On Sunday, July 29, 2018, at the Hungaroring circuit, the Hungarian Grand Prix, the twelfth round of the Formula 1 World Championship, will take place. In the darkest hour of Ferrari's recent history, John Elkann turns to a classic quote from Enzo Ferrari to remind all Maranello employees of the importance of being Ferrari and to call them to maximum commitment.
"Factories are made of walls, machinery, and men. Ferrari, above all, is made of men".
If Sergio Marchionne's forced departure caused a complex succession problem in FCA and other companies in the group, it triggered a real earthquake in Ferrari, reflected in a significant stock market decline (-4.8%). However, the markets had long anticipated Marchionne's exit from FCA leadership by 2018, so the shock was somewhat contained. On the other hand, it was expected that, at the end of his Turin journey, the manager would dedicate himself entirely to the Maranello team, his true passion in recent years. Marchionne considered Ferrari his toy: a relatively small jewel in terms of management (3.500 employees) but very rich and, above all, globally impactful politically and economically. A perfect laboratory for a curious manager like him. The voice of the markets, however, cannot fully describe the sense of bewilderment that permeates the company's walls at this time. This is why Elkann decided to personally appear in Maranello on the first working day post-Marchionne. Some mistakes made by the Ferrari team at Hockenheim, leaving a victory more than probable on the track, did not please him at all. Additionally, there was the need to introduce the new CEO, Louis Camilleri (who had arrived in Maranello on Sunday evening, organizing, with a much-appreciated gesture, his belongings in Montezemolo's office, not Marchionne's). To introduce is a figure of speech since Camilleri is well-known in those parts, being a great racing enthusiast and a familiar face in the paddock. Formerly with Philip Morris, Camilleri has excellent relations with Team Principal Maurizio Arrivabene, whose position is now significantly strengthened compared to Technical Director Mattia Binotto, a key figure for Sergio Marchionne. In his Emilian mission, Elkann wanted to affirm personally in front of executives and managers that the new CEO carries a full and not temporary mandate from the ownership (as some expected). This suppressed any ambitions from other managers. Then, reiterating the contents of a letter sent in recent days to all employees, Elkann addressed the top lines of the company, emphasizing Ferrari's identity, hence the frequent recourse to Drake's phrases. In addition to the one about the importance of men, there was also the one about the obligation-curse of achieving results:
"Because the second is the first of the losers".
To leave no doubts about the company's priorities, namely the 2018 Drivers' and Constructors' World Championships, based on the assumption that if Ferrari wins on the track, it also wins in the markets, Camilleri and Elkann spoke directly with Kimi Raikkonen and Sebastian Vettel in a conference call. Marchionne had once said of Sebastian, the main culprit for the Hockenheim debacle, that he was a German with a southern temperament, inclined to be betrayed by emotions. The new leadership thus pleaded for him to stay focused and continue fighting for every single point, just as he had done until now. However, the 2018 World Championship is not the only uncertainty about Ferrari's future and not even the most relevant. In the last months, in addition to the five-year business plan that has piqued the interest of the international financial community, Marchionne had worked extensively on negotiations with Liberty Media for the renewal of the contract binding Ferrari to Formula 1 (expiring in 2020). F1 is crucial for Ferrari, just as Ferrari is essential for F1. Starting from this premise, Marchionne's strategy was clear: form an alliance with Mercedes, the other historic constructor, to secure the best possible conditions and, at the same time, contain American pressures toward an F1 too open to new protagonists and consequently leveled down.
"If they want to turn F1 into another NASCAR, Ferrari is not interested; we're out".
He had threatened this in the past spring. Faced with such a strong position, and considering the absence of other parties interested in entering F1, in recent weeks, the Americans had made many concessions to the Ferrari-Mercedes axis. The negotiation had progressed well. Now, however, everything is back in play. Ferrari returns to the Formula 1 Circus with a tribute to Sergio Marchionne. Already on the day dedicated to interviews at the Budapest circuit in Hungary, all members of the Maranello team, starting with drivers Sebastian Vettel and Kimi Raikkonen, wear mourning bands in honor of the late president who passed away on Wednesday, July 25, 2018, in the Zurich clinic. A very challenging race for Ferrari, not only emotionally but also sports-wise, as they are called upon to recover from the disappointment in Germany with Vettel's fatal error just a few laps from the end of the Grand Prix where he was leading. In homage to Marchionne, whose goal was to bring Ferrari back to win the World Championship as soon as possible, the motorhome set up in the Budapest circuit has the flag at half-mast, and the cars driven by Vettel and Raikkonen will probably be adorned with mourning stripes. In respect and closeness for Marchionne's death, the FIA has exempted the Scuderia Ferrari from conducting official interviews. Therefore, Raikkonen does not participate, as originally planned, in the usual FIA press conference preceding the race weekend. Neither will Team Principal Maurizio Arrivabene participate on Friday in the official team bosses' conference. For the same reason, Vettel remains silent. The Hungaroring race, from a sports perspective, evokes fond memories for Ferrari, as almost twenty years ago, on August 16, Michael Schumacher achieved one of his most beautiful victories with Ferrari. Beautiful because seemingly impossible: a masterpiece of skill, coordination, and concentration, the concentration needed to make two to three pit stops after 43 laps and drive in a way to accumulate the necessary advantage to return to the lead. As for the race, the Hungarian track is slow (the average speed of Vettel's 2017 pole position was over 206 km/h), and overtaking is not easy. Therefore, Saturday's qualifying, where Ferrari has shown several times this year to be on par if not better than Mercedes, will be crucial. The available dry tires are Medium, Soft, and Ultrasoft, while the weather holds some uncertainty for qualifying and the race. Coming off an unexpected one-two in Germany, Mercedes enters the Hungarian Grand Prix with high morale and the desire to repeat before the August break.
"That in Germany was one of the most beautiful victories of my career. But since I've been racing for so many years, it's difficult to isolate one compared to the others - Lewis Hamilton's judgment, who started in fourteenth position. But I'm proud of last weekend and want to continue learning from it, focusing on where we can improve. That's our goal".
Then the reigning champion returns to the decision made by the stewards not to penalize him for the maneuver of entering and quickly exiting the pits:
"I think it was a great thing, and I would do it again. The team had to make a decision in a fraction of a second, and it wasn't easy. But staying on the track was the right decision because that was my feeling: my times were good, and that was the thing to do".
On the other hand, Valtteri Bottas arrives in the Hungarian capital with a renewed contract with Mercedes in his pocket for a week. This fact will undoubtedly allow the Finnish driver to face the Hungarian Grand Prix with greater tranquility.
"At this point in the season, it's positive to know what you'll be doing next year. I am very happy and very proud to be part of this team. Surely the team has evaluated all options, and this makes me even prouder that they chose me and not another driver. I managed to improve a lot last year and bring these improvements into my driving this season. This is not reflected in my ranking, but the team knows my performances and knows my improvements".
The conversation then shifts to the race.
"Given the characteristics of the Hungaroring and our car, we cannot consider ourselves favorites, but we can still fight with Ferrari and Red Bull. Then, this season we've seen some rather crazy races, so we can also expect a close fight, and if we do our best, we can expect positive results".
Valtteri Bottas expresses his thoughts on the battle with teammate Lewis Hamilton at the end of the German Grand Prix before receiving team orders to maintain positions.
"It was a good battle on the restart, done in the right way even though both of us wanted to come out on top, and at one point, we were side by side. It was a good fight. Considering all the points lost for various reasons in the trilogy of races, I can understand the team's decision, thinking about bringing home the maximum points. And I'm sure they would have made the same decision even if I had been in front".
Fernando Alonso responds to the question about his future, whether he will still be in Formula 1 in 2019 or engaged in other categories.
"The decision about my future will depend on the feeling I have, the motivation, and the challenges I will have, certainly not from the team. McLaren is a top team that, even if it's a bit behind now, is destined to improve".
Given the twisty nature of the Hungarian circuit, Red Bull Racing could be a protagonist with a convincing performance, as seen in Monaco. Daniel Ricciardo confirms:
"Monaco, Budapest, and Singapore are the Grand Prix where we can do better. And I intend to achieve a good result here to go on vacation satisfied".
However, the Australian driver is cautious about predicting Red Bull as the car to beat in Hungary:
"No team is truly favored on this track. We are not the favorites, but it should be a close fight. I hope we can all be close, at least the top six cars".
Fortunately, Ricciardo will escape the penalty despite the breakdown suffered in Germany:
"I shouldn't be penalized; we still have another engine available that is intact at the moment. So we'll use that power unit this weekend, which is functional and okay in terms of mileage. Without further unexpected problems, it should be okay".
And the inevitable final question about the future partnership between Red Bull and Honda:
"The team will have better control over the performance of the power unit. I saw with my own eyes the team's frustration at some moments in the relationship with Renault".
On this topic, Max Verstappen agrees:
"I'm not worried about the Honda power unit changes at Toro Rosso. Next year, their engine will be totally different".
On Friday, July 27, 2018, during the first free practice session, Daniel Ricciardo sets the fastest time. The Australian driver precedes Sebastian Vettel and Max Verstappen, with the top six in the standings within 0.8 seconds. Sebastian Vettel's car, only 0.079 seconds behind, shows understeer problems, while Max Verstappen spins. Drivers complain about the lack of grip on the rear tires, even though the asphalt temperature is very high. The two Mercedes drivers struggle, finishing fifth and sixth. After 14 laps, Nico Hülkenberg is forced to end the practice due to a fault in his Renault, while Marcus Ericsson risks being involved in an accident, going off the track. Renault is fined 10.000 euros, conditionally, for not returning a set of Hülkenberg's tires at the end of the first session. During the first free practice session, Antonio Giovinazzi replaces Charles Leclerc at Sauber. In the second free practice session, Sebastian Vettel takes the lead. The German driver of Ferrari sets the best time using the Ultrasoft tire. The car also shows competitiveness in the race simulation. The two Red Bull drivers follow, and Kimi Räikkönen, who tests Medium compound tires. The two Mercedes drivers still struggle, competitive with Soft tires but suffering high degradation with Ultrasoft tires. As expected, Red Bull is the main rival to Ferrari in Budapest, a twisty track that highlights the goodness of the RB14 chassis. However, the SF71H is now the benchmark in F1, while the Mercedes W09 must chase, especially in Hungary. Lewis Hamilton and Valtteri Bottas, both in the morning and in the afternoon, occupied the fifth and sixth positions, distant from the red and the Red Bulls. Lewis Hamilton hopes for favorable weather conditions during FP3 to verify the effectiveness of the changes that Mercedes will make in an attempt to get closer to their rivals:
"As I thought, Ferrari and Red Bull are faster than us. Here, the overheating of the rear tires is an important factor; we need to find a way to cool them down, but it's not easy. We'll study solutions tonight and try them tomorrow; I hope the weather is dry in the morning".
Lewis Hamilton has a 17-point lead in the standings over Sebastian Vettel, and in case of Vettel's victory, a fifth-place finish would be enough for Hamilton to retain the World Championship lead and go on vacation as the leader, albeit with only a 2-point advantage. Valtteri Bottas struggled even more than the reigning champion to find a good rhythm today, but he already looks ahead to qualifying and race strategy:
"The Ultrasoft tires have overheating problems, so this is a factor to consider for the race. Besides qualifying, it will be crucial to make as few stops as possible during the race. Ferrari and Red Bull are as fast as we expected; it will be a very close fight".
In Budapest, Sebastian Vettel is forced to redeem himself after losing 25 points in the previous German Grand Prix. Fortunately, the intense F1 calendar has not left him much time to dwell on the error in the home race, immediately offering him a chance to make amends at the Hungaroring. Vettel, the winner here last year, comments on his moment and that of Ferrari, which lost its president Sergio Marchionne during the week:
"I think probably the best thing is to get in the car. Obviously, it's not easy, but I think the work today went well. With so much work to do, I tried to focus on that without thinking about anything else".
The Budapest circuit is very twisty, and doing well in qualifying will be crucial. The best time of the day obtained today is an excellent starting point:
"Here, probably qualifying and the start will be crucial because it's very difficult to overtake on this track. Obviously, being in the lead after the first corners will be crucial, but there are still many things to do. I was happy with my afternoon, happier than in the morning. The car works quite well on a clean lap, but we can still improve. It was definitely one of the best Fridays; there have been ups and downs lately for us, so today was certainly a solid day".
Returning to talk about his difficult moment, Vettel assures that he has erased the bad memories of the previous German Grand Prix:
"Yes, I've deleted Germany; what else can I do? It's definitely positive to have a race right after, so you can think about something else and focus on your work. I hope to be able to delete everything and make this race count, then forget about it".
A bit less quick than Sebastian Vettel but still satisfied with his day. Kimi Räikkönen's Friday went smoothly, with differentiated work from his teammate and a few laps of testing with Medium tires, not appearing to be a viable option for Sunday's race. At the Hungaroring, it is essential for Ferrari to achieve an excellent result, also to go on vacation charged with positivity and confidence. Raikkonen, true to his Iceman nature, doesn't give much weight to the calendar but admits to having had a satisfying first day.
"I don't believe that the presence of a break after the race makes a difference. You always have to try to achieve the best possible result. Today was a normal Friday; lap times don't matter. We tried to learn, experimented with various things, the usual story of every Friday. We did some work, there's more to do, but it didn't go badly".
The Finn remains rather composed, even when discussing Ferrari's particular situation this weekend, the first without Sergio Marchionne:
"Nothing particularly different. Obviously, it's not the best time for us, but that's the situation. We have to try, as always, to do our best to achieve the best possible result".
Speaking about Red Bull Racing, Daniel Ricciardo is convinced that his team needs to capitalize on Saturday's trials to start as far ahead as possible on the grid. After topping FP1 and finishing third in FP2, it's clear that the Perth native is not just aiming for the podium but is eyeing a victory, missing from his record since Monaco. That race saw him maximize the potential of the less hampered RB14 and benefit from a high-downforce track. Similar conditions are present in Hungary, despite his engine still using the first specification of the season to avoid grid penalties. However, Ricciardo acknowledges the strength of his opponents:
"Mercedes will find more in the single lap, and Ferrari already seems quite fast. Probably, that's the goal (performance in a single lap) everyone is chasing. We didn't manage to put it all together, so I'm confident there are still some tenths to extract from the package. I think, without a doubt, with a good car, the front row is where I could qualify. The second row wouldn't be a disaster, but we certainly don't want to be in third. So, tomorrow is an important day, and the front row remains the goal".
Despite using an engine that is quite worn out, Ricciardo believes that securing a place in the top two rows is crucial for a shot at victory:
"If we place in the top two rows, we'll have a chance to fight for the win. On the contrary, starting from the third row, it will be a tough race. Seb (Vettel) preceded both of us (Verstappen finished in second place, 0.074s behind), but if we have a good lap, as I said, we still have some margin, I think we can be close to him. I would like to take pole, but I would settle for one of the top three positions. With a car that is faster (in the race), from that position, we can go for the win".
It's not a fortunate time for Daniel Ricciardo. In Germany, he retired due to an issue with the Renault power unit Spec B that had debuted in Canada. Unexpectedly, both the thermal engine and the turbo were damaged at Hockenheim, so in Hungary, Ricciardo had to use the Spec A engine, the one used in the first six races of the 2018 season, from the debut in Australia to the Monaco win.
Renault's reasoning is relatively simple: the Spec C, representing a significant performance improvement, will only be available starting from the next Belgian Grand Prix after the summer break. Therefore, it's not ready for use now. The Renault technicians plan to provide Ricciardo with the more advanced version of the V6 as a third engine. To avoid penalties in Hungary, Ricciardo had to accept reusing the Spec A engine, which has not yet reached its mileage limit.
"We still have an engine that works well for now. We'll manage that unit over the weekend, and unless something unexpected happens, it should all go well. And then, I'll take a penalty in Belgium that will send me back to the bottom of the grid".
So, is everything in order at the Hungaroring? Daniel finished the free practices with the third time, just 0.153s behind Max Verstappen, who can rely on the Spec B engine. This is because Red Bull will benefit from a new ExxonMobil fuel in Hungary in an attempt to close the performance gap with Ferrari and Mercedes. According to the team principal of the Anglo-Austrian team, Christian Horner:
"This will be the first fuel development this season. Exxon technicians have worked hard to develop a new fuel that should allow us a leap in quality. It comes late because the attention of Viry Chatillon has mainly focused on the development of the V6 with their fuel supplier".
In short, there is a lot of anticipation, but Ricciardo doesn't know that an unpleasant surprise awaits him: the new ExxonMobil fuel is designed to allow drivers to use the overtake button more aggressively, exploiting a peak performance in the fast lap. Only Max Verstappen can benefit from this because he uses the Spec B engine, designed to withstand more aggressive electronic mappings, while the Spec A reserved for Ricciardo risks breaking due to detonations if it is pushed like Verstappen's 6-cylinder. On Saturday, July 28, 2018, during the third and final free practice session, Sebastian Vettel set the fastest time, followed by Valtteri Bottas and his teammate, Kimi Räikkönen. The rain that fell overnight had removed the rubber that had accumulated on the track, making it more slippery. The German driver of Ferrari had to interrupt the session due to a piece of another car that got lodged in his monoposto, while the Mercedes team did not use tire warmers on the rear tires to reduce overheating. Both drivers had a spin in turn 6, with Bottas lightly touching the safety barriers. The drivers of the Anglo-German team, to set two fast laps, had to insert two cooling laps between one attempt and another. Behind the top three drivers were Lewis Hamilton and the Red Bull Racing drivers, Daniel Ricciardo and Max Verstappen. The seventh, Carlos Sainz Jr., was 1.5s behind the best time. A few hours later, the qualifying session opened with uncertainty about the weather. Q1 started with a wet track, and all drivers opted for intermediate tires, although certain dry stretches of the track risked damaging the tires.
Valtteri Bottas set the best time, but soon was surpassed by Lewis Hamilton and Kimi Räikkönen. Daniel Ricciardo struggled, and a few minutes before the end of the first phase, he risked elimination but managed to mark the thirteenth best time. As time passed, the drivers switched to using slick tires, and lap times dropped sharply, shuffling the rankings. Sebastian Vettel set the best time with 1'16"666, followed by Max Verstappen. Daniel Ricciardo was at high risk of elimination but set a valid time on the last attempt. Stoffel Vandoorne, Charles Leclerc, Esteban Ocon, Sergio Pérez, and Sergej Sirotkin were eliminated. Q2 started with Sebastian Vettel starting on intermediate tires, while other drivers had to change tires, having opted for dry tires. Lance Stroll had a spin in turn 9 and hit the barriers, damaging the car's front. However, the Canadian driver managed to restart. Marcus Ericsson opted to use wet tires, while Kimi Räikkönen spun. Once again, Sebastian Vettel set the best time, preceding Carlos Sainz Jr. and Max Verstappen. Fernando Alonso, Daniel Ricciardo, Nico Hülkenberg, Marcus Ericsson, and Stroll were eliminated. Q3 started with a very slippery track due to heavier rain, and everyone opted for wet tires. Both Sebastian Vettel and Max Verstappen made a couple of errors. Valtteri Bottas secured the provisional pole with a lap time of 1'35"918 but was immediately beaten by Lewis Hamilton, who clocked in at 1'35"658.
Sebastian Vettel was two seconds behind, while Kimi Räikkönen finished his lap 0.2s behind. Subsequently, Sebastian Vettel set the third best time before being beaten by his teammate, who was in turn surpassed by Valtteri Bottas. Meanwhile, Pierre Gasly set the sixth-best time. The drivers stayed on track, continuously lapping. Later, Kimi Räikkönen managed to improve his time, provisionally placing himself in pole position, while Sainz Jr. moved up to fifth place. In the last attempt, the two Mercedes drivers returned to the top two positions, with Lewis Hamilton taking the pole position. In the second row were the Ferraris of Kimi Räikkönen and Sebastian Vettel. At the end of qualifying, Max Verstappen was investigated for obstructing Romain Grosjean during Q3. The Dutchman was not penalized and started seventh as it was considered that the poor visibility conditions did not allow him to have a proper view of the track. Rain provided three exciting qualifying segments at the Hungaroring, with drivers and engineers in the pits figuring out when to switch to dry, intermediate, and wet tires. It was the fifth pole of the season for Lewis Hamilton - the 77th in his career, the sixth in Budapest - who preceded his teammate, Valtteri Bottas. After qualifying, Lewis Hamilton said:
"It's fantastic to have this one-two for the team. Honestly, we didn't expect it; the Ferraris were faster throughout the weekend. We tried to be as close to them as possible, but then the rain came, and it worked out well for us. It was really tricky and treacherous; in the beginning, the conditions were acceptable, but then it kept getting wetter, and it was challenging to gauge the grip. You try to find a drier line on the track to take the corner correctly, a bit like a dance – you have to tiptoe around. But it was a rollercoaster race. We're in an excellent position; we'll work as a team and hope to keep the Reds behind us".
The second row secured by Ferrari is a disappointment considering the performance shown on the dry by the SF71H. Still, it's far from negative, considering the downpour during the qualifications. This is at least the opinion of Kimi Raikkonen, who managed to advance to Q3 despite being the last to hit the track as the rain intensified - after an attempt with dry tires - and then clocked a better time than Sebastian Vettel in Q3.
"I would say it was quite tricky and challenging to make the right decisions in these conditions. In Q2, I tried to go out with dry tires to see if it was possible to complete the lap, but it was very complicated. I did one lap with Intermediates; it was enough to make the cut, and that was the most important thing. Obviously, it's a disappointing result not to finish first with the speed we had today, but it was surprising to see how well the car performed in the wet because recently, it hasn't been our strong point. At least we managed to be competitive enough in the wet".
In Raikkonen's fate, rain always seems to involve Haas. In Germany, a misunderstanding with Kevin Magnussen had cost the Ferrari driver the pass by Valtteri Bottas. Today, it didn't allow him to improve his time in Q3:
"I was a bit unlucky with the traffic. When we changed tires, there was more grip; we had enough time to complete the lap. Then we found ourselves behind a Haas, and I couldn't do much, especially with the splashes in my face. It's a pity because I had the speed, but tomorrow is another day, and we'll see".
Like in Germany, rain is Sebastian Vettel's worst enemy. After easily passing Q1 and Q2, under the deluge, Vettel couldn't be as competitive, being beaten not only by the two Mercedes drivers but also by his teammate, Kimi Raikkonen:
"I think we weren't fast enough; it's difficult to get everything out of the car in the wet. The laps I did were good but not fast enough. We don't have the same confidence in the wet as we do in the dry, so there's work to do. Today was a complicated session; it could have gone either way, but we managed it to the end. Something was missing, but that's how it went".
For the race, sunny and warm conditions are expected again, conditions that could return Ferrari to the role of the car to beat. Vettel believes in it and hopes to close the first part of the season with a victory:
"I think on the dry, we were in control, but unfortunately, it wasn't dry this afternoon. It didn't go in our favor, but we'll see tomorrow; the race will be long, and we'll see what we can do. I believe we can win; it won't be easy. We'll focus on victory from the fourth position".
Mercedes Team Principal Toto Wolff congratulated the team for the result achieved in decidedly complex weather conditions:
"It was a rather challenging qualifying session, with a mix of Ultrasoft, Intermediate, and Wet tires; it was easier to make the wrong choices than to guess them. Ferrari seemed a bit faster than us both on the dry and with Intermediates, but probably in Full Wet conditions, we have a slight advantage. But the human factor made the difference, not the car. Our team responded calmly to every weather change, including Lewis and Valtteri".
However, the Austrian manager is aware that to win the Hungarian Grand Prix, no mistakes should be made:
"In Hungary, overtaking is difficult, and everything will be decided at the start. The road to Turn 1 is long, so any disadvantage at the start or in terms of the power unit could be very dangerous for us. If we can maintain the one-two at the beginning, it could be a very positive day for us".
Lewis Hamilton, in his post-qualifying comments, reflects on the race strategy, which could make a difference at the Hungaroring, starting with the free choice of tire at the start:
"I think we'll start with the Ultrasofts. There's a significant difference between the two compounds, especially on the long straight, so I find it highly unlikely the decision to sacrifice positions at the start".
Valtteri Bottas, on the other hand, talks about the technical inferiority that could be observed during the free practices:
"From our numbers, in terms of race pace, we are the third on the track. So tomorrow we necessarily need a perfect race, starting from the beginning. Overtaking is difficult, but if a car behind you has significantly better pace, it will have many opportunities to overtake you".
On Sunday, July 29, 2018, the start of the Hungarian Grand Prix was preceded by a minute of silence for the recent passing of Sergio Marchionne. Sebastian Vettel chose to use Soft tires, while the other drivers in the first part of the grid opted for Ultrasoft tires. In the start, Lewis Hamilton maintained the lead, while his teammate Valtteri Bottas successfully defended the second position from the attacks of the two Ferraris. Following them were Max Verstappen, Pierre Gasly, Kevin Magnussen, Carlos Sainz Jr., Brendon Hartley, and Nico Hülkenberg. Daniel Ricciardo, starting twelfth, found himself only sixteenth at the end of the first lap after a collision with Marcus Ericsson. Charles Leclerc retired just at the end of the first lap, damaging his suspension in a contact with one of the Force Indias. On the fifth lap, Max Verstappen retired due to an engine problem, leading to the deployment of the Virtual Safety Car. In the following laps, Daniel Ricciardo started his comeback and was already eighth at the end of lap 14. Meanwhile, Kimi Räikkönen made a pit stop and switched to Soft tires. The strategy was followed by Valtteri Bottas on the next lap. Bottas re-entered the track behind Pierre Gasly but overtook him shortly after, reclaiming the third position behind Lewis Hamilton and Sebastian Vettel.
Räikkönen, on the other hand, returned to the track in sixth place, but on lap 17, he passed Kevin Magnussen and on lap 22, also Pierre Gasly, climbing to fourth place. On lap 25, Lewis Hamilton pitted and switched to Soft tires. Sebastian Vettel temporarily took the lead. During lap 26, Daniel Ricciardo managed to pass Pierre Gasly, moving up to fifth place. In the following laps, the gap between Sebastian Vettel and his immediate pursuer, Lewis Hamilton, remained around 13 seconds. Kimi Räikkönen made his second pit stop on lap 38, opting for Soft tires again. On lap 39, Sebastian Vettel returned to the pit for Ultrasoft tires, but the tire change was slow, and the German driver rejoined the race in third place, behind Valtteri Bottas but ahead of Daniel Ricciardo and Kimi Räikkönen. The only Red Bull Racing driver still in the race, Daniel Ricciardo, waited until lap 44 for his tire change, moving up to fifth place. On lap 50, Stoffel Vandoorne's retirement forced the deployment of the Virtual Safety Car once again. In the final part of the race, the two Ferraris closed in on Valtteri Bottas, while Lewis Hamilton maintained a comfortable lead. On lap 64, Sebastian Vettel attempted to overtake the Finnish driver of Mercedes in the first turn, resulting in contact at the second turn. In this phase, Sebastian Vettel managed to move into second place, allowing Kimi Räikkönen to take advantage of the favorable situation and pass his compatriot. On the penultimate lap, Valtteri Bottas lost a position to Daniel Ricciardo as well. However, before that, at the entrance of the first turn, while defending, Bottas collided with the Australian's car, but Ricciardo was able to finish the race in fourth place. Lewis Hamilton won the Hungarian Grand Prix, extending his lead over Vettel to 24 points in the Drivers' Championship. Hamilton commented on his victory:
"It's a beautiful day, and there's a fantastic crowd. Really an extraordinary job; we knew the Ferraris would be very fast this weekend, and bringing home these points is definitely a bonus for us because it was a tough day, and surely the rest of the Championship will be. I sweated a lot; it was really hot. It was a race of pace management for me, but it was in the last laps that I started to feel the heat. Thanks to all the guys in the factory. I'll go training for the second half of the season; I'm happy with how we've worked in the last races and the commitment the team is putting in. I hope they can keep pushing for the rest of the season".
In a weekend that became challenging after Saturday afternoon's storms and the fourth-place obtained in qualifying, Sebastian Vettel minimized the damage and secured second place at the Hungaroring, remaining 24 points behind Lewis Hamilton. With the return of the heat, Ferrari proved to be more competitive than Mercedes but had to contend with Valtteri Bottas, who allowed his teammate to race without too many concerns towards victory. To try to recover, the Maranello team chose to start its two drivers with different tire compounds, Ultrasoft for Kimi Raikkonen and Soft for Vettel. Vettel said after the race:
"I would make the choice to start with Softs again. In the first stint, we were very fast, then I lost 3 or 4 seconds due to traffic and a couple at the pit stop. In the end, it was difficult to stay close to Bottas, but I knew that in the last laps, my tires would be better than his".
The last two weekends before the summer break did not go as Ferrari would have liked, but Vettel is confident of making up ground on Hamilton in the second half of the season:
"Yesterday wasn't perfect in qualifying for us. We still need to work. This weekend was tough, but having two cars on the podium is a good result. The car is fast, and I'm happy; it works on almost all tracks. I think the key is always consistency in scoring points, and I certainly didn't do myself any favors last week. Our car still has a lot of potential to unlock; I remain optimistic for the upcoming races".
The balance of this end of the month had almost turned tragic when the contact with Bottas in the final laps raised concerns about a flat tire on the Ferrari #5. The stewards decided not to investigate the incident further, and Vettel himself does not blame his opponent:
"I don't blame Bottas for the contact; these things happen. I was lucky not to get a puncture".
Vettel found himself behind the Finn after his not-so-perfect pit stop. Even if everything had gone well, according to the German, a better result would have been challenging to achieve:
"The Ultrasoft tires were much more consistent than they seemed on Friday. Lewis had a big gap on me, and even if I had caught up, I don't think I could have overtaken him".
Kimi Raikkonen finished the Hungarian Grand Prix in the same position he started. Ferrari tried to mix things up by pitting him early and setting up his race on two stops, allowing the Finn to be close to Valtteri Bottas and Sebastian Vettel in the final laps. Taking advantage of the contact between the two, Raikkonen regained the third position.
"I think this is the best we could hope for today. Obviously, the start was far from ideal; I think we need to improve this aspect a bit to make our life a bit easier".
Speaking of his strategy, Raikkonen explained:
"We caught up with Bottas after the first pit stop, but I didn't have the chance to overtake him, so at that point, our choice was to stop again to try. At least, we recovered one position. Today, we had good speed, but what can we do? We take these points and look forward to the next Grand Prix".
The Finn considers Ferrari's result in Budapest good but not without regrets:
"The final result doesn't really seem happy to me. It depends on how you look at it. I don't think it was a disaster, but it could have been better. As a team, we got decent points, but I think we have some things to improve; I'm sure we have all the speed to be higher".
Raikkonen's race was made more complicated by the impossibility of drinking during the race, a significant detail on a hot Sunday like that of the Hungaroring. Ferrari's mechanics forgot to connect the driver to the liquid container, but the Finnish driver wasn't too influenced by this problem:
"It wasn't really a problem. Of course, it's nice to have a bit of water in your mouth now and then and drink something. It was a small problem, but in the end, the race went by quite quickly because we kept pushing".
The terrible Saturday had almost suggested a Red Bull decidedly out of the game. So it turned out, at least regarding the fight for the podium. However, with Max Verstappen stopping already after a few kilometers due to another problem with the Renault power unit, Daniel Ricciardo did not miss the opportunity to become a major player in the Hungarian Grand Prix. Describing the contact with Valtteri Bottas at the end of the race, Daniel Ricciardo said:
"Finally, Bottas was aggressive. Usually, he's always a bit soft, almost like melted ice cream. This time he took a bit of strength... maybe even too much, but better than nothing! I left him space, but there was nothing to avoid the accident. In any case, on the last lap, I recovered the fourth position on the track. I'm happy with the result".
The Australian driver, now fifth in the standings with 95 points behind leader Hamilton, admits feeling the need to unwind, anticipating the long summer break:
"Yes, I want to go on vacation. We'll be back on the track on Tuesday, but already on Wednesday, I'll be on vacation. I really need it right now; I'm tired and feel I need to recharge outside the car".
The summer break has arrived, but the announcement about the future has not yet come:
"I promised you, I know. Sorry, I haven't signed yet. I don't know what to say; it's still a bit complicated".
In short, Daniel will have to keep his phone on even at the beach. The failure suffered in the early stages of the race at the Hungaroring by Max Verstappen marked a new chapter in the now strained relationship between Red Bull and Renault. The team principal of the Anglo-Austrian team, Christian Horner, is decidedly disappointed with the outcome of his driver's race.
"What happened to Max is cruel; it's a problem with the power unit. No surprise, it's the MGU-K. I'll try not to talk too much, but we pay a lot of millions of pounds for a first-class product, but we can clearly see that we are well below that standard. It's frustrating, but that's how it is. I expect Cyril Abiteboul to come and apologize at the end of the race".
Returning to talk about the Mercedes drivers, if Kimi Raikkonen at Ferrari accepts the role of a second driver with great fair play, Valtteri Bottas finds the role of being Lewis Hamilton's wingman uncomfortable, or at least not as comfortable. The Finnish driver in the race followed Kimi Raikkonen's strategy by stopping after 15 laps, then tried in every way to defend the second-place position from Sebastian Vettel's attacks in the final stages of the race. With the rear tires now worn out, the German driver from Ferrari managed to get alongside and pass Bottas, with the two cars also making contact, an incident in which Bottas damaged the front wing. Ricciardo jumped on the former Williams driver, and there was contact between them before the decisive overtaking for the fourth position by the Red Bull driver on the last lap. For the contact with Ricciardo, Bottas was penalized with ten seconds, a penalty that did not affect his position in the finishing order (fifth). Toto Wolff praises Valtteri Bottas's race, calling him a perfect wingman, exactly the role played by Kimi Raikkonen twelve months ago when he did not attack Sebastian Vettel despite the German struggling due to steering arm damage. Valtteri Bottas does not take the compliment from his team principal well:
"First of all, I have to say that being called a wingman hurts. There was nothing positive for me in this race; I had to cover Kimi's strategy, and then in the end, I had no more tires to resist. The two incidents were race incidents; Vettel didn't leave me any space, and Ricciardo came at me. I need to talk to the team; the gap in the standings between me and Lewis is significant, there's nothing to say about that. The break will do me good; I need to disconnect for a while and not think about this sport for some time".
Shortly after, the Mercedes team principal tries to contextualize his statements:
"My words got out of control. Today, after finding himself in second place at the end of the first lap, Valtteri's race was the perfect wingman race. I wasn't talking about it in absolute championship terms. We don't have a number two driver".
Toto Wolff then expresses kind words for his driver, who appeared decidedly upset when called a wingman:
"The way he raced, I believe it's his best race since he's been with Mercedes. I have mixed feelings, though, because he deserved to finish in second place, where he started and where he was at the end of the first lap. Perhaps the word 'wingman' doesn't do him justice; he drove sensationally and helped Lewis build his leadership".
However one wants to see this matter, Mercedes concludes the first half of the season with leadership in both championship standings. Lewis Hamilton leads the Drivers' World Championship with a 24-point advantage over Sebastian Vettel, while Mercedes has only a 10-point advantage over Ferrari. Toto Wolff is very pleased at the end of the Hungarian Grand Prix, where the reigning champion achieved a victory that seemed very difficult beforehand. Ferrari, in fact, is currently the team to beat, and only the weather, combined with the skill of Lewis Hamilton and Valtteri Bottas, allowed Mercedes to overturn a verdict that seemed to favor Ferrari in Germany and Hungary.
"We came to Budapest to limit the damage, and instead, we go on vacation with even more points ahead. I'm not 100% satisfied because Bottas deserved the podium, but he had too worn-out tires in the end to defend the second position".
The Mercedes Team Principal knows that a performance improvement is needed to avoid succumbing in the second half of the season against the very fast Ferrari. In the meantime, the Anglo-German team in Hungary has finally solved a puzzle that has affected several races:
"I am very happy because I think we have made an important step in tire management this weekend".
Now, during the summer break, Mercedes will work to improve the power unit for the fast races in Belgium and Italy, appointments for which Ferrari has already prepared evolved power units mounted by customer teams in Hungary. The World Championship is on vacation, but work in the factory will continue without stopping.