RED BULL RACING STARTS HUNGARIAN GP IN TOP FLIGHT
2010-07-31 22:53:22 Author: admin Source:
The two Red Bull Racing (RBR) drivers staged an all out qualifying performance with Sebastian Vettel leading Mark Webber in the top ten shootout for the Hungarian Grand Prix. Vettel ran a total of 21 laps and posted the quickest pole time of 1.18.773, almost 5-tenth of a second ahead of his team mate. Vettel was also the only driver in the 1:18.
Vettel commented, "“I think the practice sessions didn’t really give a clear picture of each team’s pace, but qualifying was a lot closer. The Ferraris seem very quick again here, on both the long and short runs. They will be quick again in the race, and have proven many times this year that they can make a step forward from Saturday to Sunday. It’s a difficult track here, quite bumpy and rough, but the car feels good.”
Ferrari duo Fernando Alonso and Felipe Massa slotted in just behind the RBRs in third and fourth. Massa who returns to the GP venue of his horrific accident a year ago in a similar session tackled the Hungaroring as if the incident had never happened. He circulated the circuit for 25 laps in total and had very encouraging lap times in Q2 and Q3. Alonso had a slight performance advantage, judging from the sheer pace of both Ferraris. In the end, Alonso finished third with a 1.19.987 to start on the inside of Row 2 and his team-mate alongside him with a 1.20.331.
McLaren's 2008 champion Lewis Hamilton was the sole representative for the team in the top-ten shoot out as Jenson Button again failed to qualify for Q3. The defending champion's best effort in Q2 only netted an eleventh place for tomorrow's race.
Hamilton is relatively satisfied with his qualifying performance which was still a fraction slower than main rivals; the RBRs and Ferraris. The Briton had squeezed every bit out of the car to get into Q3 and battled hard throughout the 10-minute Q3 to get close to the top four qualifiers. But, in the final moments, the McLaren did not have the pace and maintained fifth to lead off the third row for Sunday's race. "Obviously, we’ll have to work hard again tomorrow – but, all things considered, it’s a good place for us to be starting from tomorrow: it’s on the clean side of the track, which is a positive, and it’s a long haul down to Turn One. Our car is the best it’s ever been at this circuit. And we’ll stay focused for tomorrow: I need to get as good a start as I’ve been getting for the past few races, stay clean, get around the first corner and keep moving forwards after that," he said.
Nico Rosberg also became the sole representative for Mercedes GP in sixth place with Michael Schumacher struggling for pace in qualifying to be accounted for in a dismal fourteenth position.
Surprising entries in the top ten include both Renaults of Robert Kubica and Vitally Petrov, Sauber's Pedro de la Rosa and Williams' rookie Nico Hulkenberg. Petrov, who qualified ahead of his team mate for the first time this season, quoted, "I think we did a good job today and I’m very happy to reach Q3 and to be starting seventh ahead of Robert because you first goal is always to be ahead of your teammate. We knew that the car would be quite good here and I have been very happy with the balance during the whole weekend."
Hulkenberg maintained his recent form of contesting all three sessions and completed Q3 in the top ten. After a strong start, Hulkenberg’s team-mate, Rubens Barrichello, fell foul of the short lap distance which created a busy Q2 session during which the Brazilian was unable to find sufficient track space with which to extract the best from the tyres. He will start tomorrow’s race in P12.
Results
1 Sebastian Vettel Red Bull 1:18.773
2 Mark Webber Red Bull 1:19.184
3 Fernando Alonso Ferrari 1:19.987
4 Felipe Massa Ferrari 1:20.331
5 Lewis Hamilton McLaren 1:20.499
6 Nico Rosberg Mercedes GP 1:21.082
7 Vitaly Petrov Renault 1:21.229
8 Robert Kubica Renault 1:21.328
9 Pedro de la Rosa Sauber 1:21.411
10 Nico Hulkenberg Williams 1:21.710
