Thoughts on the Hungarian GP - Part 2 03/08/2009 It is very late to reflect on the Hungarian GP but last week was so busy with important events that I was not able to review the race until this weekend. It was a fairly typical Hungaroring race with overtaking almost impossible, only Hamilton and Webber managing to do so, mainly by virtue of taking very early opportunities rather than allowing themselves to become stuck in a pattern of following the car ahead.Kazuki Nakajima in HungaryIn fact, that seems to be the lesson of the season when it comes to passing other cars - do it straight away or you will be stuck forever. All of Button's great overtaking moves this year have been within the first two laps of coming up to another car and I think the same goes for Webber. The patient drivers who wait for a good opportunity are just not getting it done.Driver of the race has to be Lewis Hamilton. It was like watching the Lewis we became accustomed to in the last two seasons, the confidence and skill obvious in his complete control of the race. And that was before he hit the front - it was obvious from the way he closed on Alonso in the early laps that Fernando was not going to win this one. The Renault's lost wheel after the first pit stop was unfortunate for the Spaniard but the race was already beyond his grasp.Both Raikkonen and Webber drove good races and it was in keeping with the nature of the Hungaroring that their duel should be decided by a sticking fuel rig in the Red Bull pit. Webber may have been able to close the gap to Kimi in the last laps but he was never going to get past the Finn on the track. Rosberg, too, did well, the Williams team timing his fuel stops rather better than of late, but they did their usual job of stopping Nakajima at the worst possible moments. The young Japanese driver spent the entire race locked up behind slower cars, only occasionally able to show his true pace when the road cleared ahead of him.To me, the character of the circuit was epitomized by the Toyotas. Many have praised Glock and Trulli for finishing well after qualifying so poorly; for me, they were an irritating obstruction to the possibility of any real racing. Timo was slightly less an annoyance, being quick enough for fifth fastest race lap, but Trulli was slow and served merely to hold back faster cars (okay, I mean Nakajima).It may be part of F1 racing these days that a very long first stint often allows drivers to leapfrog those ahead of them and I accept that Toyota played their hand as well as could be done. But the way it was always a Toyota that seemed to perform mobile chicane functions in Hungary spoiled the race entirely. It would have been a better race without them.That is a very partisan view, I admit. But you should remember that I have longed for Nakajima to prove his detractors wrong and he is at last getting qualifying right. To see him drop down the order through being held up by both Button and Trulli was frustrating to say the least. You can say that he should have found a way past but few are capable of that these days. I might even counter that Kazuki's real weakness is not in the speed department but in what we might call "Vettel's disease" - an inability to pass the car in front. Kaz was never more than a second behind his various nemeses in Hungary but could not find a way to force a pass. Ninth was much less than he deserved after keeping up the pressure all afternoon.Nick Heidfeld had pretty much the same problem, potentially quicker than the BMW's present form would indicate but always stuck behind someone else. And Kubica had an awful race, never managing to get any performance out of the F1.09. I have to console myself with Theissen's promised upgrades for Belgium, although it is too late for the team obviously.Otherwise it was an unremarkable race, a fact that surprises me a little since it seemed better the first time I watched it. Second viewing was much more sleep-inducing, however, and I realise that it was the peripheral matters that made it seem so full of incident: Massa's accident, the intricacies of strategy, stewarding decisions and BMW's subsequent announcement of withdrawal, all stole the limelight from the actual racing.And now we have the prospect of Michael Schumacher's return for the Valencia GP. By itself, that would have been enough to erase thoughts of Hungary from our minds and, thinking of it now, I wonder whether it might be the saving grace for Valencia. That would be especially true if the Renault ban is not rescinded on appeal, although I cannot imagine that the FIA, usually so aware of political ramifications, will not see sense and allow Alonso to race.
Clive
Mr Soap "I have to console myself with Theissen's promised upgrades for Turkey"BMW have a time machine? That should help them a little! Date Added: 03/08/2009
Gusto Must admit that I did enjoy Hamiltons classic `slow in fast out` overtaking move on Webber, it was a lesson in racing lines through a corner. With Webbers pitstop that went wrong, I might be talking out of the back of my neck( wont be the first time! ), but I`am pretty sure that the reason that He didn`t do a Massa at Singapore was that the rear jack man hadn`t completly dropped the car, I`am sure that He lit the wheels up and they were spinning in thin air. I feel your annoyance with the mobile road block that was Toyota, I remember Coulthard being stuck behind the Orange Arrows at Monaco for 20+ laps, swearing and cursing I swoar that Orange would never get another penny out of me, and I`ve been true to my word ever since ( firm believer of cutting of your nose to spite your face ). Clive were you thinking to much about your Sunday Lunch while writing this blog :-), time machines Eh, dont make them like they will do. Date Added: 03/08/2009
Clive Mr Soap: Oops, bit of brain fade there. I meant Spa, of course, and have fixed it now. Date Added: 03/08/2009
Clive Gusto: Typos are the bane of any writers life and this kind, the writing (and subsequent reading) of one word when another is meant, is the one that always gets through the editing filter. Somehow, the switch of words in the mind seems to stick until someone points it out - thank you, Mr Soap! I could have read that sentence fifty times and never realised my mistake, since I saw Spa even though I typed Turkey. Weird.But it would be nice to have a time machine and go back to change a few things... Date Added: 03/08/2009
Gusto I used to date a proof reader, and She used to describe said effect of reading someone`s work as compared to your own, needless to say a literature philastine like me didn`t last long with her( came on top when I sneaked a look of the end of the rainy qualifing at Australia 2002 ).....Cor they think it was raining in Australia, you wanna try walking home in it!. Date Added: 03/08/2009
verasaki Well, nothing more to add to that, is there? Date Added: 04/08/2009
Lobo "a fairly typical Hungaroring race with overtaking almost impossible, only Hamilton and Webber managing to do so"May I add that Heidfeld passed Buemi as well? Date Added: 04/08/2009
Toby Bushby Clive, I must take (small) exception to your points on Nakajima. He sloppily allowed Button to pass him early in the race (as you said, within the first 2 laps, it always seems), then was stuck behind the Brit for a number of slow and painful, race-wrecking laps. I have only watched the race once, but I remember cursing Nakajima later in the race for letting Button past, as it most likely led him to end up behind Trulli etc. in the first place, therefore wrecking his fuel strategy also. A race ruined entirely by Nakajima's own errors, once again, in my opinion. He is getting on top of Qualifying (which is impressive, considering most drivers who can't do it, can't do it), but too often his race is ruined by early race collisions or blunders. 25.5 points to 0 is more than unlucky, I'm afraid. Frustrated Williams supporter here.... Date Added: 06/08/2009
Gusto Talking of Time Machines it would have to be June to August 1969. British GP followed by a trip to Florida to watch the Moon Landing followed by a trip North to Woodstock, back home for Tea and a check of your blog ;-). Clive, what would be the GP that you would love to go back and watch?. Date Added: 08/08/2009
verasaki Ah, Gusto, I think it will take more than that to flush him out of the long grass. Any truth to the rumours that Heidfeld is negotiating with Ferrari? Date Added: 10/08/2009
arun srini why no posts clive? Miss them. Write about the three car hint or something historical so young fans like me can learn! Something! Date Added: 14/08/2009
David There is a rumour out there that Clive has taken a sabbatical to join the ‘Jean Todt for FIA President’ campaign, wherein his considerable journalistic skills will be put to good use - generating political propaganda, spin, or whatever one chooses to call it - in way of promoting this unbiased and trustworthy candidate of popular choice.Indeed, it is only a rumour ...So, if that doesn’t “flush him out of the long grass” the rest of you are wasting your time! Date Added: 14/08/2009
Clive Consider me flushed. I guess explanations are in order and today I can give them.The problem has been manifold but mostly (and as I have mentioned in recent comments) I reached a point of exhaustion with all things F1. About a month ago it suddenly seemed a monumental effort to write about what was going on in the sport. I struggled on for a while without my heart being in it but the effort proved too much after a bit. To write about anything, it is necessary to care about it and I found that weariness had deprived me of any enthusiasm for the events of the last few weeks. I found myself disillusioned with the whole FIA presidential election thing and BMW's withdrawal. The only bright spot upon the horizon was the return of Schumacher and that was soon scotched.In the end, circumstances drove me to take a proper vacation from the blog. I could hardly bear to open it in the mornings (guilt is a cruel master and not fooled by promises to write "tomorrow") and then my son arrived on a visit to the States, giving me the useful excuse of "being too busy" (not true - I could have written had I been motivated). Add to that the fact that I discovered a game on Facebook that is right up my alley (strategic and no explosions) and I had somewhere to hide.So my apologies to all of you, especially for not letting you know what was going on. When I get writer's block, I get it bad!But my vacation is over and the next race only a week away. Time to get back in the saddle, I think. Normal service will be resumed in the next few days, I promise. Date Added: 14/08/2009
verasaki No apologies necessary. This time you did mention you were taking some time off so probably our bad for trying to coax you back. And really, not much doing recently, even F1Fanatic is doing lookeylikey today-probably out of sheer boredom. Considering the first thing on Monday's agenda is another FIA hearing ...that game sounds like it may be a bit more fun. What is the game? I didn't even realize they had games on fb- but to be honest I haven't really done more than those bizarre quizzes and sending silly gifts. I guess there is more to it? Date Added: 14/08/2009
Clive I thought that was pretty inventive of Keith to do the look-alike post today - he amazes me the way he always comes up with something, even when absolutely nothing is happening.The game is a thing called FarmVille - certainly not everyone's cup of tea but surprisingly compelling if you get drawn into it. I would never have thought of myself as a farmer but the strategy of which crops to plant at each stage draws me on. It's the planning and maximizing of growth that fascinates me - a subtle balance between the sledgehammer of fast-growing crops and others that give better financial returns. Others take it differently, however, preferring to build pretty farms and gardens and not bothering about speed of growth. Must be my competitive nature... ;) Date Added: 14/08/2009
Alianora La Canta I've had trouble finding stuff to write about too, Clive. Your "vacation" is completely understandable.Mind you, come Monday we will surely have something to write about (the Renault appeal). Date Added: 14/08/2009
Clive Even so, Ali, it's a shame that the most exciting events in F1 these days are political or appeals against silly stewarding decisions...We need a good GP or two to shake away the cobwebs. Date Added: 14/08/2009
Clive Incidentally, if anyone wants to be my friend on Facebook, I'm right out there in the open under the name Clive Allen. Not much F1-related stuff on it - it tends to be my relaxation after working on the blog. But you can find out the delights of FarmVille there and be my neighbor! Date Added: 14/08/2009
Alianora La Canta We could do with a good race. Unfortunately I think the next one is three weeks away (at least if we're only counting F1).Meanwhile, I've joined in FarmVille. Date Added: 15/08/2009
Clive You're not counting Valencia then? It could be a good race if it rains... ;) Date Added: 15/08/2009
Alianora La Canta Clive, there is more chance of the Belgian GP having a weekend without a drop of rain than there is of a drop of rain falling at the European GP. Unfortunately... Date Added: 16/08/2009
aracerdude Not to be overshadowed by F1 politics, Micheal's return and unreturn, and of course the uber important game of Farmville.....Felipe Massa seems to be recovering very well!I do hope for Felipe's sake, he can race in his home race of Brazil. That would be very good news indeed! Date Added: 17/08/2009
verasaki If it's anything like last year we'll call it Siesta Valencia. But at least Renault will be there to keep the locals from nodding off. I'm not sure how much time I have for FarmVille but I might give it a shot. -Kris Date Added: 17/08/2009
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