© Getty ImagesThe Highs and Lows of HungaroringA recap of the good and the bad from the Team’s performances at the Hungaroring
TheHungarianGrandPrixisaclassic.Theraceisexcitingandtherecanoftenbecollisionsandcrashesthankstothetightandtwistytrack.TherealwaysseemstobesomethinghappeningattheHungaroringmakingitahighlightoftheseasonjustbeforethesummerbreak.
The Team has had a lot of success at the Hungarian Grand Prix, but it’s also had some horror shows as well, so time to look back at races we’ve loved and races we haven’t…
The Team arrived at the Hungaroring in 2005 for its first ever race at the track, and only the 13th race in the Team’s history. Christian Klien qualified in 11th and David Coulthard in P13. It wasn’t long before disaster struck. On the way into turn one on the first lap, Christian turned in and his rear wheel clipped the front tyre of Jacques Villeneuve, launching the Bull into the air and flipping his RB1. The car finished the right way up and he was able to climb out safely, but his race was over. And before the opening lap had finished DC also had to retire as he lost a wheel and spun after driving over Fernando Alonso’s front wing which the Spanish driver had discarded in an earlier collision. DC was unsighted and unable to avoid contact with the carbon fibre.
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It took until 2009 for the Bulls to step on the podium for the first time in Hungary. In fact, the Team had only one top five finish from 2005 until 2009. And it was Mark Webber who claimed the first trophy in Budapest.
McLaren’s Lewis Hamilton took the win with Kimi Räikkönen in second, but Mark Webber took the Team’s 11th podium finish of the season, and its first in Hungary with a carefully controlled drive to third place from P3 on the grid.
It might have been a double podium had Sebastian Vettel managed to convert P2 on the grid, but the German driver was hit by Räikkönen in turn one at the start and was forced to retire from the race on lap 30.
It only took 12 months for Mark to turn that third into a win. Webber had been beaten to pole by Sebastian Vettel. Mark was sitting in P3 when Force India’s Vitantonio Liuzzi lost part of his front wing and the Safety Car was released. Seb pitted but the Team gambled and kept Mark on track. With Sebastian’s race then compromised by a penalty for lagging too far behind the Safety Car, the Team’s hopes were pinned on Mark who needed to build a gap to Alonso to create enough time for a later pit stop. The Aussie drove like a man possessed and after a barrage of laps at qualifying pace, Mark had built the 20 seconds necessary to pit on lap 43 and return to the track in the lead where he remained to take the chequered flag.
In 2014, the Team’s newest recruit, Daniel Ricciardo, proved to be the season’s surprise package and the Honey Badger’s reputation as one of the grid’s most ruthless over-takers was confirmed.
Following a wet start, a Safety Car intervention and two spells in the lead, Daniel entered the closing stages in P3, behind race leader Fernando Alonso and Lewis Hamilton. Daniel muscled his way past Hamilton around the outside of turn two on lap 67 and then, with two laps remaining he powered past Alonso into turn one to take the lead and win the race. It was his second win in his first 11 races for the Team.
In 2017, Max qualified in P5 with Danny Ric in P6. At the start, Max was pushed wide on the opening turn by Valtteri Bottas and then, as he recovered through turn two, he accelerated, but had to lock up on the entrance to turn three. That’s where his front wheel hit Daniel’s sidepod.
It looked to be a minor collision, but soon after water and coolant was pouring from Daniel’s radiator and then he spun as the water hit his rear tyres. With a burst radiator, he had to retire while Max was given a 10-second penalty for the incident.
The 2019 Hungarian Grand Prix was to be Max’s 93rd race. He had already clocked up 25 podiums and six wins, but unbelievably, he had never claimed pole position.
Max topped Q1 and was second in Q2. But the battle really began in Q3. As the chequered flag was waved in the final session, all the front runners were on their push lap. Charles Leclerc crossed first, but was unable to beat Max’s time. Max then crossed with an even faster lap. All he could do now was wait for Bottas, Hamilton and Vettel to try and beat his time. None of them could knock Max off his top spot and he became the 100th driver in Formula One to claim pole position.
The 2020 Hungarian Grand Prix will be remembered by Bulls fans as the race where the mechanics proved they are, and continue to be, the best in the business.
The wet race was nearly over before it began for Max. On his out lap, he locked up, came off the brakes, tried to brake again and went into the barriers damaging his suspension. He was able to reverse and get to the grid where the mechanics had just 20 minutes to fix his damaged car. They fixed it with just seconds to spare and Max was able to bring his RB15 home in P2. After the race, Christian Horner said, “The mechanics did an amazing job today and Max owes this result to them. To get his car repaired in 20 minutes on the grid is incredible and you could see the sweat dripping off them. The guys have been doing an amazing job.”
In 2022, Max qualified in P10 and due to the tight nature of the Hungaroring, it didn’t look like there was much chance for the Dutch Bull to overtake, but Max was able to blast his way through the pack and by lap 42 was in P4 with the cars ahead needing to pit. Max swept past the Ferrari of Charles Leclerc to take P3, but on the same lap, as Max spun a full 360 at the penultimate turn, stopped to see Leclerc power past him. Luckily for the Bull, he stayed on track and didn’t damage his tyres. Once back on the throttle, Max was able to get in front of the Ferrari driver three laps later who was struggling to get heat into his hard tyres. From there on it was the standard ice-cool Max who just waited for Hamilton and Sainz to pit so he could take the lead of the race and the win.
Max and Checo will take to the track on Friday at 13:30 (track time) for Free Practice One to try and create more highs for the Team. Make sure head over to the Race Hub for all the exclusive news, reactions, photos and videos for the Hungarian Grand Prix.
