Hungarian GP 2014 News&Team quotes.

[Rob]

Hungarian Polka.
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Maranello, 21 July –Sunday sees the 29th edition of the Hungarian Grand Prix. The race has always been held at the Hungaroring, on the outskirts of Budapest and the track has gone through various modifications, but nothing significant. Scuderia Ferrari has won here five times, making an 18% hit rate.

Behind the Iron Curtain. The race first appeared on the calendar in 1986 and it caused considerable fuss as it was the first time Formula 1 had gone behind the Iron Curtain, at a time when the Cold War was still real and the sports world had only recently dealt with the political boycotting of the Olympics in Moscow in 1980 and Los Angeles in 1984. However, it proved to be a good choice, as the race still draws one of the biggest crowds of the year, even if the circuit itself is narrow, short, slow, always dirty and provides very few overtaking opportunities. Nevertheless, some of the greatest exploits in Formula 1 have taken place here.

The achievement of 1989. One of those exploits was down to Nigel Mansell and Ferrari. The Englishman had nothing to smile about after qualifying down in 12th place. However, he made a good start and immediately made up four places. Out in front, Riccardo Patrese led from Ayrton Senna. Mansell staged an incredible climb up the order, lapping a second faster than anyone else. Once Patrese went out, the battle for the win came down to Senna and Mansell, but it seemed impossible that the Ferrari man would manage to get past. But then came a remarkable piece of driving, as Mansell swept past Senna, when the Brazilian hesitated for a moment coming up to lap Stefan Johansson in the Onyx. Incredibly, Nigel won by 25 seconds from Ayrton.

The Schumacher era. The world had to wait until 1998 to see Ferrari on top again in Hungary and this time it was down to Michael Schumacher. The German produced another of his bravura performances. He had more pace than the McLarens ahead of him, so Ross Brawn decided to switch him from a two stop to a three stop strategy. In order for it to succeed, the German would have to run at qualifying pace and he managed it, thus beating both Mika Hakkinen and David Coulthard. 2001 was a particularly enjoyable time in Hungary for Schumacher and Ferrari, as Michael won from team-mate Rubens Barrichello to become World Champion with four races in hand. The following year the two men crossed the line in formation, with the win going to the Brazilian. 2004 was the last time a Ferrari won and Michael Schumacher mopped up the records, as he equaled Hakkinen’s record of 9 fastest race laps in a season and Ascari’s seven consecutive victories.

Fernando’s First. The Hungaroring was the venue for Fernando Alonso’s first ever Formula 1 win, which came in 2003, as the Spaniard brought Renault back to the winner’s circle for the first time in 20 years. It rounded off a perfect weekend, which began with Alonso taking pole and, at 22 years and 26 days, he became the youngest Grand Prix winner in history.

The big scare. The Hungaroring is also the venue of one the Scuderia’s most worrying moments. In 2009, during qualifying, Felipe Massa was hit by damper, which had come off Ruben’s Barrichello’s Brawn. The Brazilian was knocked unconscious and crashed into the barriers. He was taken to hospital and eventually made a complete recovery, returning, as normal, to the cockpit the following year.

- See more at: http://formula1.ferrari.com/news/hungarian-polka#sthash.qJ9PzSnZ.dpuf

[Rob]

Hembery expects two-stop strategies in Budapest.

The Pirelli is confident that the tires will perform well in any environmental condition
July 21, 2014 15:25 Hembery expects two-stop strategies in Budapest

Pirelli and all teams will travel a journey of 800 kilometers from Hochenheim in Budapest for the European single trip of the season between the two races in a row. L ' Hungaroring , the first F1 circuit built in the era of the former Iron Curtain in 1986, is a permanent track with so many features from street circuit, with narrow, winding curves and a low-grip surface that lead to the pursuit of maximum mechanical grip. In the past, the races are often in hot weather, but the rain has often been an important variable.

Pirelli will bring the tires P Zero White medium and P Zero Yellow soft . This combination was chosen to provide the best compromise between the required performance and resistance, also in consideration of the possible high ambient temperatures. Although the ' Hungaroring is not particularly demanding on the tires, a series of curves practically uninterrupted causes the compounds do not have sufficient time to cool down in the course of a ride.

Paul Hembery , Pirelli's motorsport director, said: " Hungary is famous for its tricky circuit, where it is difficult to surpass and also find a setting that is ideal for the whole ride. Given the difficulty of overtaking, the strategy is to play a decisive role, as it offers one of the few opportunities to gain positions on the track. The weather is usually a strong point of variability in Hungary, but after seeing how our tires have performed on the hot circuit Hackenheim on Sunday , we are confident on our performance in all environmental conditions. The compounds that we carry in Hungary are slightly harder to meet the high demand technique: we expect a two-stop strategy, as in the majority of GP, but we will have a better idea clear after Friday practice . "

Jean Alesi , technical consultant Pirelli: " In recent years, the Hungaroring has changed positively.'s a circuit that requires maximum downforce, because of the many slow corners and many points in stop-and-go, but some places allow you to push to the maximum. Having good traction remains the main technical challenge, and it will be crucial to keep the rear tires in good condition for not losing grip and maintain maximum braking efficiency. then The track features some crucial points. curve after the second box, for example, a left down that looks fast but it is not: you have to keep in order to have the best trajectory for the right-hander that follows and begins the climb. This is the real key point Hungaroring, each curve affects the next. I think this year the race will be even more difficult in the many curves have to modulate the throttle with special attention, given the torque so much more than in the past. So it will be very difficult to maintain the ideal trajectory . "

http://www.omnicorse.it/magazine/40251/f1-hembery-si-aspetta-strategie-a-due-soste-a-budapest

[stefa]

Sadly I am not going this year, which will be mine 20th consecutive time to go there... (Un)fortunately I don't think I'll miss much...

[Winter]

Sadly I am not going this year, which will be mine 20th consecutive time to go there... (Un)fortunately I don't think I'll miss much...

Lets just hope that you'll miss something very special :-)

Can you tell, what would be the best/easiest way to get there from Budapest? I was thinking to get a taxi..?

[stefa]

Lets just hope that you'll miss something very special :-)

Can you tell, what would be the best/easiest way to get there from Budapest? I was thinking to get a taxi..?

Here you can find all info:

http://hungaroring.hu/index.php?lang=en&id=1&sub_id=3

:-)

[BigGar32]

Ah Schumacher in 98. Those were the days. Stunning drive and up there with his very best!!

[stefa]

Ah Schumacher in 98. Those were the days. Stunning drive and up there with his very best!!

Something I'll NEVER forget. I was on the track as soon as MS passed finish line......

[sav_pap]

That's gonna be another "fantastic" winningless weekend 😠

[shamim179]

I expect a tough race tougher than Germany. Overtaking is difficult and almost all the other teams are making considerable performance progress. Getting into the points should be our target.

[stefa]

This is going to be one hell of a though weekend for Ferrari. Characteristics of Hungaroring does not help at all! For the time being rain is fore casted for Sunday. But than again it was also fore casted for last Sunday race and it never fell....

[Rob]

Hungarian GP – Allison: “Much work on both projects”

Maranello, 22 July – The Tour de France, currently in full swing, has a daily prize at the end of each stage known as the Combativity Award, given out to the most aggressive rider. If Formula 1 did the same, chances are Fernando Alonso would be winning that accolade, for his duels with Vettel in the British GP and with Ricciardo in last Sunday’s German GP.

“It was good to bring Fernando home a little bit ahead of where he started in Hockenheim,” reflects Scuderia Ferrari’s Technical Director James Allison. “Sunday’s race was exciting for us because there were lots of close-fought battles, plenty of overtaking and as far as we were concerned, lots of little dramas for us to manage, arriving at the finish line having monitored fuel consumption and the ERS system, all while keeping an eye on the ever present threat of rain during the race.

“However, it was disappointing that we didn’t manage to get Kimi into the points even if some of that was down to the damage sustained to his front wing earlier in the race.” In Germany, Kimi confirmed that changes to the F14 T meant that he was beginning to feel more comfortable with the handling of the car, so hopefully in Hungary, a race that sees the biggest turnout of the year from Finnish fans, he can get a result worthy of his talent.

Hot weather was the dominant factor in Germany, apart from race day and similar conditions can be expected at the Hungaroring. “It’s usually very hot which is a challenge for the drivers but also for the cars and their cooling systems,” confirms Allison. “The heat will most especially affect the Energy Recovery System, because it’s a short lap with no real straights and there will be a fair amount of energy passing to and from the battery. The track itself is usually very dusty and dirty for the start of free practice, but then evolves very quickly as the rubber goes down.”

The mathematical halfway mark of the season was passed a while ago, but the Hungarian weekend leads into the official mid-season two week break. “One week after the Hungarian Grand Prix, we are not allowed to do any work in the factory,” explains the Englishman. “So we will be trying to fit quite a lot into that week, to be ready to be up and running again immediately after we return, to be prepared for the next Grand Prix in Belgium”.

“This stage of the season always marks the transition point between the current racing car and the next season’s car, with resources in the factory transitioning from one to the other,” continues Allison. “So it’s a time of much work on both projects, with plenty of effort still going into improving lap time on the 2014 car, while pushing ahead with the 2015 project.”

- See more at: http://formula1.ferrari.com/news/hungarian-gp-allison-much-work-projects#sthash.9VrY0t7v.dpuf

[fratelliferrari]

Can' believe how fast times go! I was there last year! Hopefully we can get a better result but I think it will be tough :pray

[ferenc_k]

Can' believe how fast times go! I was there last year! Hopefully we can get a better result but I think it will be tough :pray

I will be there for sure, living roughly 20 minutes from the track.

[Kiwi Nick]

Arrive early and leave late! Any trip to the Hungaroring should be at least 5 days, because Budapest is a great city.

[fratelliferrari]

Arrive early and leave late! Any trip to the Hungaroring should be at least 5 days, because Budapest is a great city.

I can only agree with that! Budapest is a great city eventhough I didn't like the train without airco to Hungaroring with 34 Degrees Celcius last year :lol

[stefa]

I can only agree with that! Budapest is a great city eventhough I didn't like the train without airco to Hungaroring with 34 Degrees Celcius last year :lol

Maybe this year you are going to be sacking wet, as thunderstorms are predicted for Sunday :-)

[ARUN M KARUNAN]

Another hot track.no hope for scuderia

[fratelliferrari]

Maybe this year you are going to be sacking wet, as thunderstorms are predicted for Sunday :-)

Sadly I won't go this year :-s Too expensive but instead I go to Maranello :-D

[stefa]

Sadly I won't go this year :-s Too expensive but instead I go to Maranello :-D

Me also. On 27th I am flying to Greece for summer vacation. But instead I am going to Abu Dhabi for the season finale :-D

[Kyss4k]

Oki guys, departing shortly :) Hopefully those thunderstorms won't happen after all :P Have a great race, hopefully there will be a time to check what's goin on here and to post some info once I get on hotel room or from track, if my mobile internet will work :)

Have a great fun everyone. Cya! :ferrarifl

[Hornet]

Oki guys, departing shortly :) Hopefully those thunderstorms won't happen after all :P Have a great race, hopefully there will be a time to check what's goin on here and to post some info once I get on hotel room or from track, if my mobile internet will work :)

Have a great fun everyone. Cya! :ferrarifl
Have a great weekend there :-D

[Rob]

Hungarian GP – Raikkonen: “100% belief in the guys in the factory”
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Mogyorod, 24 July – Kimi Raikkonen had his usual meeting with the media this afternoon, in the hot conditions that are likely to typify this Hungarian weekend. As to how the Scuderia Ferrari man expects to perform at the Hungaroring, it’s the usual Thursday guessing game. “Hopefully, we’ll get that good feeling and get the car where we want and just have a clean weekend without any issues in any practices and can try things where we want,” he began. “Even though it’s twisty and people say you can’t overtake here, we’ve seen in the past that it can change a lot in the race after qualifying so we’ll see how it goes.”

On the much discussed topic that the Finn has found it hard to get a good feeling form his F14 T, the Ferrari man felt progress was being made. “There’s sometimes a good feeling and unfortunately it doesn’t last long, but last weekend was a better feeling again, we changed something in the car so hopefully that will put us in the right direction and we can get to where we should be.”

Kimi has spent a lot of time in Maranello and what he saw in the factory has put him in a positive frame of mind when it comes to next year. “I have 100% belief in the people in the factory and I know that we have the tools and the people to do the job we’re supposed to do. I’m sure we can be where we should be, hopefully already next year. With Marco (Mattiacci,) he didn’t have much knowledge of F1 when he came in but he has a smart head. I think he’s doing good work, making good decisions, but it takes time to get involved and get people’s trust but I think he’s the guy we need.”

Published on: 07/24/2014
- See more at: http://formula1.ferrari.com/news/hungarian-gp-raikkonen-100-belief-guys-factory#sthash.JwEQ7fot.dpuf

[fratelliferrari]

Oki guys, departing shortly :) Hopefully those thunderstorms won't happen after all :P Have a great race, hopefully there will be a time to check what's goin on here and to post some info once I get on hotel room or from track, if my mobile internet will work :)

Have a great fun everyone. Cya! :ferrarifl

Enjoy your trip and Forza Ferrari!

[Voy]

It was a great pitwalk today. Nice of Sauber to put a show of series of pitstops for us mortalshttp://youtu.be/pIxgbxS5GQU

[fratelliferrari]

It was a great pitwalk today. Nice of Sauber to put a show of series of pitstops for us mortalshttp://youtu.be/pIxgbxS5GQU

:lol Nice video!

[stefa]

Oki guys, departing shortly :) Hopefully those thunderstorms won't happen after all :P Have a great race, hopefully there will be a time to check what's goin on here and to post some info once I get on hotel room or from track, if my mobile internet will work :)

Have a great fun everyone. Cya! :ferrarifl

Have a nice time there!

[Kiwi Nick]

It was a great pitwalk today. Nice of Sauber to put a show of series of pitstops for us mortalshttp://youtu.be/pIxgbxS5GQU

Usually you can't keep from tripping over a drunken Finn in Hungary (no not Kimi) , but it appears that a new group has taken their place.

[stefa]

Usually you can't keep from tripping over a drunken Finn in Hungary (no not Kimi) , but it appears that a new group has taken their place.

I remember during MS time, there were so many drunken and non drunken Germans, than when MH was in McLaren wave of Finnish people were overwhelming Hungaroring...

[stefa]

Not so encouraging words from FA. Not that I (We) expected any different...

'We are going backwards' - Alonso

Fernando Alonso is concerned Ferrari is going backwards this year after slipping behind Williams in the constructors' championship last weekend in Germany.

Ferrari is now on 116 points to Williams 121, while the Italian team has not been on the podium since the Chinese Grand Prix in April. Alonso said neither he nor team-mate Kimi Raikkonen are happy with the car.

"At the moment we are not super happy with the performance and we try to keep improving to score more points because, especially with the constructors' championship, we are going backwards a little bit. We need to put both cars in the points as many times as possible."

However, with just a week since the German Grand Prix, Alonso is not overly confident Ferrari will be any more competitive in Hungary this weekend.

"Not really, obviously the car is identical with only four days between races and the circuit layout is not particularly good with a traction demanding circuit," he said. "On the other hand every race has been a little bit a surprise and at some circuits we thought we'd be more competitive and we were less and vice-a-versa. We need to go into the weekend with some positive mood and see what is the final result, but the picture should not change compared to the last couple of races.

"Probably Red Bull will be more competitive with less engine demand here and we see Williams at a circuit that requires good traction and aerodynamics and we will see if they keep their form. It will be more or less similar."

http://en.espnf1.com/ferrari/motorsport/story/168971.html

[Senna4Ever]

How I hate headlines ...

[stefa]

How I hate headlines ...

Too be honest not far from actual truth...

[bondilad]

The weather forecast for Sunday is rain......is it good for us given our current situation ? I'm not even sure anymore.

[Senna4Ever]

Too be honest not far from actual truth...

yeah but ... the headline: "Williams made better progress" would hit the truth a bit more ...
we were falling behind not because our development is going backwards (which the headline implies) ... its Williams made big step at the last circuit layouts ...

Hungary might look different ... Merc Power won't play that important role like Hockenheim, Silverstone ...
In Budapest you need traction ... And I won't be a big surprise for me if RB will play a very big role there ... as they again have monster of traction ... and very well balanced and stable while braking too ...

maybe we get the position back from Williams ... right before the summer ... as traction isn't really their home ground yet ...

[ARUN M KARUNAN]

Rain and hotter conditions seems bad for f14t.but the cool temp after rain is good for scuderia.so a race and qualifying after rain is what i hope so

[Rob]

Hungarian GP – Pat Fry: “A great challenge”
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Pat Fry: “The Hungaroring always presents a major challenge for drivers and also engineers, especially during free practice. All the teams know this track lacks grip and, especially on Friday, one has to adapt to the gradually improving conditions, as the rubber gets put down on the surface. Today, because of instability that seemed to affect other cars as well as ours, we had to pay particular attention to set-up, trying to improve the balance at the entry and exit to the corners. This track is very demanding on the aerodynamic front and today’s high temperatures had a significant effect on tyre behaviour, although it’s due to get cooler for the rest of the weekend.

The lap is particularly short and will make managing the ERS system very interesting during the race and this is an area where we are learning a lot race after race. The performance level over short and long runs are similar to those seen in recent races and it looks like being a very tough weekend. Overtaking opportunities are strictly limited and so, more than elsewhere, you need to get the best possible result in qualifying.”

- See more at: http://formula1.ferrari.com/news/hungarian-gp-pat-fry-a-great-challenge#sthash.YzarWy6n.dpuf

Fernando Alonso: “Be well prepared”
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Fernando Alonso: “Going from one race to the next doesn’t usually involve many changes, but here, unlike what usually happens on a Friday, we had to work a lot on the set-up, to try and adapt the car to the circuit, the tyres and the high temperatures. So there was rather more work than usual, but it produced results and we improved run after run. Sure, there’s still a lot to do to be as competitive as we’d like, but I think we’re on the right road.

There’s less grip here than in previous years, but it’s the same for everyone and now we have to try and prepare the car as well as possible for qualifying and the race.

High temperatures like those we saw today are always challenging for the tyres, but the forecast is for cooler conditions from tomorrow and maybe rain on Sunday, so we have to be ready for every eventuality.”

- See more at: http://formula1.ferrari.com/news/hungarian-gp-fernando-alonso-be-prepared#sthash.qqy277P6.dpuf

Kimi Raikkonen: “Evaluate every detail”
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Kimi Raikkonen: “In the first free practice session, we managed to do a good job, testing various solutions on the programme and I was feeling reasonably pleased with the handling of the car. Then, in the afternoon, I went out for a second run on the Medium tyres, because the behaviour of this compound seemed worse as the temperature went up and that affected the handling of the car, while on the Soft I had no problems.

In the second part of the session I did a race simulation with both compounds: unfortunately when I fitted the Mediums I had a problem with the left rear and I had to pit earlier than planned. The telemetry didn’t show any problem on the car, so I hope that the data will point us in the right direction for the next two days.”

- See more at: http://formula1.ferrari.com/news/hungarian-gp-kimi-raikkonen-evaluate-detail#sthash.42udY9wE.dpuf

[Rob]

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[Rob]

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[fratelliferrari]

Nice photos Rob :thumb

[Alesi1]

Why is Alonso's neck bandaged up?

[radosav]

Why is Alonso's neck bandaged up?

This is where his samurai tattoo is! When he needs his samurai power he just takes off the bandage and voila,he is fifth at the end of the race!

[Brembo]

This is where his samurai tattoo is! When he needs his samurai power he just takes off the bandage and voila,he is fifth at the end of the race!
Who say's Alonsos not into high tech! Forget about wind tunnels !

[ARUN M KARUNAN]

Who say's Alonsos not into high tech! Forget about wind tunnels !

huh?

[Rob]

Why is Alonso's neck bandaged up?


It adds little extra support to the neck muscles, i use same sort of support on my shoulder muscles at moment in the gym.

[stefa]

This is where his samurai tattoo is! When he needs his samurai power he just takes off the bandage and voila,he is fifth at the end of the race!

:rotfl

[Rob]

Hungarian GP – Pat Fry: “Looking for redemption”
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Pat Fry: “Mixed fortunes for our team in today’s qualifying, with our drivers ending up no less than twelve places apart. In the first part, the fact that Maldonado and Hamilton were out led us to keep both cars in the garage, banking on the times set with the Medium tyres. With Fernando this worked, but unfortunately, with Kimi we were caught out by the evolution of the track. It’s very disappointing not to have got through with him because he’s been going better this weekend. Clearly tomorrow he will be on the attack: on this track, it’s not easy to move up the order because of the traffic, but our race pace is good and we will do all we can to turn things around. In the second part of qualifying, the track continued to improve and Fernando got into Q3 easily enough.

In the end, when the rain came, we decided to go out immediately, but then it was impossible to finish the lap. The hot track dried out very quickly but, concerned it might rain again, we decided to go out on track earlier than planned and Fernando ended up fifth. Rain is forecast for tomorrow which means it is even harder to make predictions, but whatever the weather we must try and get Kimi back up into the points and to get a good haul with Fernando.”

- See more at: http://formula1.ferrari.com/news/hungarian-gp-pat-fry-looking-redemption#sthash.zpoCxaV7.dpuf

Fernando Alonso: “We will see tomorrow”
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Fernando Alonso: “After a chaotic qualifying like today’s, you always think you could have done better. But if you then analyse everything that happened, finishing fifth is a good result, because we made the most of every opportunity that came our way.

Getting to start on the clean side of the track is very important as it gives you a chance to make up places at the start and to race with the leaders. The rain expected for tomorrow definitely has an effect on strategy: so far, in the hot and dry conditions, there was talk of two or three stops, but tomorrow everything changes.

Both Kimi and I need to score points for the team, because we want to get back the third place in the Constructors’ championship that we lost last weekend. Even starting far back, a good strategy could help us reach that goal.”

- See more at: http://formula1.ferrari.com/news/hungarian-gp-fernando-alonso-we-tomorrow#sthash.igHGObie.dpuf

Kimi Raikkonen: “Looking ahead”
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Kimi Raikkonen: “I am very disappointed with the outcome of qualifying, especially because this weekend I was going well and had a good feeling from the car. After the first run on the Medium tyres the team told me that my time should be good enough to get me through to the next part and so we decided to take a risk and not go out for a second run on the softer compound. Unfortunately, it didn’t pay off and I couldn’t get past Q1.

It’s going to be difficult, because there’s not much chance of overtaking here at the Hungaroring. We definitely made a mistake, but now I only want to look ahead. Tomorrow, even if it will be tough, we will do our best to try and move up the order.”

- See more at: http://formula1.ferrari.com/news/hungarian-gp-kimi-raikkonen-looking-ahead#sthash.8In3F3pC.dpuf

[Rob]

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[Rob]

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[Rob]

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[vcs316]

Alonso targeting third place by end of first lap

Fernando Alonso is targeting a move up to third place by the end of the first lap of the Hungarian Grand Prix after qualifying fifth on Sunday.

Alonso was fifth fastest in a damp final qualifying session and will start the race behind Daniel Ricciardo, Valtteri Bottas, Sebastian Vettel and Nico Rosberg. Alonso's target is to regain third place in the constructors' championship for Ferrari by beating the Williamses, but says he needs a good start to make it work.

"I'm P5 and I don't think we could beat the guys in front [in qualifying]," he said. "Probably if you go a little bit later with the track a little bit drier you could gain something, but we are talking about one or two tenths and position four is 0.6s in front of me.

"We take some opportunities that arrive to us and we start on the clean side, which normally is very important. I expect a strong start and hopefully gain some positions to be P4 or P3 by the end of the first lap. That will give us a good chance."

Alonso said Ferrari is capable of racing Williams but will struggle to make ground on Red Bull this weekend.

"We need to score points for the team, recover this third position in the constructors' championship if we can. We lost it with Williams in the last race and tomorrow we have one Williams in front and one behind. I have to try to finish in front of both if possible and I'm sure with Kimi also we will try to the best we can and finish in the points. If it's wet that could also help because even if you start at the back, if you make the right tyre choice when it's damp and you put the dry tyres one lap early you can gain 20 seconds.

"It opens opportunities to gain some places and put both Ferraris in the points - and hopefully in front of both Williams - then that third place, we should get it back. With Red Bull it is more difficult because they are 60 or 70 points ahead, they are strong here, but we need to keep scoring points because at other circuits - Spa or Monza or wherever they can struggle a bit more and we can get an advantage there. There is a long way in the championship and tomorrow is first opportunity to recover some points."

© ESPN Sports Media Ltd.

[vcs316]

Hungarian Grand Prix: Alonso: Mercedes ‘not our war’

Fernando Alonso says he doesn't take any hope from Mercedes' recent reliability issues because Ferrari's performance deficit is so great.

Lewis Hamilton failed to set a time during qualifying for the Hungarian Grand Prix as a fuel leak caused a fire at the rear of the car, meaning he will start the race from the pit lane. With that failure coming after retirements in Canada and Silverstone, as well as a brake failure for Hamilton in qualifying at Hockenheim, Alonso was asked if Ferrari saw it as a weak point for Mercedes but said he wasn't concerned by the championship leaders' plight.

“Obviously this is a coincidence that at the last couple of races Mercedes has some problems,” Alonso said. “It's not our war at the moment, we are not competing against Mercedes this year unfortunately. Our targets are a little bit lower and the second place in the constructors' championship or even the third place is a more realistic target.

“For that, Mercedes does not change too much our race situation. We see tomorrow if [Hamilton] can come back in podium positions. In Germany he started 20th and he could have finished second with a normal race and at the back we will see if he can get a podium or not. That will be interesting for you to see and we will see if we meet him during the race. We will, but when, we will see.”

And Alonso said the focus would be on trying to beat Williams and Red Bull in the race, hoping that Kimi Raikkonen could climb through the field after dropping out in Q1.

“We need to score points for the team, recover this third position in the constructors' championship if we can. We lost it with Williams in the last race and tomorrow we have one Williams in front and one behind. I have to try to finish in front of both if possible and I'm sure with Kimi also we will try to the best we can and finish in the points.

“If it's wet that could also help because even if you start at the back, if you make the right tyre choice when it's damp and you put the dry tyres one lap early you can gain 20 seconds. It opens opportunities to gain some places and put both Ferraris in the points – and hopefully in front of both Williams – then that third place, we should get it back.

“With Red Bull it is more difficult because they are 60 or 70 points ahead, they are strong here, but we need to keep scoring points because at other circuits – Spa or Monza or wherever they can struggle a bit more and we can get an advantage there. There is a long way in the championship and tomorrow is the first opportunity to recover some points.”

[Alessandra]

This is where his samurai tattoo is! When he needs his samurai power he just takes off the bandage and voila,he is fifth at the end of the race!

:lol

[Rob]

Hungarian GP – Marco Mattiacci: “A starting point”.
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Marco Mattiacci: “It was a great race and very pleasing to see our team fight back from an extremely complicated Saturday. Kimi and Fernando demonstrated just what they are capable of and the whole team was up to the task. However, this result is just a step on a journey which started a few months ago. Fernando’s second place is a confidence booster and a sign that the major effort everyone is making to bring Ferrari back to the top is moving in the right direction, however we have to be realistic about it. Here, the weather and the track conditions leveled out the performance differences and that’s why we must not delude ourselves. Now we must just go back home, set on always doing better.”

- See more at: http://formula1.ferrari.com/news/hungarian-gp-marco-mattiacci-a-starting-point#sthash.LUyItPs0.dpuf

Fernando Alonso: “Everything is possible”
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Fernando Alonso: “This podium means a lot to me and the whole team, because after so many difficult races, we managed to get the most out of everything, also taking a few risks and second place seems like a win. To do 31 laps at the end on used Soft tyres was a great challenge. At that point, the strategy suggested that if we had made a third stop, we could have finished fourth, but we decided to run to the flag instead. This race shows that anything is possible when there are unusual conditions like today, with a wet start and the appearance of the Safety Car. We managed to make the most of all opportunities that presented themselves, taking the best decisions even at the most difficult moments. Sure, the characteristics of the circuit, with its limited overtaking opportunities, helped us and that’s why we have to be realistic and continue to work on the car, to improve in all aspects.”

- See more at: http://formula1.ferrari.com/news/hungarian-gp-fernando-alonso-everything-possible#sthash.Vczd2WkQ.dpuf

Kimi Raikkonen: “A team result”
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Kimi Raikkonen: “Today’s race was difficult, but much more fun than the others, as I had a good feeling with the car, the pace was good and I felt I could push. After the way qualifying went yesterday, sixth was the most we could hope for. At the start, I got away well but then I lost vital time behind a Sauber and when I caught Massa’s Williams, I couldn’t get past: here in general, overtaking is not easy and we lack speed down the straights. Sure, this is a good team result, but we must not get too excited, because even if there are signs of improvement, we still have much work to do in a lot of areas to get to where we want to be. We’ve had a very complicated start to the season, but I hope the second part of the championship will go better. I have great faith in the team and I feel we are going in the right direction. Even if it’s going to take some time, I’m sure the results will come.”

- See more at: http://formula1.ferrari.com/news/hungarian-gp-kimi-raikkonen-a-team-result#sthash.NeOwxwGb.dpuf

Pat Fry: “Ability to react”
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Pat Fry: “After mixed fortunes in qualifying yesterday, today the team showed it could react extremely well and keep a cool head when faced with the variable situations that arose during the race. It’s never easy in cases like this, with rain at the start, the Safety Car, having to avoid traffic and especially with having to keep faster cars behind us, but the team performed very competently. The F14 T demonstrated the good race pace it had already shown on Friday and that has helped us re-take third place in the Constructors’ classification. After the summer break, we come to two races that will be difficult for us, on two tracks where it will be important to make the most of any opportunity, just as we did today. On behalf of the team, I wish to congratulate Fernando and Kimi. We had promised them redemption and we were true to our word. We know that there is still a long way to go, but we will spare nothing in our efforts, continuing to work hard to improve, day by day.”

- See more at: http://formula1.ferrari.com/news/hungarian-gp-pat-fry-ability-react#sthash.OiUzIo8l.dpuf

[Rob]

http://youtu.be/WYirEarRmUM

[Rob]

Scuderia Ferrari @InsideFerrari · 4h
Montezemolo: "I am happy for all our fans, for having seen a Ferrari back on the podium and being a protagonist of this race". #ForzaFerrari

[Ste]

Is it just me or is it starting to feel like we are heading in the right direction and that we are beginning to properly eliminate issues we have behind the scenes? Mattiaci seems to be saying all the right things (I know they're just words) and appears to have a grasp of everything now. Definitely a harder character than Stefano but still a nice guy. I personally think Luca has pulled a blinder here! This is the beginning of where we return to the top.

[fratelliferrari]

Is it just me or is it starting to feel like we are heading in the right direction and that we are beginning to properly eliminate issues we have behind the scenes? Mattiaci seems to be saying all the right things (I know they're just words) and appears to have a grasp of everything now. Definitely a harder character than Stefano but still a nice guy. I personally think Luca has pulled a blinder here! This is the beginning of where we return to the top.

I really hope you are right :pray But still difficult to say after just one race! Iam not sure we were on the podium if it was sunny all day :Hmm

[Rob]

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[Rob]

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[Rob]

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[Rob]

http://i62.tinypic.com/ejsexh.jpg

[Nova]

Koller pix Rob. Thanks. Really enjoying them.

[abbottcostello]

I don't know what "koller pix" are, but those pics are Killer, Rob! :-D

Also, is it my imagination or has the F14 T gotten much better looking! :lol
(For the record, I've though all along it is a great looking car, I really liked the nose from the get go.)

[Senna4Ever]

thanks for those awesome pics ...
some already hosted at my desktop and tablet