F1: Hungarian GP report 


Report


Before the start of the race Schumacher had said that he was woried about
the clutch in his car. It was replaced for the race by one of another make.
At the start, however, it caused little problem, with Schumacher taking the
lead decisively. Hill, on the other hand, made a tardy start on the dusty
half of the track, allowing Villeneuve and Alesi to take him. The race was
over by this stage for Salo, who had the indignity of being the first
retirement with an altercation with Pedro Diniz's Ligier. The latter,
however, kept the car going and went back to the pits for remedial work.
For the first 6 laps nothing changed at the front, with the order firmly
remaining Schumacher, Villeneuve, Alesi, Hill, Irvine, Berger, Hakkinen and
Herbert.


 Schumacher Villeneuve  Alesi  Hill   Irvine Berger
 5 laps          0.746  6.551  7.699  10.738 12.077


Martin Brundle was the next to go off, with a lurid moment involving a neat
nosedive into a gravel trap. Schumacher was meanwhile merrily pulling away
at the front, with a 1 second lead by lap 9. Hill was now charging and
after Alesi, and gaining at a ferocious rate of knots. Villeneuve was also
setting about Schumacher in a similar vein, and was the fastest man on the
track. Jos Verstappen was the next to go off the track.


 Schumacher Villeneuve  Alesi   Hill    Irvine Berger
 Lap 12          0.787  14.393  15.119  18.310 20.852


Villeneuve was now visibly closing in on Schumacher, whilst Frentzen was
the first of the front runners to make a pit stop on lap 14. By lap 15,
Schumacher was up to lap Lavaggi, who was lapping some 5 seconds a lap
slower than the front of the pack. Lavaggi was doing a wonderful job for
the Minardi team in Hungary, ensuring the camera got full view of the
sponsors names at every opportunity. The team chose well there.


 Schumacher Villeneuve  Alesi   Hill
 Lap 16          0.415  18.077  18.453


Berger, meanwhile, was the first of the front runners to take a place, and
duly took Irvine for 5th place. Berger was also on a charge and after the
Williams of Hill. Herbert was the next of the front runners to pit, in a
quick 6.6 seconds. Irvine, meanwhile, was now rapidly falling back from the
charging Berger. The Ferrari pit were now ready for a pit stop. Would it be
a routine stop for Schumacher, or a terminal stop for Irvine. Villeneuve
was now a scant 0.2 seconds behind Schumacher and held 19.5 seconds over
Alesi. Schumacher pitted in 7.9 seconds, allowing Villeneuve into the lead,
and also allowing Alesi, Hill, and Berger into 2nd, 3rd and 4th. Schumacher
rejoined in 5th. Villeneuve was now well and truly setting the pace, and
showing that he had been held up by the Ferrari. Williams were now also
ready for a stop.


 Villeneuve Alesi   Hill    Berger  Schumacher Irvine
 Lap 20     20.681  21.258  23.554      23.886 27.999


In the end it was Villeneuve who pitted in 7.8 seconds, rejoining the race
behind Hill, with Alesi the new race leader. Alesi was the next to pit, and
rejoined the race before a McLaren. Hill was now into the lead.


Hill was now setting the pace, with a 1m20.929 on lap 23. For McLaren,
however, things suddenly turned pearshaped, with Coulthard going off - he
later said that the gearbox seized. It certainly looked that way, with the
whole of the rear end now refusing to do anything that David wanted as he
battled the car onto the pitstraight - his problems occuring just as he
passed the pit lane entrance. Berger joined the tour of the pits, with
Williams also ready. Hill managed a clean6.8 second stop - the order of the
day for most drivers - and rejoined in 6th. Irvine followed suit into the
pit lane. Lamy was also into the pits, and after a lengthy stop retired.
Rosset looked set to be the next retirement with a lurid moment whilst
being harried by the lapping Sauber of Frentzen. The TWR-Arrows going
straight across the gravel and onto the track, where he showered it with
stones. Hakkinen joined the pit-frenzy with an 8 second stop.


Positions at lap 26: Villeneuve, Schumacher, Hakkinen (pitted), Alesi,
Hill, Berger, Irvine, Herbert, Panis, Frentzen, Barrichello, Rosset (P),
Katayama, Lavaggi.


Villeneuve now had a 7.5 second lead over Schumacher, whilst Hill was after
Alesi for all it was worth. The pair came upon Rosset, and got by cleanly.
Hill then took Alesi into turn 1, as the Benetton went wide, and closed the
door far too late to stop a charging Hill. On lap 32 the Ferrari of Irvine
went critical with smoke pouring out of the back, forcing Irvine to retire
yet again. It was later reported that the gearbox had gone.


On the same lap the funniest moment of the race occured, when Lavaggi got a
10 second speeding penalty - it seemed that the pit lane was the only place
he could be occused of that. Hill was now setting the pace of the race with
a whole string of fastest laps, begining with a 1m20.735 on lap 32, and
reaching 1m20.263 on lap 36. Herbert was next to retire, taking the runners
down to 12.


Ferrari were ready for Schumachers next stop. This allowed Hill up to
second. The Ferrari mechanics turning Schuey around in 6.9 seconds. He
rejoined the race in 3rd, someway ahead of Alesi. Williams were now ready
for the next round of stops. Villeneuve was turned around in 7 seconds and
rejoined in the lead. Hill was the next to pit, entering some 12 seconds
ahead of Schumacher, turned round in 6.7 seconds and rejoined just ahead of
Alesi with Schumacher back up to 2nd. The front of the pack were now up
onto the Jordan of Barrichello in 7th place, such was the pace at the front
- and lack of it further back.


 Villeneuve Schumacher  Hill    Alesi   Berger Hakkinen
 Lap 42         14.328  26.020  28.042  34.865   47.326


Hill was now charging after the Ferrari of Schumacher, and catching at a
colosal rate - 1.5 seconds a lap. Alesi pitted in 8.7 seconds. Hill had the
gap down to 3.8 seconds on lap 48. Schumacher and Hill came upon Frentzen,
who let them both through cleanly. The gap was now 1.9 seconds, as the pair
came upon the Minardi of Lavaggi. Berger, meanwhile, was pitting and
rejoined just behind Alesi. The Ferrari-Williams train continued to trail
Lavaggi, who eventually lets them through, and up to Katayama and
Barrichello who were having there own private battle. Barrichello reduced
the tension by suddenly pitting and the the 2-3 train took Katayama readily
enough. Frentzen was into the pits for a very lengthy stop, which
ultimately meant retirement. Schumacher pitted next time around, whilst
Hill stayed out.


Order: Villeneuve, Hill, Schumacher, Alesi, Berger, Hakkinen, Panis,
Barrichello, Katayama, Rosset, Lavaggi


On lap 56, Villeneuve pitted from the lead (some 23 seconds of it), was
done in 6.8 seconds - or so it appeared, until the right-rear wheel nut
jammed yet again. He was out in 14.8 seconds, and behind Hill who now found
himself in the lead, but yet to stop. Hill continued to pull away from his
team-mate, taking it to 15.6 seconds by lap 61. He came upon Lavaggi (yet
again), and he lets him through - Hill losing 1.3 seconds in the process.
The gap was now 14.8 seconds. By the time he pitted it was a 15.7 second
lead, but not enough to prevent Villeneuve retaking the lead. He rejoined
the race in 2nd place, with Schumacher behind, and Berger closing fast. For
lap after lap Hill tore into Villeneuves lead, as Berger's engine suddenly
let go a la Hockeheim. Hill was really setting the pace, and setting it
with a fastest lap of 1m20.093s.


Lap 70: Villeneuve, Hill, Schumacher, Alesi, Hakkinen, Panis, Barrichello,
Katayama, Rosset, Lavaggi


Just as it looked that the race was steadying out Schumacher's car ground
to a halt. Villeneuve and Hill came upon Hakkinen, who let them by, and
then to Katayama, who let them go off line to go by. The two Williams' were
a tad wobbly for a couple of laps after that. Hill continued to harry
Villeneuve to the line, following him in his tyretracks almost to the inch,
but to no avail. In the end the Canadian won the race by 0.6 seconds from
Hill. The gap between the two now closer in the championship, but sealing
the Constructors Championship for Williams.


       1. Villeneuve
       2. Hill
       3. Alesi
       4. Hakkinen
       5. Panis
       6. Barrichello
       7. Katayama
       8. Rosset
       9. Schumacher
      10. Lavaggi




-- 
Stephen M Baines


 "[The Autosport sticker] started to peel off in the middle of Eau Rouge
 and it distracted me. In fact it was the first thing to hit the barrier"
    Tiff Needell - Jaguar XJR-15 Challenge - Interview with Autosport


F1/TouringCars http://web.ukonline.co.uk/Members/stephen.baines/index.html
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