And like that, in the end, Fernando Alonso will not participate into the tests of Silverstone scheduled for Wednesday, July 17, 2013. Exactly as he had decided and announced previously, scaring the entire Ferrari which was not informed of the decision. The news, seen like this, has a certain effect: the car after a decent start, although filled with many mistakes, is not performing well, the engineers, by their own admission, are not understanding anything about how to use the Pirelli tyres and Fernando, in front of a chance to try to recover a few tenths of a second (we are talking about tests dedicated to understanding the tyres), what does he do? He lets all the work to Felipe. At Ferrari, right now, they all defend the choice of their undisputed commander: useless tests, they say. And their words sound at the very least original, given that all the other top teams, which are going faster, will send their top driver (Red Bull Racing will send both of them). But Ferrari's position becomes even more incredible when you consider that Montezemolo has been preaching the need of doing tests over the course of the season for years (forbidden until this year):
"We are the only sport where it is forbidden to train".
Apparently mistaken, given that the Spaniard gave the counterorder: training in F1 is useless. Fernando Alonso confirms his refusal to do the tests of Silverstone:
"Why do I not go to the tests? Because it is not possible to practice. I have an important work on the simulator".
Says the Spanish driver on Twitter answering questions from the Tifosi who ask him why he will not take part into the Young Driver Test on the British circuit, where other than Davide Rigon, Felipe Massa will go for Ferrari.
"A day at the simulator to prepare for Hungary. Weeks of hard work and revision of the data from Budapest 2012 to improve them".
The teams will be busy in Silverstone, from Wednesday to Friday, for the official tests of the young drivers. It will be the occasion to develop the cars, to make young drivers race, but also to test the new P Zero tyres, which combine the 2012 construction and the 2013 compound and that will be used starting from the Hungarian Grand Prix. In agreement with the FIA, the annual allocation of provided sets for the tests has been brought up from 100 to 105. The P Zero tyres that will be used in Silverstone this week are with a 2012-style Aramid belt construction matched to the current compounds. The work will mainly focus on the set-up of the car-tyres package to get the maximum out of the new specification. Paul Hembery, Pirelli Motorsport Director, affirms:
"This test represents a valuable opportunity for the teams to gauge the new tyres and get their young drivers out on track. Considering the limited opportunities of tests during the year, it is important for each team, just like for us, to get the maximum out of these tests. The experience of the official drivers will be helpful and we cannot wait to hear their feedback. We don't expect that the new tyre specification presents differences in terms of driving compared to the previous one: the overall characteristics are similar. However, there will be a lot of useful work to do for the teams during these three days".
Initially reserved for drivers who had not done more than two Grand Prix in the season, the test has then been also opened to the official race drivers. In order to ensure that these tests have as their main goal to improve the safety of the tyres, the FIA has established that only one type of tyres will be used, with the 2012 construction, but with the Hard, Medium and Soft compounds from 2013. Moreover, in the case of the use of the official race drivers, the single-seater will not be able to see changes in the set-up during the tests. This led to the reaction of some drivers, including Fernando Alonso, who decided not to participate in the session itself.
Kimi Raïkkönen and both McLaren official race drivers will also not take part into the tests. On the first day, the fastest driver is the Danish Kevin Magnussen with McLaren, who completed 100 laps and precedes Paul of Resta with Force India on the timesheet, who is the first of the drivers present to put on the new tyres brought by Pirelli. The Red Bull Racing development driver, António Félix da Costa, ends in third place. The second day is however dominated by Toro Rosso, with Daniel Ricciardo ahead of Carlos Sainz Jr. Ricciardo, who also tests a Red Bull Racing over the course of the day, sets the third fastest time behind the wheel of the Anglo-Austrian single-seater. In the final day, the fastest time is set by Sebastian Vettel. The World Champion is ahead of Adrian Sutil, who sets the fastest time over the course of the morning. In the third place, there is Nicolas Prost with Lotus. Williams makes Susie Wolff tests the car. Like this, the curtain falls on the Young Driver Test in Silverstone, the venue of this year's event that saw ten of the teams engaged in the Formula 1 World Championship. Felipe Massa (author of 69 laps, sixth time) and Davide Rigon went out on track for Ferrari. The Brazilian driver says at the end of the tests:
"These tyres seem to work better for me, at least compared to what was seen during the race here. In three days, no one had any problems and from a safety point of view this is the most important message. The Hard prototypes seemed very hard to me, maybe not suitable for the races. I think that in the next Grand Prix we could move towards the choice of softer compounds, because they can sustain lower temperatures and last longer. The temperature is very important for our car, here for example in the race it did not help us but we will see what will happen in Hungary, where I expect a warmer climate. There, we need a lot of downforce and we hope to find the right solutions to be competitive".
Rigon, available since 2011 to the Maranello team for the activity of development of the car, is also satisfied:
"The report of those three days is positive, I didn't make mistakes and I learned a lot. We didn't look for the best time, neither worked on huge changes, we rather focused on the adjustment of the set-up to the new tyres. Now, I will share this experience with the colleagues of the simulator: I think that this test was very useful both for my work and for my growth, even if I don't see it as an end point because there is no limit to improvement, neither for me nor for the car".
The possibility that Fernando Alonso leaves Ferrari in case of a lack of the World Championship win is a nonsense.
Luis Garcia Abad, agent of the Spanish driver, is the one denying the rumors.
"I wouldn't recommend a change of team because of a lack of wins. Alonso is the fourth driver who has won the most Grand Prix in F1. Many have retired from Formula 1 without winning a single race and the sponsors benefit from a return from Fernando even without winning".
The last F1 Grand Prix before the summer break is scheduled on Sunday, July 28, 2013. The race will take place in Hungary, on the circuit near Budapest; then a long pause of 28 days before the next round of Spa-Francorchamps, in Belgium. The Hungarian Grand Prix always hosts a very high number of fans and, amongst the most supported drivers, there is Felipe Massa. Here, in 2009, on the Hungaroring circuit, Massa risked his life in a very unlucky crash. An episode that had a happy end and that contributed to make the Brazilian more popular than ever amongst the local fans.
"The Hungarian Grand Prix is a very special event to me. It reminds me of a lot of memories. Of course, there are some negative ones relating to my crash, but also positive ones, since today I am still here on the eve of the Budapest race in perfect health and ready to give the most. I love the Hungarian fans and after my crash I received even more support from these fans".
And he adds:
"It is a place where I am always happy to come back, and naturally I hope to be able to do a great race this weekend. It is a short circuit, with a lot of corners in a row and without long straights. Overtaking is very difficult, the changes of direction follow one another all along the track, but that element makes it enjoyable. It's a bit old-fashioned track, which turns out to be very tough in the race. But in the end, I always like to go back to these old tracks".
On paper the Hungaroring does not seem to be the track most suitable to the characteristics of the F138, and moreover the conformity of the track, which goes little with the overtaking maneuvers, makes the performance in qualifying even more important, that is one of the weaknesses highlighted by the Maranello team in this first phase of the World Championship. But Massa is not convinced that the predictions of the eve are already written verdicts.
"The preview proves that the characteristics of our single-seater are not adapted to that circuit and that it will be difficult for us to fight for the win. But I'm not sure this is an indisputable assessment, because we've seen in previous races some results that differ from our preview, both in positive and negative. I think that it will be very important to understand the reactions of the single-seater as soon as possible. This circuit requires all the downforce possible because the speed along the straight is not that important. We need a very stable car which is little aggressive with the tyres to avoid the degradation. I think that we can be competitive and I hope that our weekend can go in the opposite direction than the one indicated on our preview".
About the tyre matter.
"I expect that the tyres will be a critical issue again, especially in relation with the air temperature. The performance between qualifying and the race will be very different and I hope that the high temperatures can work in our favor".
Weather forecasts indicate very high temperatures throughout the week, with the mercury column expected at 37 °C on race day. The Hungarian Grand Prix will not only be the round that precedes the summer break but also the halfway point of the 2013 championship. A combination of factors that, in case of a great result, will give an extra boost in view of the second part of the season.
"For a driver, the most important thing is always the outcome of the race and I hope that this weekend can be very positive for me, so as to put behind me the last two races in which I did not get as much as I had hoped. Something always happened that didn't allow me to end up where I was supposed to be. What I hope the most is that I will be able to shake things, and that I will be able to go on holiday with the positive boost of a great result".
Fernando Alonso does not give up, and despite the fact that in Germany he moved further away from Sebastian Vettel, he was aiming to revive himself.
"I aim to close the gap to Vettel in Budapest. If we manage to catch up before the break, our morale would also benefit from that. For that, it will be an important weekend".
It seems that it will be 37 °C on Sunday at the moment of the race in Budapest. The Spanish driver is not worried.
"It doesn't change anything in terms of preparation. We will just have to be more elastic in terms of strategy, in case you need to make an extra stop because of the tyres. But we'll only know when we'll start free practice".
After the pit lane crash that occurred at the Nürburgring, the pit lane speed has been reduced and access to journalists has been restricted. Proposals are now under discussion to limit the speed at which pit stops are completed. Ideas that are approved by Alonso.
"When something happens in terms of security, we must always react and we all agree to improve it. Finding the right way isn't easy, but reducing the speed in the pit lane isn't bad, since there are fewer risks for the mechanics. Reducing the number of journalists in the pit lane during free practice is good because sometimes there are too many in the first and second sessions of Friday. For the pit stops, if a solution is found to increase stopping time to improve safety, I don't think anyone will disagree".
Regarding his last words, Alonso went on telling an anecdote about his first win in Formula 1 which happened precisely in Hungary, in 2003.
"I remember my father was here and I hugged him. In his life he did a normal job, worked in a company that made explosives for mines, while my mother worked in a mall. After the race, I said: we've won a Formula 1 race and this will remain in our lives. Even if we retire tomorrow, we'll always be proud of that win. Immediately after the checkered flag, I flew to Poland for an event scheduled for Monday. I don't know why, but that flight to Poland is one of my main memories: I wanted to celebrate with my family or fly to Spain to see my friends. And instead, I had to go to Poland!".
Four years have passed, but Felipe Massa cannot help being in Hungary without being asked about the crash in 2009, when he was hit in the head by the spring of a suspension lost by another single-seater. The Brazilian now jokes about it:
"I remember the 2008 race, but I don't actually remember anything from 2009. I've always loved this track, it goes well with my driving style but I've never managed to score an important result there. When I get here, my first thought is to be able to have a clean race and pick out that result that I came close to. I hope that this one will then be a great weekend".
Massa is optimistic:
"It will be a very hot weekend. And if you ask me what the best thing for us is, I'd say the heat".
There are times when the only feeling you can get is a crazy urge to go home, give up everything, close the door behind you and to hell with races. This is one of those moments for Fernando Alonso. On Thursday, July 25, 2013, he appeared in Ferrari's motorhome for the press conference on the eve of a race that was supposed to be a party for him (he won his first race here, ten years ago) and he can barely speak. He has a sign of those used for communications between team and driver with him:
"Our full support for the victims of Santiago".
Pedro de la Rosa, the Ferrari development driver, his friend and colleague, is with him. What crosses the mind of a driver in a moment like this one?
"Nothing. Just a lot of sadness".
Will you take any initiative?
"Nothing in particular, I'll be racing all weekend with an arm band".
When did you learn about it?
"This morning, just when I woke up".
And what did you think?
"About how stupid we are. And about what are the important things of life. One goes to bed the night before, all focused on his own things, his own problems, what's going well and what needs to get better, and then the next morning he wakes up, watches the TV, and in no time realizes how stupid, how useless, and how selfish he is. I have a huge feeling of frustration".
Why?
"The helplessness. I would like to have a watch to turn back time and change things, but such a watch does not exist and so I can only send my thoughts to the families affected by this immense tragedy. I'm with them. Not only my race – whatever the result will be – but my every effort will be devoted to them, in this difficult time".
A bit of rain, a bit of sun, a bit of heat. And so many of those thoughts that you struggle to find concentration. They arrive here in Budapest from everywhere. From Spain, from Italy, from the past and even from the future. And they confuse everything. Yet you have to make an effort and try not to think about anything other than Sunday's race, the tenth rendez-vous of this season increasingly dominated by the chemical bubbles of an indisputable Red Bull Racing. Alonso's worried face is all a program. He wanted to celebrate the tenth anniversary of his first Grand Prix won in F1. And instead, the Spaniard arrives in the press room, taking with him a sad look and a message for the victims of the train disaster in Santiago de Compostela. The will of racing: zero. Of celebrating: even less. And yet this is a show, and the mood is a detail. So, after a while, they all start talking about the Pirelli tyres, as if they were the most important thing in the world. And in a way they are: in today's F1 almost everything depends on the tyres, and here in Budapest the new – hopefully this time non-explosive – version of the P Zero, which someone in the paddock has taken to calling P Four, will debut.
"The tyres will change for the fourth time, we'll see".
Alonso sighs, resigned and aware that he has only one mission: to stop Vettel.
"We would need to get him off the Red Bull".
He joked earlier. Now, he corrects himself:
"I would need to manage to start close to him to stop him. At least enough to make the race difficult for him, force him into traffic, bother him".
The problem is that you would need a car.
"Last year, the problem was the wind tunnel, this year we don't know. Maybe I'd have to ask my bosses. Anyway, we hope that this difficult period is behind us…".
Also because otherwise the risk of having to prematurely put 2013 in the archive and focus on 2014 (as you do in F1 when you fail a season) would become concrete:
"But for now, we don't give ourselves a time limit. We proceed race by race. Let's try to take some points from Vettel here then, after the summer break, we aim to have a strong car like at the beginning of the year and at that point, when we are in Korea and Japan, we will do the math".
In short, everything, as usual, revolves around the car and how it will behave with these blessed P Four. A first idea will only be possible on Friday evening, after free practice. In the meantime, since Alonso curiously refused to take part into the tests in Silverstone, all we have to do is turn to Massa. The Brazilian – who is waiting for news of the renewal of his contract – went to Silverstone, and even at full speed. But he does not say too much:
"The tests? They were definitely useful. At least, we've understood that the tyres do not burst".
On Friday, July 26, 2013, it is understood that Red Bull Racing are also uncatchable in Hungary. Sebastian Vettel is once again also ahead of everyone at the end of the second session of free practice of the Hungarian Grand Prix, last round of the Formula 1 World Championship before the long summer break. The World Champion improves the performance of the morning, completing a lap in 1'21"264 and being ahead of only 0.044 seconds of his teammate, Mark Webber. Behind the two Red Bull Racing drivers, there is the Lotus of Romain Grosjean, 0.153 seconds behind, then both Ferrari of Fernando Alonso, fourth 0.162 seconds behind, and Felipe Massa, fifth 0.280 seconds behind. Both Mercedes are in difficulty with Lewis Hamilton, sixth more than 0.5 seconds behind Vettel, then Nico Rosberg 0.727 seconds behind. Kimi Raïkkönen is slower of 0.02 seconds because he was always in traffic when trying to do a flying lap with his Lotus. Sebastian Vettel had also finished the first session of free practice at the top of the timesheet. On the Hungaroring, the World Champion had completed a lap in 1'22"723, ahead of his teammate, Mark Webber and the Finn Kimi Raïkkönen, respectively 0.259 and 0.287 seconds behind. The Ferrari of Fernando Alonso was in fourth and then the other Lotus of Romain Grosjean. Then come Jenson Button, Adrian Sutil, Nico Rosberg, Sergio Perez and Pastor Maldonado. Felipe Massa is only in P15 with the other Ferrari as he had ended the session at more than 1.5 seconds behind Sebastian Vettel.
"Here - more than in other circuits - starting in front is extremely important and, for this reason, I think that everyone will try to optimize their qualifying, even at the cost of sacrificing a bit the race".
At the end of free practice on Friday, Fernando Alonso reiterates the importance of qualifying on the Budapest circuit.
"As it usually happens on Fridays, today again we have managed to give us an idea of the pace that we'll see on Sunday during the race. The conditions are pretty stable all weekend and this will help in the analysis of the times and strategies of the other teams to understand exactly where we are. The type of tyres has not changed, so we can count on the experience of last year as well as on the fact that they are the same for everyone. To gain an advantage over our rivals, we must fully understand them and as soon as possible".
Charon, or whatever it is called around here, roars in favor. And that is only one of the two positive news. The other is that the Ferrari engineers were wrong again and the F138 was, contrary to their predictions, very comfortable on the Budapest circuit. This is exactly the opposite of what happened, for example, in Silverstone, a circuit which they claim should have enhanced the characteristics of their creature, but which was instead the scene of a sporting carnage. On Friday, therefore, propelled by the scorching wind through the sweet Hungarian countryside, Maranello's revived cars found themselves miraculously chasing closely the two super competitive Red Bull Racing cars (let's say it too: from another planet). There was a lot of waiting for this Friday of free practice. After a first half of the season full of nonsense, Pirelli deserves some credit as they have finally agreed to return to the path of common sense and, even forced by obvious reasons of safety, have inaugurated a vintage operation: they have pulled out the good tyres of last year and presented them to the world as being new. The result - after deduction of the question: why did they not do it before? - has been more than appreciated and, in fact, for the first time at the end of a session, nobody complained. Actually, they all seemed satisfied. Red Bull Racing, who could still claim their technical superiority without having to fear sudden collapses of performance due to the sudden degradation of the compound, is satisfied; Lotus and Ferrari are satisfied as they can try to regain ground compared to the first of the class trying to make their own tyres last as long as possible, exploiting the characteristic kindness of their single-seater; all the others, who may not win but who at least will not risk to see their tyres explode without warning, in a corner or at 300 km/h, are also satisfied. And, you could bet that, on Sunday, even the spectators will be satisfied that finally, with only two pit stops expected, they will be able to see an entire Grand Prix at risk of even understanding it. If it is going to be a great Grand Prix, well that depends mostly on what Lotus and Ferrari can do. Starting firstly with Saturday. Overtakes are a complicated thing in Budapest. Thus, it is necessary to start in front. That is exactly where Ferrari has been doing worse for a few years.
"I would gladly sacrifice a bit of the race pace to have some tenths of a second more during qualifying".
Says a Fernando Alonso more satisfied than usual but intent on spurring the whole team towards what he believes to be the real key to the race. The Spaniard's dream is to start close to Vettel on Sunday, stay out of the traffic jams of the start, and attack his rival from the start to try to make it a hell of a race for him, perhaps to push him into traffic. It will be difficult but he will try. And it is not certain that it will fail, especially since some of the novelties brought on the track (not all in truth) seem to have given a hand. Other than Charon. On Saturday, July 27, 2013, Romain Grosjean sets the best time in the third and last session of free practice of the Hungarian Grand Prix. The Lotus French driver, who completes a lap in 1'20"730, is ahead of the Ferrari of Fernando Alonso and the McLaren of Sergio Perez, protagonist of an off track - without consequences - in the final minutes of the session. Fourth position for the Red Bull Racing of Sebastian Vettel, fifth one for the other Ferrari of Felipe Massa. Then, Lewis Hamilton, Mark Webber, Nico Rosberg, Jenson Button and Adrian Sutil. A few hours later, both Mercedes seats in the two highest positions of the timesheet with only one attempt with Soft tyres in Q1. Romain Grosjean is third. In this part, Esteban Gutiérrez, Paul di Resta, the two drivers for Caterham and for Marussia are eliminated. The German cars also confirm their competitiveness in Q2 claiming the two first positions of the timesheet. Mark Webber manages to get into the final part despite KERS not working. This part is very tight and the ten drivers getting into Q3 are only determined in the final moments. Jenson Button, both Williams, Adrian Sutil, Nicolas Hülkenberg and Jean-Éric Vergne are eliminated. In Q3, Lewis Hamilton takes the pole position with his last attempt, ahead of Sebastian Vettel by just 0.038 seconds; it is the thirtieth start in pole position of the career of the British driver. The second row is claimed by Romain Grosjean and Nico Rosberg.
In this part, Mark Webber does not complete any timed lap because of his KERS issue experienced in Q2. At the end of the session, the Lotus E21 of Romain Grosjean is initially found not in accordance with the regulation. The floor in the front part turns out more flexible of 5 millimeters than it should. The problem arose from the splitter rupture in that part of the car, due to the passage of a curb with the single-seater. Considering that this rupture was accidental and that therefore the extra flexibility of the nose of the car was not wanted, the FIA decided to put Grosjean back on the second row. Fernando Alonso is only fifth: the Spanish driver for Ferrari will start from the third row alongside the Finn Kimi Raïkkönen, who qualified sixth with his Lotus. Even more further back, the Brazilian Felipe Massa behind the wheel of his Ferrari, who did not go higher than the seventh position on a fourth row locked out by Daniel Ricciardo. The top ten is completed by the Mexican Sergio Perez and the Australian Mark Webber, held back by a KERS issue. For Hamilton, it is his third pole in a row and the fourth of his season: the British driver had also started ahead of everyone else last year in Hungary.
"It's already half a miracle to have arrived fifth. We can fight for the podium, finishing ahead of Vettel is not essential but almost".
Fernando Alonso speaks like that after qualifying for the Hungarian Grand Prix. The Ferrari Spanish driver will start on the third row, from the fifth position, far away from the Red Bull German driver who is on the first row alongside the British Lewis Hamilton.
"On the Nürburgring, we had arrived eight, in Silverstone ten. Coming back to the usual fifth position is good news, especially because I'm starting from the clean side of the track".
Fernando Alonso tries to think positive after qualifying.
"It's great to be on the odd-numbered side, we'll have to try to optimize the extra grip that we'll have tomorrow and overtake as many drivers as we can. Our rival is Vettel, we want to arrive at the stop with the smallest gap possible even if it won't be easy. Everything begins with the start, but if we do everything perfectly we can put him in difficulty. The podium? It's difficult but tomorrow the race will be a little bit more open. We don't 100% know the tyres and we'll need to see the temperatures. It's been quite some years that we didn't have 50 °C on the asphalt. Tomorrow, there is an open mind with the strategy, we can make two to four stops and we have to be opened regarding that".
Lewis Hamilton did not expect to claim the first position on the starting grid.
"I was surprised when they told me that I was in pole because my lap was not a big deal and because Sebastian (Vettel, ed) was doing very great. Then, I thought that he had done a mistake. It was hard given the temperature, this pole will securely be of great help and if at the end of the straight I'll be ahead, it will be a great advantage".
However, Sebastian Vettel does not hide his disappointment:
“Lewis has done a great work, maybe I wasn't aggressive enough on my final lap. Mercedes have a great qualifying pace and they have been very fast. Obviously, I would have loved being in pole but for tomorrow I have a great race pace, the car is great and I'm personally quite confident".
On Sunday, July 28, 2013, at the start of the Hungarian Grand Prix, Lewis Hamilton keeps the lead, followed by Sebastian Vettel, who fights with Romain Grosjean.
Fernando Alonso immediately climbs up into P4 while, further back, Felipe Massa makes contact with Nico Rosberg. The German goes off track and comes back only in twelfth position. Felipe Massa is fifth, followed by Kimi Raïkkönen, Mark Webber, Jenson Button and Daniel Ricciardo. The first three drivers immediately extend their lead compared to Fernando Alonso. Lewis Hamilton stops for his first change of tyres on lap 9, coming back on track in eighth place behind Jenson Button. One lap later, he overtakes the McLaren on the main straight, an overtake that will turn out to be crucial for the development of the race. Between lap 9 and lap 14, all the drivers present in the top ten and who had started with Soft tyres come back into the pits to change their tyres. Like that, Mark Webber, who puts on Medium tyres and has a different strategy, finds himself in the lead. The standings see, behind the Australian, Lewis Hamilton followed by Jenson Button (also yet to change his tyres), then Sebastian Vettel, Romain Grosjean, Fernando Alonso and Sergio Perez. Vettel tries to overtake Button but does not manage to. The German driver also damage his wing which helps Grosjean and Alonso getting closer to him. On lap 19, Raïkkönen overtakes Massa and climbs up into eighth place. On lap 23, Webber does his first change of tyres: Hamilton climbs up in first position again and extends his own lead, bringing it as high as 13 seconds. In fact, it is only on lap 24 that Sebastian Vettel manages to overtake Jenson Button, in difficulty with his tyres, so much so that the McLaren English driver is also overtaken by Romain Grosjean and Fernando Alonso during that same lap. Two laps later, Grosjean, who made contact with the English driver while overtaking, is forced to do a new change of tyres and falls down in seventh position. The French driver rapidly gains a position to the detriment of Felipe Massa, with an overtake on the outside at turn 4, in which however he puts all four wheels outside the limits of the track. On lap 32, Lewis Hamilton does his second change of tyres. Like this, Sebastian Vettel takes the lead. In this phase, Lewis Hamilton finds himself stuck behind Fernando Alonso and Mark Webber but he immediately overtakes the Australian over the course of lap 34, at the end of which he takes back the lead, following the pit stops of Sebastian Vettel and of Fernando Alonso, who change their tyres.
On lap 38, Romain Grosjean is forced to do a drive through because of his previous maneuver on Felipe Massa and he comes back on track in sixth position, behind Fernando Alonso. Lewis Hamilton continues leading, followed by Mark Webber, Kimi Raïkkönen, Sebastian Vettel and Fernando Alonso. Between lap 43 and lap 44, Mark Webber and Kimi Raïkkönen make their second pit stop. The Australian comes back on track in third position but he is again inevitably forced to stop at the pits to put on the Soft tyres. The Finn, who is now sixth, behind Fernando Alonso and Romain Grosjean, can instead aim at going until the end without stopping again. On lap 47, the French driver for Lotus anticipates his pit stop to overtake the Spaniard but he remains stuck behind Jenson Button and thus also remains behind the Ferrari which stops at the pits over the course of the following lap. Over the course of lap 51, Lewis Hamilton also does his final stop and comes back on track behind Mark Webber but overtakes him again, with an extremely decisive maneuver at turn 3. When Sebastian Vettel also does his final tyre change on lap 55, Lewis Hamilton retakes the lead of the race. Vettel is fourth, behind Webber and Raïkkönen, but ahead of Alonso. Mark Webber, at ten laps from the checkered flag, makes his final change of tyres and falls down in fourth position, behind Kimi Raïkkönen and Sebastian Vettel. The German driver tries in every way to overtake the Finn, who however resists with his now used tyres. Until the end, there are no other changes in the first positions. Lewis Hamilton wins the Hungarian Grand Prix, ahead of Kimi Raïkkönen and Sebastian Vettel at the finish line. Mark Webber is fourth, followed for his part by Fernando Alonso, Romain Grosjean, Jenson Button, Felipe Massa, Sergio Perez and Pastor Maldonado. Dominance of the Mercedes-Hamilton couple at the Hungarian Grand Prix (and luckily the German team did not participate - because of a punishment - in the last Pirelli tests, otherwise who knows what the gaps would have been...). A race won by force that left the others little satisfaction: even the unleashed Sebastian Vettel could do nothing against the demonstration of strength of Lewis: the German finally tried to claim the second place to the detriment of an incredible Kimi Raïkkönen, a beautiful duel to see but full of suffering for Sebastian who had to settle for the third place in the end. Webber is off the podium followed by Alonso, who was never really in the race.
It is true that, in the end, Fernando kept his starting position and managed to stay behind Romain Grosjean's Lotus and Jenson Button's McLaren, but the half-minute gap remedied by Hamilton cries out for revenge, as well as the eighth place for the other Ferrari, the one driven by Felipe Massa (and the gap of one minute from the winning Mercedes). Not only that: it is worth remembering Grosjean's questionable fine that cost him a 10-second penalty, otherwise Alonso would not have taken away the sixth-place finish from him. Here in Budapest, in fact, there are two bad news for Ferrari: in addition to Lotus, Red Bull and McLaren, Mercedes is now also joining the winners' group. And then Ferrari seems to have lost their greatest characteristic that so far has set them apart: competitiveness during the race, that famous race pace that allowed spectacular comebacks to the great Alonso. But, in hindsight, among the bad news for Ferrari there would also be a third one: the gap between the leader of the World Drivers' Championship standings, Sebastian Vettel, and Fernando Alonso is even overtaken by the Lotus driver, Kimi Raïkkönen. Indeed, after the Hungarian Grand Prix, the Spanish driver for Ferrari (133 points) is third, 39 points behind the German driver for Red Bull Racing, who leads the standings with 172 points. Kimi Raïkkönen is in second position with 134 points, while Lewis Hamilton is fourth in the standings, with 124 points, thanks to his win claimed in Budapest. Fernando Alonso, as it is known, is someone who likes to speak out, and even today he confirms his characteristic of never wanting to seek excuses:
"It's a difficult time for us, because we had doubts about our race pace at the end of yesterday's tests and these, unfortunately, were confirmed today. The fifth position on the starting grid was a miracle. Even today we did the race discreetly, considering that there were four teams faster than us. The aims of Ferrari? We'll fight until the end of the World Championship: there are still many races before the end and there are many points at stake. It's already been four years that we got the slowest car compared to the best. We need to catch up on the gap between us and the fastest. I'll work hard, together with the whole team, to improve our car. To catch up in the overall standings we have to try to win three or four races in a row".
It is also a Sunday to forget for Felipe Massa: eighth and an abysmal gap of a minute behind Sebastian Vettel. All that remains is to hope for the next Grand Prix:
"Spa is a different track, we hope that it will go better for our car. We hope to bring certain things on the car that could work, that would make us be faster. There's time to prepare in the best way possible the second part of that championship".
Everyone is celebrating today in Budapest. Everyone, except Ferrari. Walking through the paddock at about 6:00 p.m., when the heat evaporates to the top of the Hungarian hills, and you feel like breathing it all, this happiness. The happiest are the people of Mercedes, today they collect the fruit of three years of investments and maneuvers (not all very clean), and they are reflected in the gaze of a Lewis Hamilton beaming and bewildered before a horizon full of promises. A little further, there are the smiles of those of Red Bull Racing who prepare for the night the coolest party of the year (at least so they say) and meanwhile spoil their jewels - the ineffable designer Adrian Newey and the predestined driver Sebastian Vettel - determined on riding the wave of an intellectual, technical, sporting, even cultural supremacy, so long that it seems never to end. But perhaps, the happiest of all are the people of Lotus. Captained by that prodigy that is Kimi Raïkkönen, they have shown everyone that with some good ideas and a great driver, in F1 you can do a lot, even without budget. They have so much little money that in the factory they have closed the company restaurant and for some weeks they have fired the head of aerodynamics who insisted on planning too expensive developments for the car (he will go to Ferrari, next year), and yet the standing has not noticed. In an almost playful leap, Raïkkönen overtook Alonso and, in his language of hisses and murmurs, he sent a very clear message to Vettel. And then you might as well cool off playing with the bubbles and put Get Lucky once again on full blast. Then, however, continuing on the walk, you come in front of Ferrari's motorhome. And suddenly a dark halo wraps everything, things, men and moods. The heat is suffocating again and the sunset light is gloomy. Once again, the men in red did not do a great job.
Fernando Alonso ended his second Grand Prix in a row without doing any overtake, to not speak about Felipe Massa, already lost since Saturday. The car worsens in leaps and bounds: before, it was very slow in qualifying and fast in the race. Now, it is very slow in qualifying as well as in the race. The desperation is such that, by keeping talking about miracles, resurrections and hopes, the press conferences are beginning to look like funerals. The thing that jumps out is that nobody talks about the race. There is nothing much to say. Right from the start, it was understood that it would not be an easy race. Ferrari had few points left. Which are a few but could have been even less, had not been for the demerit of the rivals (the chaotic Grosjean, penalized who knows why by the stewards; and Nico Rosberg, author of a bad start). The sun sets behind the hills. A man dressed in red comes down a forklift carrying who knows what piece. He lights a Marlboro. He smiles.
"Come on, we're going on vacation now".
During August, Formula 1 takes a month of break. One month without races. That is the only good news, if you like. In the meantime, one question arises about one thing: did Fernando Alonso send encrypted messages or did he speak freely at the end of the Hungarian Grand Prix? Asking the Ferrari men, the impression is that the right answer is the second. However, hearing the person concerned, there has still some doubts. It all starts with a joke by the Spaniard, who is celebrating is birthday today. What would you like as a present?
"The car of the others".
Alonso answers, referring to all three single-seaters that preceded him today. It is a not so nice joke about the people with whom the Spaniard works every day. The first person to understand it was Vettel. The second was Domenicali. Who, however, avoids giving it a follow-up:
"We'll try to offer him a faster car and that's it".
And that is really good, but actually, it is all there is to see since from the Ferrari garage more than one person (between mechanics and engineers) begins to suffer the continuous jabs of the driver who, in press conference, certainly does not hide himself. Is Alonso going to lose his patience?
"No. Actually. Patience is essential, especially in a difficult time, like this, when we have taken a step backwards. We've got two Lotus, two Mercedes and two Red Bulls ahead of us and we have to stay united and continue doing the maximum. That's what has allowed us in recent years to stay in the race until the very end".
However, they have seen his manager meeting the Red Bull Team Principal.
"I'm good at Ferrari. Obviously, we have to improve the car to have the opportunity to win the World Championship. After Silverstone, we've understood where the problem was and we're working on it. We're already expecting upgrades for Spa, Monza and Singapore. There are still nine races to go, 225 points to take, we've got the team, the time and even the budget. I don't see any reason not to believe in it".
But it is not understood if it is a hope or an opinion of his.
"I hope so. The fact is that I'm not the one with the pen in hand drawing the parts in Maranello. There are people paid to do that. I drive to the maximum. Today, I was in condition to fight for the seventh and eighth place and I finished fifth. Our work on track, with the strategy, the pit stops, the mechanics, the drivers and the engineers is more than acceptable, perhaps not the best but neither the worst. Now, we expect new parts. I'm not talking about things that give us three extra tenths but that at least put us at the level of the others. When it happened in the past, in Barcelona, we put both drivers on the podium. If now we get a competitive car for the next races, we can easily close the gap for the World Championship".
From one to ten, give a rate to the feeling with the team.
"Ten. The team is super, there's not a man who doesn't fight for the win, and who wouldn't throw himself under the car to gain a single position. Sometimes things don't work our way, like in Silverstone. But that's another story, which has to do with the wind tunnel and the simulator, with things that remain unknown to us here on the track. We have to stick together, and wait for the magic touch, the part that comes and allows us to be competitive again".
Stefano Domenicali, Ferrari's Team Principal, uses the boxing metaphor to chart a route out of the storm. The season had begun under a completely different sign.
"We're like the boxers. We've received a hit that has hurt us. But, precisely like the boxers, we have to react. We need to be able to endure, catch our breath and be ready to return the hit at the first opportunity".
The car was performing well and the rivals were chasing. But then, July arrived.
"A month below expectations that changed everything".
And which forced Ferrari to run for cover.
"Now, we have to work a lot at Maranello. Firstly, on the aerodynamic groupset which has been our problem for some years. And then, on the mechanical groupset: their aim is to study at best the new Pirelli tyres. They will be decisive".
But the technical aspect is not the only one on which Domenicali will intervene. The team, Alonso in the lead, seems to be experiencing a palpable nervousness and if things worsen it could become uncontrollable.
"I expect an important reaction from our men. World Championships are won with the best car but also with the capacity of maximizing the result during difficult times. And by sticking together overall. It is useless to talk about negative things, fears or nervousness. Let's talk about what we have to do and let's do it".
A hard and direct outburst. Luca Cordero di Montezemolo opened the meeting with Stefano Domenicali and the technicians of the Maranello team in the aftermath of a disappointing Hungarian Grand Prix, with very clear words especially in terms of performance:
"I don't like a Ferrari like the one I saw yesterday in the race".
Ferrari's Chairman demanded an immediate change of register to already resume from Spa to fight for the win, as had happened until the Canadian Grand Prix. Montezemolo wants a breakthrough: each of the technicians present at the meeting received a free knife and an invitation - metaphorical but to a certain extent... - to put it between their teeth thinking about the approach to the second half of the championship.
"This is certainly not the time to argue about who is responsible for this or that decision, also because everything is possible with nine Grand Prix still to be done. There are the available points and the potential to score enough of them to win and Montezemolo is doing everything to ensure the team resources and support, as demonstrated by the announcement of the arrival to Maranello of James Allison, from Lotus, already starting from the next September 1st. But we must close the ranks, without letting ourselves go to vent as, while understandable in the immediacy of a negative result, it does not benefit anyone".
Here, it is a reference to the last declarations of Fernando Alonso.
"That neither Montezemolo nor the whole team have liked. Like that, when Montezemolo called the Spanish driver to wish him a happy birthday this morning, he also pulled his ears, reminding him that all the great champions who drove for Ferrari have always been asked to put the interests of the team ahead of personal ones. This is the time to remain calm, avoid controversy and make a humble and determined contribution, standing close, on track and off track, to the team and its men".
But Montezemolo does not hold back from also criticizing Pirelli. Ferrari's Chairman and the team's men did not like the introduction of the new tyres, which contributed to artificially altering values on the track.
"The technical analysis carried out together with Montezemolo has been very thorough, without neglecting anything, including the introduction of the new tyres that took place during the last two races, a variable that has certainly not been favorable to Ferrari. A choice, that of Pirelli, that has contributed to artificially alter the values on the track and that the Chairman and the men of the Scuderia did not like. This aspect will be discussed again in the near future".
The reading of the Ferrari statement (which also announces the hiring of the new head of aerodynamics James Allison, from Lotus, and an upcoming controversy, also too late, with Pirelli, finally found guilty of artificially altering the values of the championship), must have left the Spaniard stunned, who since arriving at Maranello has always behaved in the same way, without anyone ever telling him anything, even counting very often on covers and internal supports. There are many cases, starting with a series of behaviors in the 2012 boycott with the main event of the team, the costly winter presentation of the season (Wroom), until the skipped tests in 2013, passing through the internal purges of personnel not liked by him and the constitution of a clan in the Emilian center of Maranello. Not to mention the hundreds of buck-passing declarations issued at more or less each race. While waiting to find out what reaction the Spanish driver will have, it remains to record how, despite the fact that the relations between the two parties have reached record lows, the market rumors which claim that Red Bull is attracted by an Alonso idea are without foundation. In the Hungaroring paddock, on Friday, secret talks would have taken place between Christian Horner, Team Principal of Red Bull Racing, and Luis Garcia Abad, agent of the Spanish Ferrari driver.
The talk, according to Ferrari and Abad, was about the future of Carlos Sainz Jr, a young driver represented by the agent. But Christian Horner claims, without saying too much:
"Each conversation with a driver will always remain confidential".
Red Bull Racing, as it is known, is looking for a driver to join the German Sebastian Vettel, since the Australian Mark Webber will leave Formula 1 at the end of the season. Alonso is linked to Ferrari by a contract valid until 2016 and has repeatedly stated that he will end his career in the circus behind the wheel of a red car. Even his fourth season with the Prancing Horse, however, risks to end without the finishing touch of the title.
"Obviously several drivers, as you can imagine, have expressed interest in the seat that will be vacated by Webber. Is Alonso available? I don't know, ask him. That sounds interesting. We need to think about the team and we want to line up the right pair. Last week, there were rumors about Kimi Raïkkönen, now it's about Fernando".
But the reigning World Champion says:
"I have nothing against Fernando, I respect him a lot as a driver. But with Kimi, respect is both on and off the track because he's always been very direct with me. From this point of view, it might be a little easier".
The point is that neither Ferrari nor Fernando Alonso have real alternatives. Ferrari would struggle to find around a faster driver than the Spaniard, and Alonso who over the years has been arguing with everyone, with Hamilton, with McLaren, with Renault (Lotus) and with Vettel, would hardly find at 32 years old another seat, especially at the current 25.000.000 euro of recruitment. In short, all that remains is to end with the words of those who know the situation well, the scout-mentor (and perhaps even something more) of Alonso, Flavio Briatore:
"The truth is that nothing happened. The Ferrari from Barcelona has not been competitive, and drivers should not talk after the races, they are tired, stressed, do not control what they say. Ferrari wants to win with Alonso and Alonso wants to win with Ferrari. The team creates the car, the driver drives it. The rest is idle talk".