Front-runners close on race stint performance

2011 Hungarian GP FP2 analysis

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Fernando Alonso, Ferrari, Hungaroring, 2011

All the data from the second practice session for the Hungarian Grand Prix.

Longest stint comparison

  • In the laps shown below below both McLarens, Red Bulls, Ferraris and Mercedes were using super-soft tyres
  • Both Lewis Hamilton and Sebastian Vettel’s stints look strong and evenly matched, as both drivers improved their times throughout.
  • But Fernando Alonso’s times rose quite quickly and he switched the soft tyres while his rivals stayed on super-softs.
  • Though Hamilton managed 13 laps on the tyres – and might have gone further had the session not ended – three such stints in the race will only just get him past half-distance. But with the super-soft tyres looking around eight-tenths of a second quicker over a lap than softs, the drivers in Q3 surely won’t want to do without them
  • The Hungaroring typically sees high levels of track evolution due to the dusty surface, and both tyre performance and longevity should improve as the weekend progresses.
  • Felipe Massa said degradation was “significant” on both tyre compounds. “The first signs are that degradation is significant, both on the Prime and the Option, which will be a decisive factor when it comes to strategy.”

https://www.racefans.net/charts/2011drivercolours.csv

123456789101112131415
Sebastian Vettel87.75588.01687.30287.43387.39987.77187.37887.40587.55687.067
Mark Webber88.26587.89488.56387.55690.40487.39387.71288.7187.27887.41495.286.84586.71287.67689.434
Lewis Hamilton87.29886.97495.37987.0696.96687.00687.09290.05386.99187.20187.21398.9986.79
Jenson Button88.30387.66688.28488.62787.56487.53287.42595.85787.31493.88387.47789.42188.325
Fernando Alonso87.30187.40387.36787.72487.96487.62889.44188.10288.77188.843
Felipe Massa86.35787.83586.2486.5392.41486.486
Michael Schumacher88.82889.19289.85489.68289.36989.90689.63890.18490.21990.35590.95591.439
Nico Rosberg89.61389.29489.2799.88689.08188.61491.77488.92389.77889.65589.94189.70292.68789.863
Nick Heidfeld86.56689.61385.58585.755
Vitaly Petrov84.54696.58185.15689.57886.634
Rubens Barrichello89.94689.55888.95392.96489.42789.97889.95692.0890.79492.1990.024
Pastor Maldonado90.00189.87990.34490.07589.92190.12690.38590.63190.08990.31893.26490.80398.63193.889
Adrian Sutil89.56989.75489.81989.10188.99488.80788.90488.76289.94189.26988.961
Paul di Resta88.45788.64888.63688.85288.63788.87989.188.77188.48588.84789.01389.47689.86390.459
Kamui Kobayashi88.96290.52488.53788.6888.94489.789.32891.16791.08589.46695.12689.085
Sergio Perez88.1288.50788.64988.69289.06489.23493.22689.77790.60290.489
Sebastien Buemi90.28592.83290.17390.03295.91589.91290.28893.27690.66390.53194.37991.351
Jaime Alguersuari89.2389.24689.15989.28989.58889.37589.3989.70890.0590.06690.04391.06490.7291.503
Heikki Kovalainen89.71890.29591.43590.63790.71891.22490.96390.41890.91191.16294.86891.70193.16693.08292.59
Jarno Trulli89.89189.98990.12890.37890.34890.36290.60694.1590.70195.76191.34291.28295.07692.49391.642
Daniel Ricciardo93.41794.17794.42492.84597.98593.11195.37699.319
Vitantonio Liuzzi90.19690.12898.42195.82190.02
Timo Glock101.80989.32498.3691.63189.03695.561
Jerome d’Ambrosio88.63788.11491.88188.526

Ultimate lap times

An ultimate lap is a driver’s fastest three sector times combined.

  • Jenson Button is positive about McLaren’s pace: “We’re strong in the first and last sectors. I’m quickest in the first sector and Lewis is fastest in the last. If we can put it all together, we’ll be looking pretty good.”
  • Vitantonio Liuzzi’s best effort was 1.5 seconds slower than 107% of Hamilton’s best time. Even assuming Hamilton does his Q1 time on softs while Liuzzi uses super-softs, he could be at risk from the 107% rule.
  • Liuzzi said the team made some changes to the car and went back on them but: “the car wasn’t reacting like in the morning. We had some problems with the rear end which caused over steering.”
CarDriverCarUltimate lapGapDeficit to best
13Lewis HamiltonMcLaren-Mercedes1’21.0180.000
25Fernando AlonsoFerrari1’21.2590.2410.000
34Jenson ButtonMcLaren-Mercedes1’21.3220.3040.000
42Mark WebberRed Bull-Renault1’21.5080.4900.000
51Sebastian VettelRed Bull-Renault1’21.5490.5310.000
66Felipe MassaFerrari1’21.8890.8710.210
78Nico RosbergMercedes1’22.1211.1030.000
87Michael SchumacherMercedes1’22.4401.4220.000
915Paul di RestaForce India-Mercedes1’22.7621.7440.073
1014Adrian SutilForce India-Mercedes1’22.9811.9630.000
1116Kamui KobayashiSauber-Ferrari1’23.0302.0120.000
1217Sergio PerezSauber-Ferrari1’23.1862.1680.213
1311Rubens BarrichelloWilliams-Cosworth1’23.6452.6270.034
149Nick HeidfeldRenault1’23.7722.7540.089
1512Pastor MaldonadoWilliams-Cosworth1’24.1813.1630.000
1619Jaime AlguersuariToro Rosso-Ferrari1’24.1823.1640.000
1710Vitaly PetrovRenault1’24.5163.4980.030
1818Sebastien BuemiToro Rosso-Ferrari1’24.7343.7160.144
1921Jarno TrulliLotus-Renault1’24.9443.9260.050
2020Heikki KovalainenLotus-Renault1’25.4474.4290.000
2124Timo GlockVirgin-Cosworth1’26.8235.8050.000
2225Jerome d’AmbrosioVirgin-Cosworth1’27.2166.1980.045
2322Daniel RicciardoHRT-Cosworth1’27.6176.5990.113
2423Vitantonio LiuzziHRT-Cosworth1’28.2557.2370.000

Complete practice times

  • Kamui Kobayashi has his eye on the Force Indias: “Although we look better than we did at the Nurburgring, I have the feeling it will be tough to catch the Force India cars, but we want to get in front of them in tomorrow’s qualifying.”
CarDriverCarBest lapGapStint lapAt timeLaps
13Lewis HamiltonMcLaren-Mercedes1’21.0181/25229
25Fernando AlonsoFerrari1’21.2590.2411/34240
34Jenson ButtonMcLaren-Mercedes1’21.3220.3041/15234
42Mark WebberRed Bull-Renault1’21.5080.4901/25335
51Sebastian VettelRed Bull-Renault1’21.5490.5311/26231
66Felipe MassaFerrari1’22.0991.0812/34140
78Nico RosbergMercedes1’22.1211.1031/16036
87Michael SchumacherMercedes1’22.4401.4221/16336
915Paul di RestaForce India-Mercedes1’22.8351.8171/26039
1014Adrian SutilForce India-Mercedes1’22.9811.9631/36337
1116Kamui KobayashiSauber-Ferrari1’23.0302.0121/25834
1217Sergio PerezSauber-Ferrari1’23.3992.3811/44837
1311Rubens BarrichelloWilliams-Cosworth1’23.6792.6611/35734
149Nick HeidfeldRenault1’23.8612.8431/36028
1512Pastor MaldonadoWilliams-Cosworth1’24.1813.1631/35639
1619Jaime AlguersuariToro Rosso-Ferrari1’24.1823.1641/21926
1710Vitaly PetrovRenault1’24.5463.5281/58621
1818Sebastien BuemiToro Rosso-Ferrari1’24.8783.8605/53035
1921Jarno TrulliLotus-Renault1’24.9943.9763/36038
2020Heikki KovalainenLotus-Renault1’25.4474.4292/25439
2124Timo GlockVirgin-Cosworth1’26.8235.8051/37233
2225Jerome D’AmbrosioVirgin-Cosworth1’27.2616.2431/36228
2322Daniel RicciardoHRT-Cosworth1’27.7306.7122/45231
2423Vitantonio LiuzziHRT-Cosworth1’28.2557.2371/36425

Speed trap

  • Mercedes resumed their place at the top of the speed trap chart.
#DriverCarEngineMax speedGap
17Michael SchumacherMercedesMercedes299.2
28Nico RosbergMercedesMercedes296.13.1
314Adrian SutilForce IndiaMercedes295.53.7
46Felipe MassaFerrariFerrari294.54.7
510Vitaly PetrovRenaultRenault294.15.1
69Nick HeidfeldRenaultRenault293.95.3
71Sebastian VettelRed BullRenault293.85.4
85Fernando AlonsoFerrariFerrari293.26
916Kamui KobayashiSauberFerrari292.96.3
1015Paul di RestaForce IndiaMercedes291.18.1
114Jenson ButtonMcLarenMercedes2918.2
1211Rubens BarrichelloWilliamsCosworth289.39.9
132Mark WebberRed BullRenault289.110.1
143Lewis HamiltonMcLarenMercedes28910.2
1517Sergio PerezSauberFerrari288.610.6
1618Sebastien BuemiToro RossoFerrari288.310.9
1712Pastor MaldonadoWilliamsCosworth285.413.8
1823Vitantonio LiuzziHRTCosworth284.814.4
1924Timo GlockVirginCosworth28415.2
2022Daniel RicciardoHRTCosworth283.615.6
2119Jaime AlguersuariToro RossoFerrari283.116.1
2225Jerome D’AmbrosioVirginCosworth282.217
2321Jarno TrulliLotusRenault281.717.5
2420Heikki KovalainenLotusRenault281.317.9

2011 Hungarian Grand Prix

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    Author information

    Keith Collantine
    Lifelong motor sport fan Keith set up RaceFans in 2005 - when it was originally called F1 Fanatic. Having previously worked as a motoring...

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    21 comments on “Front-runners close on race stint performance”

    1. I predict alonso wins

      1. I hope so :)

        1. That was my prediction…got pole right anyway :)

    2. Surely Mercedes need to add some more angle on that rear wing? Watching them in practice they were terrible in the twisty bits (most of the track basically) and seeing their high straight line speed too… what are they playing at?

      Well done Ricciardo today by the way. Will be interesting to see if he out qualifies Liuzzi this race.

      1. Great. After just two races Liuzzi is beaten by a rookie. I hope his problems will be solved in time for qualifying and that he will fight evenly with Ricciardo (and beat him).

      2. I was thinking the same thing in Germany, throughout the race Schumi had the highest topspeed (don’t know if he had it all times, but the dutch commenter mentioned it a few times).

        Know, I think Mercedes is said to have the most aggressive DRS, so maybe it’s an artificial way to make sure Schumu’s car has a oversteery feel. (reduce downforce at the back). And possibly Rosberg knows better how to drive with a little understeer, so he can add that extra clicks in downforce, making the car understeer more, but faster for Rosberg.
        ?

        1. Well, I for one hope for them that they were running maxed out with fuel, their pace was consistently 2s or more off that of the front runners, and about only occasionally competitive with FI, but mostly a second away from the FI, and Sauber is about the same speed as them.

          Looks good between HAM, Webber and Vettel, hope Alonso gets some higher temperature to make his car work just as well.

    3. great analysis keith! looking good for a mclaren win,i hope we can see a great race with 3 teams fighting for pole and the race

      1. Although it pains me to say this, but i don’t care if ferrari or mclaren win the race. As long at vettel is pushed back to 5th, i am a happy man

    4. i wish there were sector times. those are my favourite stats :(

    5. It’s actually hard to read into the McLaren times. Looks like they were doing a lot of alternating slow/fast to learn how to warm the tires for qualifying, and their ultimate recovery ability. Only 8 of Hamilton’s 13 laps were really at speed. Nonetheless Hamilton dropping that time on 13th lap in the stint is impressive. RBR look very solid as usual.

      1. Yeah, I think Mclaren’s time is qualifying simulation while others look like race sim…

    6. I think it is telling that the McLarens are down on the low end of the speedtrap numbers. Perhaps they are finding the necessary downforce to truly challenge the RB chassis. We know the power of the Merc engines. I will very surprised if at least one mp4-26 isn’t on the front row in the morning.

      1. I was just thinking that. The McLarens are usually way ahead of RBR through the traps, but now the Red Bulls are actually faster. Increased drag from more downforce? Could be… the car is definitely looking more buttoned down through the turns. The Ferrari isn’t looking too shabby either. That would be so fantastic for the championship, If Lewis & Fernando could go blow for blow with Vettel on relatively even footing from here on out. A certain somebody might get taken to school……

    7. The lotus cars appear quite close to Buemi and possibly Maldanado on their stint times, so now Trulli has got his steering the way he wants it, he and Kovalainen it may be quite close in qualy and the race between them and the back end of the midfield.

    8. Oh dear, this doesn’t look good.

      Lewis has first blood in terms of one-lap and stint performance as well.

      McLaren seems to be generally quicker or – if the Red Bulls haven’t gone full out – at least on par with RBR on one-lap pace. Fernando is in the mix too, so it’s more unpredictable, than ever. It’s going to be a close call come Saturday.

      What’s more disasterous – from the point of view of a Prancing Horse fan – is race pace, unusually. Lewis has the edge here as well, beating Seb and lasting longer at the same time. Seb, Mark and Jenson are almost inseparable behind. In raw pace Felipe owns even Lewis, but that stint is quite short. Probably it wasn’t even a proper race stint simulation.

      And then there’s Fernando. He doesn’t seem to be hooked up as of yet. Slower than the other five and his times dropped off more quickly. Perhaps he used used super-softs, I don’t know.

      Waiting for FP3 to get a clearer picture.

      1. UKfanatic (@)
        30th July 2011, 1:10

        you can wish anything that doenst mean it will became truth, RBR are on top, as usually they are being overcautious.

    9. UKfanatic (@)
      30th July 2011, 1:07

      What I saw from this 2 FP is that RBR is running heavy, anyway Mark looks better cause in comparison Vettels times were produced with an younger option, Ferrari is medium on fuel and Mclaren in particular Button, light on fuel, Hamilton seem to be able to run longer than But, ham did 13 laps, Button had to pit for fuel. Despite what BBC’s pundit said I believe that tyre degradation is quite high and may get higher as the temperatures rise through the weekend, so Prime is the tyre to be.

    10. But Fernando Alonso’s times rose quite quickly and he switched the soft tyres while his rivals stayed on super-softs.

      Wow. Ferrari just can’t catch a break, can they? At the start of the year, they had a car that didn’t use hard rubber very well. Now they have a car that doesn’t use soft rubber very well. It’s like they’re just swinging back and forth.

    11. If only Mercedes were that consistent in qualifying and during the race.

    Comments are closed.