2008 Hungarian GP Predictions
Lewis Hamilton led all 70 laps in Hungary last year
It’s time to don your thinking hats and predict the top three for the Hungarian Grand Prix.
Read my prediction and pick the podium below.
McLaren are on a roll at the moment and are widely expected to lead the way at the Hungaroring.
But Ferrari have thrived in the hotter races this year and there’s a good chance we’ll see temperatures of more than 30C at the Hungaroring this weekend.
Bridgestone are bringing its two softest tyres to the Hungaroring, as were used at the similarly tight-and-twisty Monte-Carlo circuit. As the F2008 has often been kinder to its tyres than the MP4/23, I don’t think Ferrari are going to be as far off McLaren’s pace as some have predicted.
I’d definitely back Kimi Raikkonen to prise his way between the two McLarens. Felipe Massa, on the other hand, seems to have circuits where he does well and circuits where he does poorly, and he is yet to finish higher than seventh at the Hungaroring.
So I’m backing Lewis Hamilton to take a third consecutive win, but I think there’ll still be a performance gap between him and Heikki Kovalainen – and Raikkonen will squeeze in between them. That will, of course, give us the same top two as last year:
1. Lewis Hamilton
2. Kimi Raikkonen
3. Heikki Kovalainen
Last time I only managed to predict third place correctly (Massa). Although no-one got the top three right Warren, Diseased Rat, Bob, Sebastian, Derek, Salty, Sassan, Noel, Verasaki, Becken, James B, Donwatters, Dan Brunell, Loki, Jae and Gerry Carr all correctly picked Hamilton to win.
Dan Brunell, who made several different sets of predictions, picked Nelson Piquet Jnr to finish second “if hell freezes over…”
What are your predictions for the Hungarian Grand Prix podium?
1.HAM
2.RAI
3.HEI
4.KUB
5.KOV
6.MAS
7.ALO
8.WEB
1. Hamilton
2. Kovalainen
3. Massa
1. Raikkonen
2. Kubica
3. Hamilton
4. Massa
5. Alonso
6. Piquet
7. Vettel
8. Bourdais
I forgot about the hell freezes over picks. I can’t believe that…
My guess.
1: HAM
2: MAS
3: HEI
4: RAI
5: KUB
6: KOV
7: VET
8: ROS
Pole: Hamilton
Fast Lap: Massa
Pole: Hamilton
FL: Raikkonen
1. Hamilton
2. Raikkonen
3. Massa
4. Kubica
5. Kovalainen
6. Webber
7. Heidfeld
8. Alonso
Pole – Hamilton
1. Kovi
2. Heidfeld
3. Raikkonen
Fastest Lap – Alonso
Dry/Wet/Dry/Wet/Dry.
1: Raikkonen
2: Hamilton
3: Kubica
Pole: Hamilton, FL: Raikkonen
1. Hamilton
2. Raikkonen
3. Kubica
Similar to what Journeyer said, I just don’t have the same faith in Massa…
1. The Hammer
2. Heidfeld
3. Massa
Pole – Kovi
FL – Kimi
1. Kimi
2. Hamilton
3. Kubica
lol @ Dan’s piquet prediction!
head says;
1 hamilton
2 heikki
3 Massa
heart wants;
1 heidfield
2 kimi
3 massa
hell freezes over;
1 Rosberg (his car just isn’t good anymore)
2 sutil
3 piquet
1 Kovalainen
2 Raikkonen
3 Alonso
1.Alonso
2.Webber
3.Massa
please please please let it rain… thats what i’m predicting
1.ham
2.raikkonen
3.massa
4.kubica
5.kovalanien
6.alonso
1: Raikkonen
2: Hamilton
3: Kubica
1.Kimi (You must do it Kim)
2.Massa (if he be able to finish the race)
3.Kubica (this is his home race, 40 thousands crazy Polish fans are cheering for Rob there)
4.Nando
5.Nick
6.Heiki
DNF. Lewis Fiamilton
1.Heidfeld
2.Kovy
3.Kimi
..Yeh seriously
1.Kimi (Now or never)
2.Heikki (Happy to get the seat for ‘09)
3.Kubica (We all know here, what a Polish invasion can do)
Lewis – hmm…lemme see, I predict that he would miss the pole by a whisker and then try hard to overtake at the first corner and having an off moment, then rejoining lower down, only to be taken out by our ever so reliable DC.
There is no way Hami is taking 3 in a row.
Kimi
Heidfeld
Button.
Triple H: Hamilton, Heikki & Heidfeld.
HAM
RAI
MAS
Massa
Kimi
Lewis
Alonso
Piquet Jr.(wishfull thinking, I confess)
Kovi
Rosberg
Vettel
C’mon Dan Brunell, don’t keep us waiting for the “hell freezes over” prediction for this one…!!
Presuming a little bit of rain…
1. Hamilton
2. Kubica
3. Kovalainen
No rain…
1. Hamilton
2. Kovalainen
3. Massa
The thing about Raikkonen is that his frustration at losing out in various races doesn’t seem to be channeled into his racing. It’s not that he doesn’t care (he seems fairly annoyed a lot of the time) but his concentration seems to have gone – or at least the extra 5% that makes the difference. Unless Ferrari get some tracks/races where they dominate easily, I don’t see him up there.
Looking back to the two FP Lewis seems to be very dominant again. The difference between Felipe and Kimi in the second practice is nothing:
5. Raikkonen Ferrari 1:21.009
6. Massa Ferrari 1:21.010
MY PREDICTIONS:
Qualifying:
1) LEWIS
2) HEIKKI
3) MASSA
Race:
1) LEWIS
2) HEIKKI
3) MASSA
Nelson won two rounds of GP2 here in 2006 and in the wet. He will finish the race in front of Alonso again on this race, scoring some more valuable points to the team again. I bet Fernando will use his set up again tomorrow…
RAI
HAM
KUB
for the race…I won’t even dare anticipate what will happen in wet conditions!
One strange thing though at this part of the season is the unbelieveable over analysis and (often) incorrect scrutiny of the drivers. All the talk of Kimi having a slump and Ferrari being in a crisis are mad…it’s just part of the ups and downs of racing. All in all, Kimi’s off form weekends were the season opener, Monaco and then Germany. Silverstone was due to rotten team tactics. These are stats remarkably similar to all the other top 4 drivers. And a month ago Lewis was being written off as a pop-star-esque basket case, in emotional meltdown. A bit over the top or what.
People tend to forget the machinations, violent outbursts and screw-ups, even by Senna, Shumi, Prost, between 88-93, for example. These were brilliant drivers, on a normal roller-coaster of highly charged seasons of F1.
Imagine the media and blog frenzy if the same happened today with those guys! People are really overcooking things today, drives me mad! Thanks to F1 Fanatic for keeping things in a bit more of an intelligent perspective…just needed to get that out!
It’s going to be a great race mark my words. This is the closest Kimi gets to a home GP as well as Kubica, and it will be a cracker.
I trust that Keith will keep us entertained during the three week break after this? Please?!!
Hamilton
Massa
Kimi
Piece of cake.
Hamilton
Raikkonen
Massa
1)Lewis
2)Heikki
3)Massa
1) Kovalainen
2) Raikkonen
3) Massa
Hamilton
Heikki
Massa
1. Hamilton
2. Raikkonen
3. Alonso
Hamilton will not finish this race!
Pole position:
Massa
Race results:
1.Kimi
2.Robert Kubica
3.Massa or Heidfeld
That’s it…virtually impossible that Hamilton will do a hatrick!
1)Kimi
2)Lewis
3)Massa
If the very unlikely rain does fall:
1. Hamilton
2. Trulli
3. Button
If it is a dry race:
1. Hamilton
2. Raikkonen
3. Kovalinen
Qualifying:
1. Hamilton
2. Massa
3. Kovalainen
GP:
1. Kimi
2. Kovalainen
3. Kubica
i bet for kimi,heikki,lewis in Qualifying …
in race ..kimi, lewis, massa …
1- Hamilton
2- Kubica
3- Alonso
…and thanks to Dan Brunnell for making hell freeze over…now we don’t have to worry if it is tolerable.
1. Robert Kubica
2. Lewis Hamilton
3. Felipe Massa
If it’s dry…..
1. Hamilton- Takes control of the title chase
2. Massa- Keeps establishing himself as Ferrari’s top challenger
3. Kubica- The crowd gose wild……
If it rains…*
1. Hamilton- The next great wet-weather driver emerges
2. Alonso- Just the situation he wants after his comments this week….
3. Heidfeld- Keeps the car on-track and in contention
* The rain version includes a dramatic final battle between Hamilton and Fernando, with every TV commentary crew running out of air by race’s end from excitement. Afterward, we’re all going to need to discuss what nation’s TV crew did the best job!!!
Seriously, I’m onboard for the Hamilton 3-peat…who’s with me?
I think Hamilton will take this one as well, followed by the two Ferrari’s.
So I’m going with
1. Hamilton
2. Massa
3. Raikkonen
I don’t want to be boring, but my prediction is the same as Keith’s. This track seems to suit the Mclaren and Lewis’ driving style. Kimi to come a strong second, Kovi to prove he’s entirely capable in a support role, defined or otherwise.
Quali: KOV/MAS/HAM
Race: KIMI/KUB/ALO/KOV/MAS
HAM – DNF
After qual. it seems to be like this:
1. Kubica
2. Massa
3. Kovalainen
DNF- Hamilton