Hungarian GP: Friday Roundup

Mercedes’ Lewis Hamilton topped both practice sessions for the Hungarian Grand Prix on Friday, with Red Bull drivers Daniil Kvyat and Daniel Ricciardo emerging as the closest challengers to the F1 championship leader.

Hamilton timed the Hungaroring Circuit in 1:23.949 during the second free practice session, three tenths quicker than Kvyat and seventh tenths clear of teammate Nico Rosberg who could only manage fourth.

Red Bull have struggled so far this season with an underpowered Renault engine, with a below-par chassis adding to their misery. However, the configuration of the Hungaroring hides much of the package’s weaknesses, allowing them to leapfrog Ferrari and Williams in practice.

However, it wasn’t all plain sailing for the Austrian team with Daniel Ricciardo’s session grinding to a halt spectacularly with a blown engine.

Problems with its ongoing partnership with Red Bull have forced Renault to evaluate its future in F1 as an engine manufacturer. The French car maker is even reportedly considering operating as a works team or leaving the sport altogether. If it decides to buy-out Lotus or start a new F1 team, it would be line for historic CCB (constructor championship bonus) from FOM.

Meanwhile, Ferrari drivers were fifth and seventh quickest in the session ahead of McLaren’s Fernando Alonso in eighth place. The two Williams drivers completed the top 10, with Bottas five hundredths of a second clear of Brazilian teammate Felipe Massa.

Both McLaren drivers are using fresh Honda engines this weekend after FIA announced a change in its regulation that allows new manufacturers to use five engines per car during their first season in F1.

Earlier this morning, Force India’s Sergio Perez crashed heavily in the opening practice, with a rear suspension failure widely blamed to be the cause of the incident. Perez went over the astro turf, lost control of the car, and hit the barriers at the other side of the track, eventually coming to rest upside down. The Mexican was able to emerge out of the car unscatched, although Force India decided not to take part in FP2 for precautionary reasons.

BIANCHI NOT FORGOTTEN BY F1 COMMUNITY

Last weekend, former Marussia F1 driver Jules Bianchi succumbed to injuries sustained from a crash at 2014 Japanese Grand Prix. Bianchi aquaplanned off the track and hit a recovery vehicle that was deployed to recover Adrian Sutil’s wrecked Sauber.

The French driver underwent treatment in France before being flown to his hometown in Nice where he breathed his last His funeral was attended by majority of the F1 grid and other paddock figures.

Although the incident has reminded the drivers of the dangers associated with motorsports, it has done little to deter their approach towards racing.