2008 Hungarian Grand Prix

Infobox Grand Prix race report
Type = F1
Grand Prix = Hungarian
Country = Hungary
Date = 3 August
Year = 2008


Caption = Hungaroring (GP track)
Race_No = 11
Season_No = 18
Official name = XXIII ING Magyar Nagydíj
Location = Hungaroring, Budapest, Hungary
Course_mi = 2.72
Course_km = 4.38
Distance_laps = 70
Distance_mi = 190.55
Distance_km = 306.66
Weather = Sunny; Air 29-32°C, Track 43-49°C
Pole_Driver = Lewis Hamilton
Pole_Team = McLaren-Mercedes
Pole_Time = 1:20.899
Pole_Country = Great Britain
Fast_Driver = Kimi Räikkönen
Fast_Team = Ferrari
Fast_Time = 1:21.195
Fast_L

Fast_Country = Finland
First_Driver = Heikki Kovalainen
First_Team = McLaren-Mercedes
First_Country = Finland
Second_Driver = Timo Glock
Second_Team = Toyota
Second_Country= Germany
Third_Driver = Kimi Räikkönen
Third_Team = Ferrari
Third_Country = FinlandThe 2008 ING Hungarian Grand Prix was the eleventh race of the 2008 Formula One season. It was held from 1 to August 3 at the Hungaroring, just outside Budapest.

The race was won by McLaren's Heikki Kovalainen, who took his maiden Formula One victory. Timo Glock and Kimi Räikkönen were also on the podium.

Report

Background

Prior to the race, all teams conducted testing sessions at Circuito Permanente de Jerez between 22-25 July. [cite web
url=http://www.formula1.com/news/headlines/2008/7/8137.html
title=Jerez plays host to pre-Hungary test
publisher=Formula1.com
date=2008-07-22
accessdate=2008-07-29] Sebastian Vettel of Toro Rosso dominated most of the first day's session, carrying out testing on aero and mechanical work. Ferrari's Luca Badoer and Toyota's Jarno Trulli tested on Bridgestone slick tires, as a preparation for 2009 season. BMW Sauber's test driver Christian Klien tested the new KERS system for their modified F1.07C car, another change slated for the next season. Unfortunately he could not continue after a brief first run when one of the mechanics suffered an electric shock when the car came into the pits. The team hence decided to halt the testing of the new electric system. [cite web
url=http://www.formula1.com/news/headlines/2008/7/8142.html
title=Jerez day one - Vettel sets the pace in Spain
publisher=Formula1.com
date=2008-07-22
accessdate=2008-07-29] [cite web
url=http://www.autosport.com/news/report.php/id/69394
title=BMW halt KERS testing after scare
publisher=autosport.com
date=2008-07-22
accessdate=2008-07-30]

Vettel topped the testing timecharts again on Wednesday. He, along with Red Bull's Mark Webber and Honda's Alexander Wurz tried out the Bridgestone slick tires. Force India started their testing on Wednesday with their VJM01's new seamless shift gearbox through test driver Vitantonio Liuzzi. Both Trulli and Ferrari's Kimi Räikkönen tested focusing on forthcoming races. [cite web
url=http://www.formula1.com/news/headlines/2008/7/8145.html
title=Jerez day two - Vettel keeps Toro Rosso on top
publisher=Formula1.com
date=2008-07-23
accessdate=2008-07-29]

Many of the teams tested the new slick tires during their Thursday testing. Webber topped the lap timings while working on aero development work and suspension changes. Räikkönen and Liuzzi continued their tasks from previous day. Timo Glock returned to testing for his team Toyota for the first time since his accident in the previous race. McLaren's Pedro de la Rosa ran a short testing session due to an oil leak and engine change. [cite web
url=http://www.formula1.com/news/headlines/2008/7/8148.html
title=Jerez day three - Webber fastest for Red Bull
publisher=Formula1.com
date=2008-07-24
accessdate=2008-07-29]

Heikki Kovalainen, who joined the McLaren team on the final day for testing, was fastest among all drivers for the session. The teams focused mainly on evaluating the car changes ahead of the race. [cite web
url=http://www.formula1.com/news/headlines/2008/7/8153.html
title=Jerez day four - Kovalainen ends Spanish test on top
publisher=Formula1.com
date=2008-07-25
accessdate=2008-07-29]

Practice

In the first practice on Friday August 1, Ferraris of Massa and Räikkönen led the timesheets ahead of their McLaren counterparts Kovalainen and Hamilton. Renault's Fernando Alonso was fifth, with Glock in Toyota coming sixth. Sebastian Vettel of Toro Rosso ran a short stint of mere four laps when a mechanical problem forced him to end his run. He ended up at the bottom of the charts. [cite web
url=http://www.formula1.com/news/headlines/2008/8/8177.html
title=Practice one - Ferrari dominate opening session
publisher=Formula1.com
date=2008-08-01
accessdate=2008-08-03] The second practice had Hamilton as their leader, with Piquet running second. Their respective teammates Kovalainen and Alonso were third and fourth. Vettel once again failed to record significant lap timings when his car failed following a five laps run due to a similar problem from the earlier session. [cite web
url=http://www.formula1.com/news/headlines/2008/8/8178.html
title=Practice two - Piquet prevents a McLaren one-two
publisher=Formula1.com
date=2008-08-01
accessdate=2008-08-03] Saturday's session once again had Hamilton at the top, with Massa and Glock second and third. Kovalainen and Piquet were fourth and fifth. Nick Heidfeld in the BMW Sauber managed sixth position, but his teammate Robert Kubica was at the bottom of the pack due to a mechanical failure. [cite web
url=http://www.formula1.com/news/headlines/2008/8/8186.html
title=Final practice - Massa heads the Hamilton chase
publisher=Formula1.com
date=2008-08-02
accessdate=2008-08-03]

Qualifying

In the first session, Hamilton and Massa set the early pace, with Hamilton over six tenths of a second quicker than his teammate Kovalainen. Räikkönen found himself being pushed in to 6th place behind the two Toyotas of Glock and Trulli. Heidfeld, Nakajima, Barrichello, Fisichella and Sutil were eliminated at the end of the session. Heidfeld was interfered by multiple cars in his final flying lap, but was most significantly blocked by Sébastien Bourdais as he approached the start-finish line.cite web
url=http://www.formula1.com/news/headlines/2008/8/8188.html
title=Qualifying - selected driver quotes
publisher=Formula1.com
date=2008-08-02
accessdate=2008-08-12] Bourdais was thus penalised five grid places at the start of the race. [cite web
url=http://www.formula1.com/news/headlines/2008/8/8190.html
title=Bourdais penalised for blocking Heidfeld
publisher=Formula1.com
date=2008-08-02
accessdate=2008-08-12]

During the second session, Massa set the quickest time of both sessions so far, with Glock putting in a quick lap to put himself ahead of both McLarens, where Kovalainen reduced the gap between himself and Hamilton in this session. Räikkönen again found himself behind Jarno Trulli. Nico Rosberg did not take part in the session due to a hydraulic problem. Vettel, Button, Coulthard, Bourdais and Rosberg were eliminated.

Hamilton took the pole position in the final session, his teammate Kovalainen beating Massa for second spot on the grid. Massa rued his tire selection for the qualifying and the traffic he faced during final session. Kubica managed an improved fourth position in comparison with earlier sessions. Glock, after setting an early fast lap scored his career best fifth position so far. Räikkönen docked sixth ahead of Alonso, Webber, Trulli and Piquet Jr.

Race

Massa in third on the grid, overtook both McLarens at the start off the grid, to lead. Glock overtook Kubica, Räikkönen was overtaken by Alonso and Vettel ran wide at the final corner losing several positions. Massa and Hamilton pulled away from Kovalainen on the first lap. Massa was quicker than Hamilton, in the opening stages of the race. Massa had a 3.5 second lead over Hamliton at his pit-stop on lap 18, Hamilton pitted on lap 19.Räikkönen was behind Alonso when Massa rejoined the track just ahead of Alonso, while Hamilton came out behind Räikkönen.

Once the lead cars had made their first pit-stops, the top four of Massa, Hamilton, Kovalainen and Glock remained unchanged. Kubica, re-joined in 9th his pit stop. Vettel retired on lap 22 after his engine overheated at his pit-stop, burning parts of the car. Coulthard stayed out until lap 29, reaching 5th before part of his floor became damaged, resulting in thirteenth place after his stop. Barrichello, Bourdais, and Nakajima all experienced fires during their first pit-stops; none retired as a result.

Massa's lead to Hamilton was five seconds, until lap 40 when Hamilton developed a puncture. Hamilton returned to the track in 10th place, after pitting. Massa had a 23 second lead over Kovalainen, after Hamilton's puncture. Glock, Kovalainen and Massa made their second pit-stops shortly after Hamilton's puncture. Massa and Kovalainen rejoined first and second and Glock in fifth behind Piquet and. Further back in the field, Fisichella collided with Bourdais and Nakajima in separate incidents, but all three cars continued in the race.

Räikkönen passed Alonso during the second pit-stops, with Hamilton up to sixth behind Alonso. Räikkönen was 1.5 seconds faster than Glock and closed the gap with 8 laps left in the race. Adrian Sutil's Force India had a puncture on the main straight as a result of a brake problem, leading to total brake failure and his retirment.

With 5 laps remaining, Räikkönen was less than a second behind Glock; Hamilton had closed the gap to Alonso to 3 seconds by this point. With 3 laps remaining, Massa retired due to an engine failure on the main straight. Räikkönen's pace dropped off shortly after wards due to a mechanical problem at the rear of his car.

Kovalainen won his first race, with Glock on his maiden podium in second, and Räikkönen finished third. Alonso was fourth and Hamilton recovered from the earlier puncture to finish fifth, 1.5 seconds behind Alonso. Piquet, Trulli and Kubica scored 3, 2 and 1 points respectively. 18 of 20 runners were classified in the race.

Classification

Qualifying

*fnb|1 Sébastien Bourdais was docked five places on the grid for impeding Nick Heidfeld during first qualifying. [cite news|url=http://www.autosport.com/news/report.php/id/69625|title=Bourdais given five-place grid penalty |date=2008-08-02|publisher=Autosport.com|accessdate=2008-08-02]

Race

Notes

* Lap Leaders: Felipe Massa 60 (1-18, 22-44, 49-67), Lewis Hamilton 1 (19), Heikki Kovalainen 9 (20-21, 45-48, 68-70)
* First win: Heikki Kovalainen
** Kovalainen was the 100th driver to win a Formula One Grand Prix. [cite news |url=http://www.autosport.com/news/report.php/id/69649 |title=Kovalainen inherits Hungarian GP win |publisher=autosport.com |date=2008-08-03 |accessdate=2008-08-03]
* First podium: Timo Glock

References

External links

* [http://www.manipef1.com/results/2008/hungary.php Detailed Hungarian Grand Prix results]
* [http://www.fia.com/en-GB/sport/championships/f1/hungary/Pages/race_classification.aspx Official FIA results]

F1 race report
Name_of_race = Hungarian Grand Prix
Year_of_race = 2008
Previous_race_in_season = 2008 German Grand Prix
Next_race_in_season = 2008 European Grand Prix
Previous_year's_race = 2007 Hungarian Grand Prix
Next_year's_race = 2009 Hungarian Grand Prix