottas ended up.

  • 17:03

    Two practices complete, then, with Lewis Hamilton fastest for the second session in a row. He also managed to drop his time by more than a second.

    Free Practice 2 results
    1L Hamilton1:24.482
    2N Rosberg1:24.720
    3S Vettel1:25.111
  • 17:13

    This time it was Sebastian Vettel who finished best of the rest, but you can find out where everyone else placed on Friday afternoon with the full results.

  • 18:17

    QuoteA hot topic at the moment is how the sport is being received by fans attending the actual events, with Germany's grandstands worryingly empty. A question about this was posed to the team bosses in the FIA press conference today, with Sauber's Monisha Kaltenborn answering very eloquently.

    "It is, of course a concern because Germany has a strong history in motor sport and we have and have had some great drivers from there, so it’s an important market by all means and I think that that just shows that we really need to look at our product, our sport – which is a fantastic product, comparable to any big, global platform, comparable even to football or the Olympic Games - and see how we can connect better to the people outside.

    "It’s not about the product itself. We’ve had some fantastic races and we’ve had some bad races and that you have in every sport. You can have a fantastic tennis match or a bad tennis match, but it’s how you connect to the fans out there or to the consumers and I think that’s where we need to improve."

  • 18:20

    Mercedes have confirmed they are looking hard at the problem Lewis Hamilton suffered in Germany, with the brakes, particularly as it could spell the end of their relationship with Brembo. They say simply: "There is currently no clear evidence of a single cause of failure and our continuing rigorous analysis will take into account multiple factors which could have contributed to the incident."

  • 15:22
    Top three on Saturday
    Credit: Mercedes AMG Petronas

    Nico Rosberg scoops pole position for the Hungarian Grand Prix.

  • 15:25

    Rosberg scored an easy pole position in qualifying this weekend, but if you want a slightly more involved look at what occurred, the Factbyte Factbox coverage might be right up your street.

  • 15:34
    Qualifying Position
    1N RosbergMercedes
    2S VettelRed Bull
    3V BottasWilliams
    4D RicciardoRed Bull
    5F AlonsoFerrari

    Full results are available here, you have to scroll a long way to find Lewis Hamilton!

  • 15:40

    There's also a sixty second recap available, if you're more of a speed sporting type of fan. All the need-to-know facts from qualifying in one handy minute of audio.

  • 17:27

    Lewis Hamilton was left feeling very downhearted about his prospects for tomorrow's race, predicting the championship battle is really going against him at the moment.

    "I'll probably leave here more than 20 points behind. But there are races to go. This is a track you can't really overtake on. I'll struggle to get into the top 10, or at least the top five."

  • 17:39

    Despite what is so far a pretty interesting weekend in Hungary, Bernie Ecclestone has reportedly set up a Working Group to look into making the sport more exciting, a better show, and all that jazz. He's only gone and roped Flavio Briatore in for good measure. Of all the people to help make a sport more appealing to fans, I can't think of two worse - Bernie Ecclestone and Flavio Briatore.

  • 11:33

    Pastor Maldonado crashed during qualifying, and has since taken a five place grid penalty which of course, didn't make much difference to his grid position. However, both Kevin Magnussen and Lewis Hamilton have been forced to start from the pit lane after repairs to their cars following their own qualifying incidents. The starting grid is a bit of a mess, but ends up something like this.

  • 12:34

    Kevin Magnussen is the biggest loser out of the starting grid reshuffle, having made his way into the top ten during qualifying but now starting from the pit lane. He says it is a huge disappointment.

    "Physically, I’m fine but I’m sad that I didn’t get more out of it. I’m most disappointed for the team, I think we could’ve got another decent qualifying result. Now, we just need to get on with it – starting from the pitlane will make life more difficult, but I’m determined to have a strong race. I’m just very disappointed to have made that mistake."

  • 12:35

    If you're watching the race live, then I recommend joining in the live comments thread as there's always some fantastic discussion to be had there. If you're reading this post-race, it's also worth a peek as there can be some handy notes for hindsight thoughts.

  • 16:36
    And the winner is...
    Credit: Dan Istitene/Getty Images

    Daniel Ricciardo picks up his second race victory of the season, after incredible Hungarian Grand Prix action!

  • 17:37

    Wow, what an incredible race that was! Who needs Flavio Briatore when the Hungaroring is capable of delivering action like that?

  • 17:38

    For full race results, we've got a table ready and waiting. Find out who joined Ricciardo on the podium (although the above picture may give you a hint).

  • 17:39

    It's also worth a look at the interactive standings graphs, with the drivers showing how close the ongoing Mercedes fight is, whilst the team info highlights how Williams managed to lose third position after just one race.

  • 17:40

    As always, the replay of the Factbyte Factbox coverage will stand for all time, with lap by lap updates of what was a hectic, frantic and chaotic race. Non-stop action from start to finish, all caught by the watchful FBFB. Enjoy the highlights here!

  • 17:41

    If those highlights go on a little bit too long for you, there's always the sixty second F1Minute report on the race. I mean, really, trying to fit all that action into just a minute is laughable, but I gave it a good go.

  • 17:43

    Nico Rosberg missed out on the race victory, and it was that key moment behind the first safety car that made the difference. However, the championship leader has a few other niggling doubts about this afternoon's race too.

    "It was just the safety car. They sent it out at the wrong time. I got stuck behind it and it was so slow that all those guys who managed to pit first got by me then - and that is not supposed to be the case. Lewis did not let me by, although he was ordered to do so. That is obviously not good and we need to discuss that internally.

    "But the thing I am most annoyed about is the last lap. I had a little opportunity and was so close but did not manage to use it. The way he defended was OK. For the guy on the inside, it is his corner - so the guy on the outside needs to make it far enough in front so he can't be pushed out. I did not manage to do that."

    Still no love lost at Mercedes, it seems.

  • 17:45

    Fernando Alonso was supremely happy to find himself back on the podium again, particularly after the season Ferrari have been having so far. He compared picking up the second place trophy to feeling like a win, saying: "It means a lot. We've had some tough races recently and to see a Ferrari again on the podium is the best news. We chose the right thing, to stay out and defend the position the best we could and secure this second place which tastes like a victory for us at the moment."

  • 17:45

    Ferrari team boss Marco Mattiacci shared in the emotional moments post-race.

  • 17:48

    One of the most disappointed drivers out there this afternoon had to be Jenson Button. The team left him out on intermediate tyres long after everyone else had come in for slicks. He questioned the decision a couple of times, and eventually the pit wall admitted there was no more rain coming. Racing director Éric Boullier puts the blame squarely on the weather software.

    "We got the belief it would rain, the radar clearly indicated it would. We didn't know something was wrong with the software. As long as we had this belief we saw the opportunity by doing what we did to get some key positions. It's true that with everybody on slicks we understood something was wrong and clearly we understand our call was wrong."

    Poor Button, visibly drained from the afternoon's efforts, was left wondering exactly what else he could do to get a good result. "I feel like I did everything right, and in every track condition, which is why it's tough."

  • 17:49

    It's fair to say we at Sidepodcast HQ thought it was a fantastic race, but what did you think? Cast your vote now in this weekend's Rate the Race.

  • 17:50

    Mercedes are facing both internal and external criticism over their team orders situation. Toto Wolff has admitted they're using old school thinking to fit current circumstances. To hear his quote and more, check out the F1Minute update on the subject.

  • 17:52

    Meanwhile, Adam has been hard at work reviewing the performance of the drivers for this weekend's race, and he's shared his findings in the latest Class of the Field article. Includes thoughts on the rain, on Ricciardo, and on which Toro Rosso driver deserves a break.

  • 17:53
    Can't guarantee this guy's gonna remain sober for much longer this evening
    Credit: Twitter/DanielRicciardo

    Two tweets from Daniel Ricciardo sum up his celebrations.

    Before: "Can't guarantee this guy's gonna remain sober for much longer this evening."

    After: "Wow I was hurting this morning haha... Thanks for all the wishes everyone. Nice way to start the summer break. Enjoy yours also."

  • 17:54

    After two back to back races, the logbook was barely off-air over the last fortnight. That all changes now, as we dive headlong into the summer break.

  • 17:55

    The next F1 race isn't until 24th August, taking place at the marvellous Spa-Francorchamps. Have a restful time between now and then, make the most of the summer if the weather's nice, and hibernate a lot of it's not. See you back here in a few weeks!

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