FORMULA 1 - 2014

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HAMILTON: I WAS WORRIED ABOUT THE MARSHALS

Lewis Hamilton said he that had feared for the safety of German Grand Prix marshals who ran across the track during the race to push clear Adrian Sutil’s stranded Sauber while other cars were lapping at speed.

The Mercedes driver, who finished third in a race won by teammate Nico Rosberg, told reporters he had been surprised by what happened when the Sauber was left in the middle of the track after the final corner on lap 48.

While many expected the Safety Car to be deployed, the race director decided not to.

“I was really concerned for the marshals, really concerned,” said the Briton.

“When you come around that corner at serious speed, and then there are marshals standing not far away from where you are driving past. For me that’s the closest it’s been for a long, long time.”

The 2008 world champion said he had been reminded of the 1977 death of Welshman Tom Pryce during the South African Grand Prix when he hit a marshal who was crossing the track with a fire extinguisher. The marshal was also killed.

“I used to work at a driving school in Bedford (England) and one day I came in and they had this video that was playing all the time,” recalled Hamilton.

“It was a video from a race from years and years ago and a car had stopped on the track, a marshal ran across the track and got hit by a car coming past. That was the first thing I thought about.

“Obviously we are not going as fast as on that straight but I was worried about the marshals…fortunately no one got hurt,” he added.

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ALONSO: RICCIARDO WAS VERY, VERY SMART – A GREAT FIGHT

Fernando Alonso heaped praise on Australian youngster Daniel Ricciardo on Sunday after he held him off in a thrilling scrap to take fifth place for Ferrari in the German Grand Prix.

The two-time world champion battled wheel-to-wheel with Ricciardo as the Red Bull man defended his position and attacked him in the closing stages.

Alonso said: “Daniel is a surprise from Australia. I think [what he's doing [is] unbelievable. I think he’s seven-three in the first ten races with Sebastian [Vettel], so it’s something we probably didn’t suspect,” he said, referring to the Red Bull drivers’ Qualifying performances.

“He’s driving fantastically and today he was battling very smart, always taking the slipstream off me after I pass him and braking very late, attacking very late and never missing a corner,” added Alonso. “He was very, very smart, very respectful with the rules and it was a great fight.”

Although Alonso managed to finish fifth in Hockenheim, ahead of Ricciardo, the Australian lies third in the world championship standings with 107 points while the Spaniard is fourth with 97 points.

Alonso has raced in 226 grands prix and scored 32 wins, while Ricciardo has 6o starts on his résumé an a single win which he scored earlier this year in Canada.

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BOTTAS IS NOW FORMULA 1′S TOP FLYING FINN

Valtteri Bottas is rapidly laying claim to be Formula 1′s fastest Finn after again eclipsing Kimi Raikkonen, on his way to a third successive podium appearance for Williams, at Hockenheim.

The 24-year-old’s impressive second place, from the front row of the German Grand Prix grid, was his team’s 300 th podium finish and contrasted with 2007 champion Raikkonen’s disappointing 11 th for Ferrari.

The points also allowed resurgent Williams to leapfrog Ferrari into third place overall in the constructors’ standings.

“Of course I feel really lucky also to be part of this,” said the happy Finn, who may still face a long wait to stand on the top step of the podium in a season that has seen Mercedes win all but one race.

“Last year we could not have expected to be three times in a row on the podium but we now…this is the package we have and it’s all down to hard work and we need to always keep aiming for more,” he added.

“It feels really good to be [on the podium] for a third time in a row but I think we’re aiming for more than that now.”

Former champions Williams, who switched from Renault engines to Mercedes power at the end of last year, are a team reborn and revitalised with a fresher image and new confidence after a troubled recent past.

Last year they scored just five points all season as they sunk to ninth overall. Bottas has now chalked up 91 points in 10 races – more than the team as a whole have scored with both drivers in the previous three years.

Mercedes motorsport head Toto Wolff said that Bottas was increasingly looking like the biggest rival for his championship-battling pair Nico Rosberg, the winner on Sunday, and Lewis Hamilton.

“It looks so. He has had really good weekends,” he told reporters. “At the moment the Bottas-Williams combination looks like the strongest rival.”

Raikkonen, meanwhile had another weekend to forget – twice the meat in the sandwich as cars went past on either side and left him nowhere to go, while also damaging his car’s front wing.

The Finn has yet to finish higher than seventh this season and has scored only 19 points compared to Spanish team mate Fernando Alonso’s 97.

“It’s very difficult to get better results than we are doing now,” Raikkonen told reporters. “I think without the damage we should definitely have scored points and been stronger.

“Things are not going as planned, something always goes wrong but…hopefully it stops at some point,” continued Raikkonen. “At least the car felt much better here.”

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MASSA HAS NO FEAR OF RISING STAR BOTTAS

Felipe Massa, now a veteran of the sport, insists his Formula 1 career is not being overshadowed by the young rising star in the pit garage beside him.

The warring Mercedes duo aside, the undoubted star of the last three races has been Valtteri Bottas, the shy Finn who at the German Grand Prix completed a hat-trick of podiums while Massa crashed out on the opening laps at both Hockenheim and Silverstone, albeit in both cases through no fault of his own.

Ex F1 driver Patrick Tambay told RMC Sport that he thinks that Bottas, 24, is establishing himself as a “star for the next ten years”.

“He’s a tough competitor,” Bottas’ Williams teammate Felipe Massa told Totalrace, “but I have no reason to fear him – no way.”

The Brazilian, a long-time Ferrari driver until his switch to Williams this year, has had a much lower-profile season of results, including his spectacular rollover crash at Hockenheim.

“I know what I’m capable of, what I can do for the team, my speed. I lack nothing to him. I’ve done as much as he did in the last few races, or even better,” said the 33-year-old, who has scored 61 fewer points than Bottas so far in 2014.

“I have no concern with it,” Massa continued. “I am glad for what has happened to him because he has earned it through his work, but we could be ahead of Red Bull if everything that happened to me did not.”

Massa said the situation is not as difficult to cope with as some previous bad seasons with Ferrari.

“It is more difficult when it is an issue about you, or you needing to improve,” he explained. “For sure this period will eventually end. I have no concerns with my pace. If I was slow and I did not have the results because of my fault, it would be different.”

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NO WINGS FOR RED BULL WITH NEW FUEL

New fuel did not give Red Bull the boost it was hoping for in Germany, world champion Sebastian Vettel has revealed.

Pre-Hockenheim, it was reported the new blend supplied by Renault’s works partner Total would deliver a 12 horse power boost. It did not seem to materialise.

“I think it’s not the last word on this,” Vettel told Auto Motor und Sport, “as there are reasons why it did not work out.”

“Whether we find out in a week, it’s hard to say,” he added, referring to the forthcoming Hungarian Grand Prix.

“For sure it was a disappointment, as we had hoped for more. The big step didn’t work out, but I hope that it is coming,” said Vettel.

A few races ago, reigning world champions Red Bull looked to have established themselves as the first force behind Mercedes. But Vettel says that Williams now hold that position.

“Absolutely. Their pace in Qualifying is outstanding,” he said. “But I think we can still catch up. But since Austria they have been right at the front.”

Until now, Red Bull has pointed the finger at engine supplier Renault for its lack of pace. But Vettel now suggests that Milton-Keynes has some more work to do, “We have simply lacked grip. We slide too much. The others are doing better.”

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SCHUMACHER MIGHT RETURN HOME FOR SUMMER

Formula 1 legend Michael Schumacher might soon continue his rehabilitation at home, according to the Swiss newspaper Sonntagsblick.

After six months in a coma, the seven time world champion was recently transferred from intensive care in Grenoble to a rehabilitation facility in Lausanne.

That is not far from the Schumachers’ home on the shores of Lake Geneva, but Sonntagsblick claims that the 45-year-old German could return home “during the course of the summer”.

The report cited sources close to the Lausanne hospital. Mark Mader, the chief doctor at a rehabilitation hospital in Basel, Switzerland, said that while home care is “difficult” for the family, “it is optimal” for patients like Schumacher.

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GROSJEAN ADMITS FORMULA 1 FUTURE UNCERTAIN

As Lotus firms up their plans for the 2015 season, Romain Grosjean’s future is looking increasingly uncertain.

It was already known that, when Pastor Maldonado and his lucrative backer PDVSA switched from Williams to Lotus for the 2014 season, it was the beginning of more than a single-year deal.

“I don’t want to give too much away,” the Enstone team’s owner Gerard Lopez said late on Saturday, “but as it’s halfway through the season I can confirm 50 per cent of our driver lineup for 2015 as Pastor is with us for next year.”

That is despite the fact the Venezuelan has yet to score a single point in a black and gold car, while teammate Grosjean has eight in his account.

On Maldonado, Lopez continued: “Despite the difficulties we’ve had so far this season, he recognises our true potential as a team and we recognise his true potential as a driver. We will achieve great things together.”

In total contrast, Grosjean’s future is uncertain. Recently we reported that the Frenchman might struggle to hang onto the seat for 2015.

His manager, Eric Boullier, is now the boss at McLaren, and it is expected that the strongly Grosjean-linked Renault and Total will not be part of the Lotus package beyond this season.

“I’ve been here for a little bit,” the 28-year-old said earlier in July, “and I know the team very well, but I want to win races as well, so things are open.”

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Horner surprised by Hamilton grid start

Christian Horner was surprised Lewis Hamilton was allowed to start the German GP from the grid given the changes to his car's brakes.

Following his crash in Saturday's qualifying, the result of a right-front brake disc failure, Mercedes switched Hamilton's car from Brembo to Carbon Industrie ahead of the grand prix.

However, changing suppliers after qualifying usually results in a pitlane start for the driver as the cars are under parc ferme rules.

Mercedes argued the point and Hamilton was permitted to start the race from the grid based on a rule that allows changes as long as the component is a "similar in mass, inertia and function to the original".

Horner was surprised by that decision.

Asked about it the Red Bull team boss said: "Absolutely. It is a change of car specification.

"If you change it like for like that is one thing, but if you change it for something made by a different manufacturer that has a different characteristic, and as described by the driver himself as something different, it is an interesting precedent.

"But it is not something we are going to protest. It is really down to the stewards if they are happy with it, otherwise it sets a precedent going forward.

"We obviously now need clarification because if you can do that, then what else can you change? It will be interesting to see what was the justification."

As for suggestions that the switch was made on safety grounds, Horner said: "We are running the same material on both of our cars as Lewis was, so it was safe on our car."

Meanwhile, Ferrari team boss Marco Mattiacci revealed the Scuderia considered launching a protest but decided against it.

The Italian told Press Association: "We discussed it internally but we decided not to move forward on this because I don't think we wanted to get into it."

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Kvyat saw 'smoke and flames'

As his German GP came to a fiery end, Daniil Kvyat concedes that was "not a nice situation" to be in.

Trying to make up positions after an early incident with Sergio Perez dropped him down the order, Kvyat's German GP came to an end on lap 45.

As flames licked his STR9, the 20-year-old pulled over the hairpin before jumping out the car.

The marshals were quickly on hand with extinguishers as the fire engulfed his car.

"It's a shame how my race ended," the rookie said.

"I suddenly lost drive and I then saw smoke and later flames in the mirrors.

"I started to feel really hot in the car, so I parked it and jumped out as quickly as possible.

"It's not a nice situation to be in, but I'm now more concerned about the car than anything else.

"I hope everything will be ok and I will now switch my focus to Hungary, where I hope we can do better."

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Vergne handed first penalty point by stewards

Jean-Eric Vergne has been given a penalty point for leaving the track and gaining an advantage during the German Grand Prix.

Vergne went off at the exit of the Spitzkehre while battling with Romain Grosjean. The stewards ruled he failed to hand back an advantage after leaving the track.

The Toro Rosso driver had to serve a five-second stop-go penalty during the race and was also given his first penalty point of the season. Any driver who accumulates 12 during a 12-month period will automatically receive a one-race ban.

Vergne is the first driver to receive a penalty point since the third race of the season in Bahrain. The penalty point system was introduced earlier this year.

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MATTIACCI: WE BELIEVE IN KIMI, HE IS PART OF OUR FUTURE

Ferrari Team Principal Marco Mattiacci has hit back at suggestions that the Maranello outfit could or should plan its revival for the 2015 Formula 1 season without Kimi Raikkonen.

Lamenting the Maranello team’s slip behind Williams for third in the constructors’ chase, Fernando Alonso said at Hockenheim that Ferrari has “only been able to count on one car again and we have to improve on that”.

It might be concluded that Spaniard Alonso wants a more competitive teammate for 2015, but new Ferrari boss Mattiacci has moved swiftly to end those sorts of reports.

Mattiacci made the remarks after being told by the Spanish sports daily Marca that the mid-season scorecard between Alonso and Raikkonen reads 10:0, with the Spaniard on 97 points and fourth in the championship standings while the Finn is down in 12th with 19 points to his credit.

But Mattiacci insisted: “This is not football. In Formula 1 we don’t speak in those terms. Yes, I want better results, but Kimi is the driver that Ferrari need for next year.”

La Gazzetta dello Sport also quotes the Italian as saying: “We believe in him, he is a world champion, he is part of our present and our future.”

But that doesn’t mean Ferrari is not planning big changes for 2015, including significant improvements to the turbo V6 and the first car designed fully under the technical directorship of James Allison.

“[Allison] is working very hard on the car for next year,” a team source told the Spanish sports daily AS. “It will be his first car for us and we have very high hopes.”

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MALLYA SAYS FORCE INDIA ARE IN A GOOD PLACE

Reflecting on the first half of the 2014 season where his Force India team lie fifth in the constructors’ standings, and ahead of grandee team McLaren, Vijay Mallya has proclaimed that he is happy with his team and where it is heading.

Mallya said, “We are in a good place and the whole team should feel proud of our performance in the first half of the season. We’ve scored 39 points more compared to the first half of last season and that’s an indication of our consistency.”

“We’ve picked up points in every race and we’re in the middle of a very close fight in the championship. We are pushing hard to be even more competitive, but we’ve certainly delivered in the first ten races.”

As for the future, the Indian businessman revealed, “The development of the VJM07 continues and much of what we learn this year can be carried over into 2015. So it’s a very different situation compared with last year when we had to switch very early to develop the new car.”

“Performance-wise we have some developments which will be on the car soon and that should give us a useful step. In terms of targets I certainly feel that more podiums are possible. We need to end the season in the same way that we started it,” added Mallya.

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RED BULL AND RENAULT PARTNERSHIP NOW IN BETTER HEALTH

The relationship between Red Bull and their engine supplier Renault appears to be in better health after hitting a low point earlier in the season.

Mere weeks ago, as the French supplier struggled with its new turbo V6 ‘power unit’, talk of a split in the four-time title winning partnership was rife. But that was before a number of changes.

Former Caterham boss Cyril Abiteboul, for one, has returned to Renault, while president Jean-Michel Jalinier has left.

“There was some appetite at Renault to turn around what is happening on the track,” Frenchman Abiteboul, now wearing a Renault shirt, said at Hockenheim.

And according to paddock reports, Abiteboul is not the only fresh face at Renault. Red Bull definitely sound happier.

“The change in management is very positive,” team boss Christian Horner said. “They are embracing the fact that there is an issue and they are looking to make changes to make sure that we close that gap to Mercedes.”

“That will take time but the right attitude is there now and we should make progress. We had a very small step but we have to keep working,” added Horner.

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GERMAN GRAND PRIX: MCLAREN PREVIEW BUDAPEST

The relentless twists and turns of the Hungaroring provide the teams with a tricky final challenge ahead of Formula 1’s annual summer break. The 4.381 km track is notoriously difficult to overtake on, but the drivers relish its demands and the vibrant city of Budapest, just 20 km to the south, provides a perfect foil to the on-track action.

Hungaroring Facts & Stats:

The Hungaroring was the first racetrack in the world to be built specifically for Formula 1. It was constructed in just nine months ahead of its inaugural race in 1986, and it’s been the permanent home of the Hungarian Grand Prix ever since.

The track is the slowest permanent circuit on the 2014 calendar, with an average speed of just 190 km/h. There are no long straights and no high-speed corners, and four of the 14 turns are taken at speeds below 100 km/h. Only 55 per cent of the lap is spent at full throttle, placing an emphasis on the mechanical grip generated by a car.

The track is rarely used away from the grand prix weekend; as a result, it’s very dirty at the start of Friday practice. The asphalt cleans up quickly, but if it’s windy, dust from the surrounding countryside gets blown onto the track and it can remain slippery off-line all weekend.

There are two DRS zones this year, located on consecutive straights at the beginning of the lap. This should help overtaking, but a good grid position will remain crucial because the track is narrow and it’s relatively easy for a driver to defend his position.

Pirelli are taking their Soft (Option) and Medium (Prime) tyres to the race. The abrasive track surface and high track temperatures, which are expected to exceed 50 degrees, will provide hostile working conditions for the rubber, which is why Pirelli are not taking their softest compounds to the race, as they did at the Santander German Grand Prix last weekend.

McLaren has an enviable record at the Hungarian Grand Prix, having won the race 11 times and taken six victories in the past nine years. Jenson Button scored his maiden Formula 1 victory at the circuit in 2006 and Kevin Magnussen has enjoyed success at the track in junior formulae.

Jenson Button: “As you know, this has been a special place for me for some time. I won my first grand prix here back in 2006 – it was one of those days when everything seemed to go my way – and I won my 200 th grand prix here. That was an emotional day – and it was back in 2011 – I can’t believe it was nearly 60 races ago. The Hungaroring is a great track. Everybody thinks of it as a slow circuit, but, out the back, it’s got some pretty decent corners – Turn Four requires some serious commitment, and it’s made harder because it has a blind apex. Equally, the sequence of S-bends that make up Turns Eight to 11 are really satisfying to drive. Nonetheless, it’s still a circuit where you require lots of downforce and grip, and I think we are making positive steps in that direction.”

Kevin Magnussen: “I really like the Hungaroring. It isn’t a fast circuit but, a bit like Monaco, it’s a track on which a driver can really make a difference. I raced there last year in World Series by Renault 3.5 – and, although I didn’t win either of the two races we had that weekend, I really enjoyed the first of them in particular. Qualifying had been messed up for many of the drivers, owing to torrential rain, and I ended up 16th on the grid. From there I got it all hooked up really well on race day, which was also extremely wet, and I overtook a load of cars as I worked my way up to second place at the end. It was great! I think we’ve shown recently that our car performs slightly better on tracks with a combination of low and mid-speed corners, so I think this weekend will hopefully offer us another opportunity to score some useful world championship points. After a couple of frustrating races, I’m hoping for a weekend where everything comes together.”

Eric Boullier, Racing Director, McLaren Mercedes: “McLaren have a fantastic record in Hungary – we’ve won 11 grands prix there – and, while it’s unlikely that we’ll be in a position to win this year, I think that we travel to Budapest feeling encouraged by a number of our recent performances. We know there’s still a lot to do, but there’s a feeling that the whole team’s motivation is growing. This is effectively the last race of the first ‘half’ of the season: Formula 1 takes a short break for the summer before we return for the final few races in Europe, then the long and intense series of fly-aways that end the year. It’s always beneficial to go into the summer break with a positive result, so we’ll be trying hard to do just that; even more important, it’s essential that we maintain our focus and determination with regard to car development. The next six months will be critical for everybody at McLaren, and we’ll be working as hard as possible to keep on pushing.”

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HUNGARIAN GRAND PRIX: CATERHAM PREVIEW BUDAPEST

Caterham preview the Hungarian Grand Prix, Round 11 of the 2014 Formula 1 World Championship at Hungaroring, near Budapest.

Kamui Kobayashi: “The last race before the August break is Hungary, another really popular race with both fans and everyone in F1. For me one of my best memories of the Hungarian GP is 2010, the first time I raced on this track in F1. I had a grid penalty for something so had to start on the last row, in 23rd, but I overtook about six or seven cars on the first lap and then finished in the points! I think we’re realistic enough to know that probably won’t be possible this year, but we’ll still go there ready to fight as hard as we can, and hopefully come away with something positive.

“On track the Hungaroring isn’t one of the most challenging circuits we race on, but one of the keys to a good time is to find a rhythm, especially in sector two. You need to let the corners flow, one after the other, and with the high temperatures we usually have there and the tyre choice being Softs or Mediums, tyre management will be even more important than normal.”

Marcus Ericsson: “Straight on to Hungary after the German GP and another chance to take the fight to the cars ahead. For the last couple of races I’ve had a few issues that compromised [me] before they started, so I’m targeting a clean weekend with maximum track time, especially in Quali after what happened in Hockenheim.

“I’ve always had great support in Hungary. It’s one of the races a lot of Swedish fans come to and after seeing so many Swedish flags in Germany I’m looking forward to the same at the Hungaroring. This time I want to give them something to cheer for all weekend, especially on Sunday, so it’s important we have good reliability across the whole package, giving us the chance to fight in Quali and race properly on Sunday.”

Christijan Albers, Team Principal, Caterham F1 Team: “We now have completed two races since taking over the team and I have to say I am pleased with the progress we are making. In Germany the gap to our competitors was closer than it has been for several races and we are definitely aiming to continue that progress in Hungary. We can keep making small but significant improvements across the whole team, both on track and at the factory, and they will contribute to our ongoing development.“

Hungarian GP lowdown with Renault Sport F1 track support leader, Cedrik Staudohar:

Main challenges of Budapest for the Power Units: “The Hungaroring puts a focus on low speed driveability and engine response under braking. It’s not a power sensitive track so having a driveable and energy efficient Power Unit will pay dividends here.”

Main energy recovery points: “Energy recovery isn’t a problem as just about every corner is low to medium speed. The MGU-K will recover under braking while the MGU-H can recharge on the short bursts of power. Making efficient use of the power is however very important as the long race distance and long lap means we’ll be on the limit for fuel consumption.”

Difficulty rating: “Medium. The energy recovery system will be highly solicited but the ICE will have a relatively easy ride as the track is not power sensitive. The ambient heat does give us some worry, but we got on top of the effect of the high temperatures in Germany last week.”

What to watch out for: “Power sensitivity and outright engine power are not a major concern so we will use an ICE on final race of its lifecycle.”

Caterham F1 Team News:

Kevin Giovesi has been confirmed as the second driver added to Caterham F1 Team’s burgeoning Development Driver Program. The young Italian is currently in his second season of Auto GP and is now fourth the in 2014 championship which he is contesting with Eurotech Engineering with 131 points after the last round at the Red Bull Ring in Austria. Kevin joins the previously announced Nathanaël Berthon in the program which gives up and coming drivers the opportunity to embed themselves in the F1 team’s operations at Leafield Technical Centre and on track, and to gain valuable experience of working with F1 engineers and current season F1 technology in a virtual environment in the team’s driver-in-the-loop simulator.

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HUNGARIAN GRAND PRIX: FORCE INDIA PREVIEW BUDAPEST

Force India preview the Hungarian Grand Prix, Round 11 of the 2014 Formula 1 World Championship at Hungaroring, near Budapest.

Driver’s View: Nico Hulkenberg:

Nico, ten consecutive races in the points so far this season. Can you make it eleven in Budapest?

We will certainly try our best. So far it’s been a great season – my best year in Formula One and the best year for the team too. The car has worked well on every kind of track so if we keep working as we are, I think we can have a strong second half of the year as well. There are still some developments to come, mainly on the aero side, so that will help us stay competitive.

The Hungaroring is a medium-speed track. Talk us through the lap..?

The circuit is challenging and leaves little room for mistakes. The second sector has several corners that are all connected, so you need to hook them all up to be quick. If you run wide on one corner you can lose the flow of the lap. Overtaking is difficult, too, even with the DRS. There is one straight, but it’s not that long.

Is Hungary a race you look forward to?

It’s a good event with a nice atmosphere and lots of fans. I love the city of Budapest with the beautiful buildings and old architecture so it’s nice to explore a bit. The weather is always hot, which usually helps us and our car has worked well on tracks with slow corners so that’s a good sign.

Driver’s View: Sergio Perez:

Sergio, are you looking forward to racing in Hungary this weekend?

Hungary is definitely a great event and it’s usually one of the hottest races of the year. It’s the last race before the summer break so you always want to do well so that you can enjoy the break, otherwise it can feel very long.

It’s quite a compact circuit – is it one you enjoy?

It’s a really interesting circuit and you have to think very carefully about the way you set your car up. It’s a very technical lap and you have to consider the weaknesses of your car and set it up around them. It’s also very demanding on the tyres because you are always in a corner. The hot weather will make that even more challenging.

What expectations do you have for this weekend?

I was a bit disappointed after Silverstone and Hockenheim because things did not really work out for me in the races. So it’s important to score some good points before the summer break.

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HUNGARIAN GRAND PRIX: RED BULL PREVIEW BUDAPEST

Red Bull drivers preview the Hungarian Grand Prix, Round 11 of the 2014 Formula 1 World Championship at Hungaroring, near Budapest;

Sebastian Vettel: “I like the race and atmosphere at the Hungaroring, and have good memories of the races there even though I have never won in Budapest – it is still on my to do list! It is quite a slow track but also one that can catch you out. It has some tight, twisty corners and is quite a bumpy track, so you cannot underestimate it. It is normally hot in Hungary for the race which makes it a challenge to drive, but also makes a nice weekend for the fans watching. I really like the setting of the race track, just outside Budapest and near to the Danube – in the evenings I enjoy going for a walk along the banks, or sometimes a jog in the morning. The Hungarian GP is the last race before the Summer break so we will be working hard to keep up the momentum and have a good result to enjoy over the holidays.”

Daniel Ricciardo: “I’ve always enjoyed the Hungaroring, but because it’s so tight and twisty it’s maybe not the ideal layout for a grand prix. It’s like Monaco without the walls. It’s one of those weird situations where the driving is very satisfying but the racing, perhaps, is not. It’s a great, great track in Qualifying, where you’re driving on low fuel and fresh tyres – there’s no let up and you’re completely in the moment. In a race though overtaking is difficult because the track is quite narrow and that exciting sequence of corners doesn’t give you the opportunity to line up a pass. DRS has improved things and the first corner and the downhill sequence that follows can be quite exciting.”

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HUNGARIAN GRAND PRIX: SAUBER PREVIEW BUDAPEST

The Hungarian Grand Prix will take place this coming weekend in Budapest. After the 11th round of the FIA Formula One World Championship, the Sauber F1 Team head into the summer break together with all other teams at the beginning of August.

Esteban Gutiérrez (car number 21): “The Hungaroring has a different characteristic in comparison to other circuits on the calendar. It is a very interesting track, and I enjoy driving there. The circuit consists of many low and medium-speed corners. As it is quite bumpy, it will affect the mechanical set-up of the car. Due to the traditional high temperatures, it is demanding for the tyres. There is a lot of tyre degradation as the track has some corners with right-left combinations. Although this can give us some opportunities, and we can work on different strategies. I like being at the Hungaroring, so I am looking forward to going there again. The team keeps working hard, and we hope to be in a better position at the Hungarian Grand Prix.”

Adrian Sutil (car number 99): “The Hungarian Grand Prix is a great event with many fans who are passionate about racing. The track itself is quite short, but very challenging with many corners, and it is not easy to put a perfect lap together. You need a lot of grip as there are several slow corners. The Hungaroring is interesting, and it is definitely good to have it on the calendar. It is the second slowest track after Monaco. Our chances are difficult to predict, but I am ready for a good result and hope for a great race. Budapest is a picturesque city with a lot of history and beautiful buildings.”

Giampaolo Dall’Ara, Head of Track Engineering: “The back-to-back race at Budapest is another “hot” event, temperature-wise. Compared to Hockenheim, the set-up of the car isn’t that different, although the time spent on straights is considerably less and the low to medium-speed corners dominate. The aerodynamic requirements can be briefly summarised to be high downforce wings and efficient cooling. The track surface is more abrasive than in Hockenheim, therefore, the Pirelli Medium and Soft tyres have been allocated for this track.”

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HUNGARIAN GRAND PRIX: TORO ROSSO PREVIEW BUDAPEST

Toro Rosso preview the Hungarian Grand Prix, Round 11 of the 2014 Formula 1 World Championship at Hungaroring, near Budapest.

Jean Eric Vergne: “This is an important race as it comes just before the summer break, so if you do well here, it means you can enjoy the holiday more. It is a really tough race for the car and for the drivers. The circuit is located in a bowl which seems to trap the heat and the lap has no straights, so there is no time to rest at all over a lap. It can be frustrating to race here though, like in Monaco, as you can find yourself behind a slower car and not be able to get close enough to pass. To overtake, you need to be really close in the last corner to pass down the pit straight and in order to manage that, you must be right on the tail of the slower car for the whole lap, which is quite tricky, as there are a few high speed corners. You are always turning, braking, accelerating. Not an easy race and the last two years it has not been a good track for Toro Rosso, so I really want this to change and we will be doing all we can to have a good race. I like the city, which I have visited many times from my days racing in the World Series.”

Daniil Kvyat: “Hungaroring is on the list of my favourite tracks with its flowing nature and fast chicanes and corners, which you need to attack a lot. That’s what I really love about this track. There’s no time to rest there but I am really looking forward to it. You can get stuck behind slower cars, which is frustrating and that’s why it is really important to get as good a grid position as possible here and start in front of your rivals. It can be very hot and from a physical point of view, Budapest can be even tougher than Malaysia because you don’t get time to rest as there are no long straights. It makes for a demanding and challenging weekend. I also like the city of Budapest, quite a lot of Russians come to this race, so I am looking forward to seeing a lot of Russian flags in the grandstands: not on the scale of Sochi of course, but a nice feeling all the same.”

The Hungaroring: The final race before the summer break is definitely no holiday for cars or drivers, as it is very demanding on both, with the twisty nature meaning that there is no time to pause for breath for the men at the wheel. As for the cars, the new power units will be tested here, as the nature of the track means that good driveability will be one of the keys to a quick lap, with all the low speed corners. The extremely high temperatures – 50 degrees track temperature is quite normal here – that can be a feature of this race will mean that tyre management, with Pirelli bringing its Medium and Soft compounds, will also be of paramount importance. Over many years of running V8 engines, the task of putting the torque through the tyres onto the track had been well managed, but this year new parameters will come into play. Downforce levels will be similar to Monaco. After this race, the Toro Rosso engineers will have a good idea as to how the STR9 performs on the hottest tracks, which will be useful for other races later in the season.

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Boullier: Next six months critical

Eric Boullier insists everyone at McLaren remains motivated and determined to keep pushing as hard as possible for the remainder of the season.

Having gone the 2013 season without a race victory, the team are once again finding themselves in midfield this season with Jenson Button and Kevin Magnussen struggling to keep up with the likes of Mercedes and Williams.

The team, though, have showed improvement in recent races and they will be looking to keep that up when they travel to Hungary, a place where they have had plenty of success.

"McLaren has a fantastic record in Hungary - we've won 11 grands prix there - and, while it's unlikely we'll be in a position to win this year, I think we travel to Budapest feeling encouraged by a number of our recent performances," racing director Boullier said.

"We know there's still a lot to do, but there's a feeling that the whole team's motivation is growing."

This weekend's race at the Hungaroring marks the final grand prix before the summer break and Boullier feels it is important for McLaren to get a positive result.

"It's always beneficial to go into the summer break with a positive result, so we'll be trying hard to do just that; even more important, it's essential that we maintain our focus and determination with regard to car development," he said.

"The next six months will be critical for everybody at McLaren, and we'll be working as hard as possible to keep on pushing."

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Wolff: Double-points rule unfair

Mercedes motorsport boss Toto Wolff believes F1 should not have adopted the double-points rule for the Abu Dhabi Grand Prix.

In an attempt to keep the World Championships alive until the final race of the season, Bernie Ecclestone proposed that double points be awarded for the final race of the year.

After much debate, the sport's role players agreed to introduce the rule and it will now come into play in Abu Dhabi, and the season are likely to go down to the wire with Nico Rosberg and Lewis Hamilton neck and neck in for the Drivers' Championship.

Wolff, though, feels they made a mistake.

"I would be very surprised if it didn't come down to Abu Dhabi, to the very famous double points," he told Press Association Sport.

"It means even if you're 30 points behind then you can turn it around in Abu Dhabi if the leading guy retires.

"So maybe Bernie was right, that double points is going to keep the Championship open until the last race. But I don't think it's fair. I don't think we should have done it.

"The reason we did was because the commercial rights holder is head of sponsorship and he cares about the TV audience and the need to keep the excitement until the end, the last race.

"As I said, it looks like he might be right, that the last race is going to be the decisive one, and I would be very surprised if the audiences weren't considerably higher than they would normally be."

With Mercedes duo Rosberg and Hamilton set for an intense battle for title, Wolff believes the one that misses out on the title will struggle to shake off the scars.

"Neither of them will care if they won it that way," added Wolff.

"But the one who loses on double points will need some psychological treatment - although we're not there yet.

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Williams set their sights on P2

They've already surprised quite a few people this season by being third in the Constructors' Championship, but Williams deputy team principal Claire Williams sees no reason why they can't challenge for second.

Valtteri Bottas' second-place finish in Germany - his third consecutive podium - helped Williams to move ahead of Ferrari in the standings, and with the team in good nick Williams feels they can challenge Red Bull for second.

"There is no easy prey in Formula One, but yes, three points is an achievable amount [to overhaul] isn't it? The target was to take P3 in the Constructors' Championship," she told the official Formula 1 website.

"Red Bull is only sixty-seven points ahead of us - and they are in P2 - and with the current point system there is no reason why we can't be fighting for P2 this year!"

Formula 1 has always been about development throughout the season and the likes of Red Bull and Ferrari are known to upgrade their packages regularly to stay ahead of the chasing pack.

The Grove squad have struggled to keep up in recent years, but Williams believes they have the ability to stay in the development race this season.

"There is no reason why we can't. We have always been a team that has developed our cars over the course of the season - and we have got resources in-house," she said.

"So there is no reason why we shouldn't continue doing what we are doing now and build on the consistency that we have now. I definitely think that we can keep this momentum going. Where we are now is a far cry from where we were at the same time last year!"

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Red Bull looking for 2015 gains

Christian Horner insists Red Bull will continue to push hard in the final nine races of the season as they hope it will give them a good base for 2015.

Having won four Championships in a row, Red Bull were once again expected to be the team to beat this year but they have been well off the pace of rivals Mercedes in the 10 races to date.

The teams head to Hungary this weekend before they go on their annual summer break and, although he admits it would take "something catastrophic" for Merc to lose the title, Horner says his team are not ready to pack it all in.

"I cannot talk for other teams but this team will fight all the way to Abu Dhabi," the Red Bull team principal told The Telegraph. "Everything we learn this year has a relevance for next year. We won't give up. Every race weekend is an opportunity.

"Mercedes will have to do something catastrophic to lose this Championship but we have nine further opportunities to develop the car ready for next year when the regulations are stable.

"Our chassis is very strong but we need a better step [in the engine] and we are desperate for that. Hungary is a good opportunity for us. Mercedes are in a great position but, hopefully, we will be a little bit closer."

Most of Red Bull's problems this year have been down to the Renault engine, but the French manufacturer has made some changes and Horner feels they are making progress.

"The change in management is very positive, they are embracing the fact there is an issue and they are looking to make changes to make sure we close that gap to Mercedes," he said. "That will take time but the right attitude is there now and we should make progress."

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Mexico to return

The Mexican events company CIE has filed papers with the Mexican stock exchange indicating that subject to final negotiations and paperwork, it has agreed a five-year contract to host Formula One races in Mexico City, starting in 2015. Previous Mexican Grands Prix have been held at the Autodromo Hermanos Rodriguez, which is operated by CIE. The venue is currently used for baseball games and concerts and needs a lot of work to be brought up to modern F1 standards.

Mexico has hosted 15 Formula One races in the past. The first races took place between 1963 and 1970, and then again from 1986 to 1992.

If the race joins the current 19, it will take the total number of races to 20 as none of the current events seem likely to drop out.

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Waiting On Alonso

The greatest drivers in Formula 1 are able to achieve great things with cars that are deemed to be uncompetitive. They understand the problems and adapt to them. Admittedly, it is not possible these days for a great driver to win in a bad car. The car must be at least vaguely competitive. And this is where one must take off one’s hat to Fernando Alonso. He is already considered by many to be the best driver in F1, but this year he is adding to that reputation. He pedals the Ferrari F14T with verve and ability. He never gives up, rarely makes mistakes and he has scored in every race this year, an achievement that only Nico Hulkenberg can match.

Fernando’s best finish is third, his worst ninth and his average around fifth. If you asked people to rate the three best cars in F1 this year (thus the cars that should fill the top six finishing positions) I have no doubt that the Mercedes would top the list and that Williams and Red Bull would be next, with the challengers behind them being McLaren, Ferrari and Force India. This being the case, how it is that Alonso is fourth in the standings with an average finish of fifth and a points total of 97?

By the same token why is Kimi Raikkonen languishing in 12th with just 19 points, despite having had only one retirement? It’s not pretty when you look closely at the results. So what is the problem with Raikkonen? Does he get the same equipment as Alonso? Is he lacking confidence in the car? Is he simply past his best and not really interested? The official argument is that the car does not suit his driving style and that he is working to make it better and when he does that and feels confident then he will fly again.

Some say that Alonso has the emotional support of the team and that makes it tough for Kimi to do well. That is not very convincing when one considers Kimi’s apparently impervious nature. Is he secretly a little flower that needs to be loved and nurtured? Other more cynical folk argue that Kimi came back to F1 and found himself in an exceptional F1 car in the Lotus and was thus able to produce some astonishing results, which revived his career. The car also allowed Romain Grosjean to get close to victories, so perhaps this flattered Kimi somewhat.

I don’t claim to know the answer to this question, but Ferrari boss Marco Mattiacci says that Kimi is the driver that Ferrari needs. Quite how he knows this after 12 minutes in the sport is an interesting question. How does he know that Raikkonen is doing a better job than Nico Hulkenberg or Jenson Button would do in the same car, or Felipe Massa come to that? The word is that the choice of Raikkonen was made by Luca Montezemolo at a moment last year when he thought that Alonso was going to leave and Ferrari needed a star name. The big guns behind Ferrari would not be satisfied with a Nico Hulkenberg or a Jules Bianchi. So Kimi it was…

The big question now is what happens next? Ferrari has not managed to give Alonso a title in five seasons of trying and the Spaniard is frustrated. He will be 33 next week and it is fairly clear that his next career decision will probably be his last in F1 terms. He is also in demand. Ferrari wants to keep him. McLaren wants to sign him. Williams would love to have him. Fernando can pretty much name his price at the moment and, as I hear it, last weekend in Germany was pretty significant as Fernando’s contract has a clause in it that says that he is free to leave his team if it is not in the top three in the Constructors’ Championship. In Hockenheim Williams overtook Ferrari for third place… What we do not know is the date at which this proviso kicks in, but normally these things must be decided by September 1 and announced at the Italian GP.

Thus, Ferrari is now exposed and Fernando can make his own arrangements without needing to worry about contracts. The question for Alonso is really very simple: what engine does he think will be the best one next season? If the answer is not Ferrari then there is no point in staying on in Maranello. If the answer is Mercedes, he has only one choice if he is serious about winning. With Nico Rosberg and Lewis Hamilton locked in at Mercedes AMG Petronas, the best available seat for Fernando would have to be one of the two Williams drives. Niki Lauda remarked the other day that he was happy that Alonso was not in a Williams, an indication that the old charger has spotted that possibility. Sir Frank Williams, who has been around the F1 block more times than Lauda, has almost certainly spotted that as well.

If Alonso’s answer is Honda, or he feels that Honda can win the title in the course of the next three years, then he should go to Woking. The past is irrelevant.

McLaren and Honda can afford Fernando, Williams cannot, but there is little doubt that if he did do a deal to go to Grove, then Santander would probably follow as soon as it possibly could. Martini could be convinced to double, treble or quadruple its sponsorship of Williams in such a circumstance, but that’s not very likely. It was a cheap deal and is giving the firm fabulous return on its investment. However, if Williams had a competitive car and Alonso, money would arrive.

Ferrari understands that it must now fight for his services. It can give him as much money as it likes. It is a rich team, but Fernando is so wealthy these days that he lives in Spain and does not care about having to pay tax. The key question is whether or not he is hungry enough to risk a move, or would rather settle for a big Ferrari cheque and hope that the arrival of some of his old muckers from Lotus will turn the team around. That is a big gamble. Ferrari has often been a battleground between the Italians and imported helpers. The only time when this stopped was when Jean Todt ring-fenced the team against all interference and ran things as he felt was necessary. That worked. Could Mattiacci do the same or would Luca Montezemolo still call a crisis meeting every six weeks and try to run the team from on high?

The decision that Alonso makes will start the market moving, or freeze it. If he stays at Ferrari perhaps Raikkonen would be paid off. Perhaps the team would hire a youngster to build up into a star so that they have a star when Alonso does eventually go. If that happens then a Hulkenberg or a Bianchi is worth a flutter. If Alonso goes then things will get lively in Maranello. The need for a star name and the underperformance of Raikkonen would create a problem. The team could change both drivers but who would you hire? Jenson Button might stay at McLaren alongside Alonso, creating a nice super team for Honda. That would move the spotlight to Sebastian Vettel, who is not having an enjoyable time at Red Bull. The Milton Keynes team has a conveyor belt of talent in waiting with Daniil Kvyat ready to jump up if required and Carlos Sainz Jr ready to leap into Toro Rosso.

If Alonso is not available for McLaren, Jenson Button would be likely be secure and logically the team would keep Kevin Magnussen for another year. If it was a choice between Button and Magnussen as Alonso’s team-mate, the folk in Woking would probably go for Jenson… at least at the moment. If Kevin becomes more consistent he will strengthen his position.

If Alonso were to take a risk and head off to Williams, a move that would allow him to revive his relationship with Pat Symonds, with whom he won the titles at Renault back in 2005 and 2006, would the team choose Felipe Massa, who knows how to work with Alonso, or would it go for Valtteri Bottas? Perhaps Team Willy would look at selling its Finnish rising star to another well-heeled team, thus raising cash to pay for Fernando…

That’s possible too…