2012 Hungarian Grand Prix fastest laps

2012 Hungarian Grand Prix

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Romain Grosjean said Michael Schumacher cost him second place to Kimi Raikkonen by not responding to blue flags quickly enough.

Hungarian Grand Prix lap times

The first part of Raikkonen’s race was compromised as he fell behind Fernando Alonso. But when Alonso pitted after 17 laps the Ferrari driver got stuck behind Sergio Perez.

This was good news for Raikkonen as he was able both to stay out longer, playing to the Lotus’s tyre-preserving strength, while gaining position over the Ferrari.

The benefits of this extended into his second stint, allowing him to run for an extended period in clear air, catching the leaders while not stressing his tyres too much in the turbulence of others. The lap times chart below shows he was the quickest driver on the track for ten laps between lap 25 and lap 39.

The front-runners generally made their second pit stops slightly earlier than they needed to, cover each other’s pit stops. Raikkonen, with no pressure from behind to begin with, was able to carry on much later than the rest.

Some might interpret this all as Raikkonen being lucky, but really it’s just an example of how having a quick car underneath you automatically gives you more strategic options.

Where Raikkonen was rather fortunate was that Alonso also decided to stay out late, and held up Grosjean and Vettel who came out of the pits behind him.

If this was partly a tactical move by Ferrari to delay one of Alonso’s foremost championship rivals it was a shrewd one. But more likely he was just concerned about not running out of tyre life close to the end of the race, which has been a problem for him in recent races.

Grosjean was vexed even further by Michael Schumacher: “I got stuck behind Michael who didn’t respect the blue flags at all which cost me a lot of time.

“Because of this I lost a place to Kimi, and at the same time a possible chance to fight for the win.”

Given how tight it was between the Lotuses when Raikkonen came out of the pits, a few tenths of a second might have made the different between Grosjean keeping and losing second.

One interesting question is whether Lotus would have left the positions like that, or ordered Grosjean to let his team mate, with six-lap fresher tyres, pass him.

All the lap times by the drivers (in seconds, very slow laps excluded):

https://www.racefans.net/charts/2012drivercolours.csv

123456789101112131415161718192021222324252627282930313233343536373839404142434445464748495051525354555657585960616263646566676869
Lewis Hamilton93.42389.50489.09688.64488.47188.31487.87488.19488.03187.70587.81387.79487.66787.92487.95888.23188.3391.714104.6987.85787.46587.37487.39487.38787.39787.16287.47387.36687.56387.53687.89187.39187.60287.44587.48687.77488.07387.49288.13289.258103.04786.68786.66586.24986.66487.0387.20286.91387.04487.14287.23886.81786.42486.55986.39686.12586.31586.11286.35985.80186.62786.35885.75285.94285.67785.88586.0886.10786.391
Romain Grosjean94.87990.14989.36888.4688.52988.30187.96887.99288.04787.8788.07388.00587.38688.03687.78787.8888.27188.45791.106106.08586.72586.92586.53586.99388.17387.90787.29486.81987.09487.37987.72787.73287.43587.45887.95287.42887.56687.67690.233103.6587.31887.79188.10286.85386.48788.37486.53886.8586.88686.49686.6186.30387.55486.46986.34986.98586.34386.69686.0586.66986.33386.6486.82986.80586.63586.31386.45686.38486.553
Sebastian Vettel96.70390.3689.3288.95688.71888.8688.66488.56588.47488.26188.36388.82788.28288.47989.13988.02790.729104.14487.32787.73187.62787.37287.27287.05787.53386.9987.50286.91887.50387.35587.52687.35687.55988.08486.51286.72586.78389.872102.32886.94987.27887.35587.787.21486.98287.63987.42686.94887.02686.90686.81386.68686.54186.29686.286.87186.44388.457101.41285.13784.86484.58485.68285.15284.8584.77384.75284.13684.242
Jenson Button95.8490.30989.38988.84488.78188.45488.57288.35688.43988.33288.40389.29688.02988.36792.444103.60987.91887.96387.78888.17487.43287.25887.16387.2887.41987.12587.23287.24787.36387.32187.33987.46588.04189.971102.56587.18387.31387.67288.19687.47687.76987.05186.42486.34989.348103.38686.68287.187.28687.42586.88286.93286.39486.41986.70386.63986.10485.83186.9186.64786.55486.4486.31285.86786.12686.69586.2387.31986.554
Kimi Raikkonen97.66490.94489.8589.47189.6688.83488.70888.50488.69989.02888.42588.6488.14388.52888.32488.12188.36287.66987.71690.083104.96487.37187.69487.29686.76386.987.52787.45586.90487.17387.36487.43887.17887.30586.99586.36586.12886.81786.71988.12285.72885.93486.66386.45488.869103.16186.32886.39586.68386.38686.62786.47786.43786.5386.32886.33586.19486.31486.1185.9686.36486.34185.91485.90885.81186.11886.02185.92686.368
Fernando Alonso97.30890.82789.83189.32189.35288.95288.8488.61488.62288.59288.50888.48588.24488.4688.34588.36990.995105.23589.19588.14688.91188.43987.99788.16487.83487.58787.47587.29987.24487.48687.37887.38687.42287.63787.42287.25687.87587.31187.46787.7588.42187.90290.995103.83286.96386.99987.02686.97787.28887.08786.92386.76886.43786.43986.686.65186.11186.0787.40586.44986.39486.06286.04285.76985.73886.18786.52986.11786.394
Felipe Massa99.65691.22690.36389.54289.27789.10389.2888.79688.66488.83788.99389.10188.57289.01489.18689.28189.99192.016105.26988.06987.88387.69688.98488.23388.59887.44287.52987.67687.36387.46487.53487.43387.44587.47187.53387.6387.61887.28287.85388.19988.63787.96690.749104.13786.58286.65986.69587.01986.20586.20786.35286.98286.28285.9286.06686.55786.22986.08786.00486.26886.01286.3986.65786.42286.22586.56186.96486.89889.019
Pastor Maldonado101.57391.37390.5990.05489.94389.46789.33889.15689.21188.89289.13789.3928989.12691.863105.81589.52988.88588.69988.65688.60888.28288.53888.44388.94488.54888.28187.96188.05287.92687.94288.02587.78587.95488.00788.09187.84387.79387.95887.74590.061103.92787.22986.97587.23688.55289.32286.2686.77787.50186.83389.16297.0287.05986.69486.43386.02385.986.38486.03786.34786.48885.72386.02785.81186.07686.05585.9586.822
Bruno Senna99.37790.9990.08389.50789.48689.07989.16288.57888.6688.89788.72288.7488.35988.79188.7391.495104.85987.60987.87588.54788.90488.92287.81588.2587.60987.60387.66387.75487.78687.43687.29587.52987.63487.69787.59687.1487.43587.888.02587.51987.81689.389103.50987.16987.09487.18286.93186.61887.49787.2786.95286.71786.58486.51886.6686.86586.51486.53686.63986.55586.93586.50486.42286.24986.24886.73886.61186.70487.018
Nico Hulkenberg100.11791.57590.47889.85289.7289.14289.37788.98488.91689.03189.12289.47989.11989.10192.02107.29988.90488.73388.87488.5588.54988.21388.51788.64388.91788.60587.44987.87187.95887.94688.13588.01488.10887.98188.26787.95287.86987.90890.156103.33486.83987.71487.37587.31688.33289.23386.89387.12887.11287.25986.58486.99686.24386.83486.75886.65486.40786.11186.19186.07386.70286.55786.79986.49886.79587.35187.59387.44488.21
Mark Webber98.63990.98790.09289.46589.36588.96288.81688.66888.71688.80788.51688.57488.37488.49488.76288.39588.48388.26788.33390.735104.64888.22788.08588.5487.73787.70487.53187.43987.38487.50987.05787.49987.35987.35687.36387.42687.48187.68189.911101.64585.40286.42987.28686.02887.32186.77286.67486.44786.26386.00986.47786.26286.78686.8988.458102.40685.99886.02286.08386.12986.39386.53986.65886.06286.1486.75886.97386.29686.968
Paul di Resta102.36691.86891.26390.52390.52389.59989.32188.9688.77189.24589.23289.30888.8789.15489.40892.086105.85288.41188.39388.21688.03488.36788.3488.43588.94188.21488.95588.03687.85587.90288.03188.00988.1988.05387.87988.0487.77590.026102.50286.89886.9787.46787.15887.39888.189.10590.45987.0686.99287.98287.28586.41386.19586.20586.70686.12585.97686.15686.46886.24986.59186.74187.27686.54387.50687.6987.52387.76188.439
Nico Rosberg100.70991.59690.54189.95289.91689.08789.3588.94888.99289.23889.14489.41788.95689.07689.47290.7105.7388.57888.75188.33588.22787.76688.38988.7888.20688.02987.69787.69887.66587.92187.94887.53287.80187.67387.42787.29587.56787.96287.98290.863105.08986.94987.47987.60587.62687.41487.56688.33487.28587.24487.93886.7387.0387.12386.41186.66286.38285.8386.34586.3386.63487.03986.25886.22686.66986.77686.58387.29886.966
Sergio Perez101.98491.48290.71590.13390.00789.35189.63789.10289.07589.01889.41889.49789.51889.19289.29289.86489.22189.68989.4591.40494.047105.28387.78788.37188.23388.59689.50988.60388.93388.68988.38688.51589.49589.17387.64886.96987.10887.26487.26887.19288.86888.22587.92988.05788.79489.11992.586104.36686.5986.68186.37886.65887.45586.27487.14686.4485.69885.53685.68985.59885.4185.79785.67785.86685.21885.59686.07185.89586.262
Kamui Kobayashi104.43393.07291.77990.75390.79690.15890.45592.642106.69889.36688.91888.29988.63288.54889.78389.60190.67889.14689.01788.81788.77888.54889.30988.85988.69988.70888.7888.78690.5989.14589.02689.11788.68688.99688.94589.98189.30589.92690.62393.612106.6187.29786.52886.77386.82285.88786.29186.95686.87286.44486.17586.17986.40786.09586.34186.76486.56786.76786.35486.1385.74586.30586.21787.15886.7887.25493.917
Jean-Eric Vergne103.46992.1391.17590.75590.54490.42690.00589.90989.690.07389.89392.823106.55588.71289.29290.66389.04489.42189.18189.01989.01188.77488.78788.94688.80188.93789.22789.35590.04194.013105.2987.87187.63988.67487.66587.46287.49687.12187.2787.27887.27987.1887.90787.93187.94490.628109.62287.55787.05487.08786.96587.17986.57286.52187.01986.9886.58186.41686.24886.5387.39687.06587.5593.682102.89986.06186.12688.159
Michael Schumacher111.767108.19989.93292.61299.08689.64889.60289.85589.78989.50889.6790.11489.40989.90290.61188.98589.18889.55189.26388.8488.84288.58488.78988.77688.61988.80388.74988.85189.42188.91689.33992.001107.71988.38389.35588.33988.55888.2988.27488.32388.88789.82887.88491.29788.40187.85287.95388.75688.74787.60487.63187.56887.19987.11787.17386.77887.9491.93
Daniel Ricciardo102.75292.13891.21990.77790.5289.96889.92689.98589.49889.51289.56289.52189.24391.609107.4988.64288.83788.94488.68888.58788.45488.39988.54888.45488.42988.79589.64688.40889.1688.38588.6688.58589.31492.122105.59788.42887.47387.46187.23388.62187.13187.26687.00887.17287.46587.16289.671105.35787.79287.14487.08186.74386.96887.34490.44987.47490.7286.96686.50887.21487.48687.09687.38288.5388.92986.86986.78286.949
Heikki Kovalainen103.17693.09991.2390.84390.53590.33390.38690.17989.55589.91690.19790.05989.66189.989.98790.30193.861107.54290.05289.9789.20488.92288.95489.66289.33689.29788.87988.96189.0389.1289.35489.49489.39888.86890.71991.929107.75788.44190.10792.07890.71288.4988.37288.62390.30488.4488.3992.09790.10188.56289.82988.30788.57788.19788.82391.332105.54386.80189.05587.486.83686.59586.9387.01687.04186.87187.56987.394
Vitaly Petrov104.06392.78891.43291.11990.54290.19690.52689.95589.78890.33290.1590.09390.55790.38990.10791.00793.04695.03107.96889.51290.21788.98389.44889.03888.71589.00889.16488.98589.12189.20589.16189.19189.30289.69492.88107.10289.00691.19489.17289.52191.9189.69189.02291.92489.65489.65791.43889.21388.86790.44591.228105.43389.17987.7889.45687.99489.61388.5187.62990.06188.88387.78290.21288.17289.58388.53988.137
Charles Pic105.46793.8392.37491.86891.63291.32791.05591.09190.60590.96190.80390.83290.58890.48990.58392.28991.57290.93491.10593.391106.52388.72789.09589.07388.77188.90488.94589.01389.1791.87589.53490.12693.2889.7889.29289.66492.37192.56594.478107.48493.93190.34989.01588.90989.24689.09189.25589.16389.08789.22389.14790.17489.37689.22890.76888.91391.61690.21988.82391.53288.95789.74689.25290.99291.94888.87591.042
Timo Glock105.90293.977102.10591.59691.65991.92891.87392.00792.40292.09491.96491.98392.43792.56192.02992.76892.51396.863111.80794.6492.26492.27791.76694.35991.45593.02190.96694.17991.70591.04990.79393.29490.20390.19490.26490.492.81791.93490.793.318107.56592.08889.67489.71591.7589.80991.63492.74491.24989.42989.06588.9490.4690.43988.44788.80988.990.41389.18993.74791.07989.62691.98589.80692.21194.324
Pedro de la Rosa106.61295.04793.89192.60992.45391.77191.97291.88891.70691.99792.64291.55191.50891.56892.11492.92392.24192.34692.06892.87192.95195.908113.54192.83392.60994.76791.00793.05591.81993.07190.73790.71990.85890.53192.69592.86693.3391.87890.64791.27995.418109.43189.92889.85990.96791.29890.20793.92990.11189.3689.390.55889.49989.9889.27488.76590.64492.04590.15289.87889.31489.46791.40991.1191.08193.765
Narain Karthikeyan107.06995.31293.70792.83592.29192.56992.7099291.91892.49992.38591.84191.43793.59192.56892.73492.73195.491113.24492.79993.4792.12293.28894.64291.34891.34792.67393.00392.99591.14992.78292.71391.1119191.43493.94791.58390.8197.463110.83490.26693.44290.30894.22190.30991.27592.41890.20792.89690.43891.30189.7697.70991.94889.61689.50699.8391.87492.51695.968

Hungarian Grand Prix fastest laps

Sebastian Vettel set the fastest lap of the race while trying to catch Grosjean after his third pit stop:

Each driver’s fastest lap:

RankDriverCarFastest lapGapOn lap
1Sebastian VettelRed Bull-Renault1’24.13668
2Sergio PerezSauber-Ferrari1’25.2181.08265
3Mark WebberRed Bull-Renault1’25.4021.26641
4Lewis HamiltonMcLaren-Mercedes1’25.6771.54165
5Pastor MaldonadoWilliams-Renault1’25.7231.58763
6Kimi RaikkonenLotus-Renault1’25.7281.59241
7Fernando AlonsoFerrari1’25.7381.60265
8Kamui KobayashiSauber-Ferrari1’25.7451.60961
9Nico RosbergMercedes1’25.8301.69458
10Jenson ButtonMcLaren-Mercedes1’25.8311.69558
11Felipe MassaFerrari1’25.9201.78454
12Paul di RestaForce India-Mercedes1’25.9761.84057
13Romain GrosjeanLotus-Renault1’26.0501.91459
14Jean-Eric VergneToro Rosso-Ferrari1’26.0611.92566
15Nico HulkenbergForce India-Mercedes1’26.0731.93760
16Bruno SennaWilliams-Renault1’26.2482.11265
17Daniel RicciardoToro Rosso-Ferrari1’26.5082.37259
18Heikki KovalainenCaterham-Renault1’26.5952.45962
19Michael SchumacherMercedes1’26.7782.64256
20Vitaly PetrovCaterham-Renault1’27.6293.49359
21Timo GlockMarussia-Cosworth1’28.4474.31155
22Charles PicMarussia-Cosworth1’28.7274.59122
23Pedro de la RosaHRT-Cosworth1’28.7654.62956
24Narain KarthikeyanHRT-Cosworth1’29.5065.37056

2012 Hungarian Grand Prix

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Image © Daimler/Hoch Zwei

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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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13 comments on “2012 Hungarian Grand Prix fastest laps”

  1. Based on this graph, I find it hard to believe that no one tried a 1-stop strategy. No one’s tyres seemed close to the ‘cliff’. Hell! Kimi was setting fastest laps at the end of his stint on soft tyres.

    Track position was king. And this was clear to all of us within the first 20 laps or so. Still, most tried to do a 3-stopper!!

    Only one who survived the 3-stop strategy was Vettel. In hindsight, I think Vettel did the 3rd pit stop just because he could, I doubt he needed it.

    1. Based on this graph, I find it hard to see where Grosjean lost so much time behind MSC. Obviously it would have been sometime before Kimi’s last stop.. unless its lap 46, but I didn’t think MSC was in front of Grosjean at that time…

      1. I think he was just looking for an excuse. Even after the pitstops when they were literally on the same piece of road, Grosjean couldn’t keep up. Grosjean just didnt have the pace, which is highlighted with the 13th fastest lap.

        1. It only takes a corner or two to lose massive amounts of time.

      2. @maksutov Lap 44 looks like a good candidate. Alonso had already pitted yet Grosjean was some way off Raikkonen’s pace. If I see anything on the onboards later I’ll post more.

    2. Yeah, he knew that he couldn’t overtake the 3 in front on tyres of same age, so he tried something different as he had a chance of basically a free stop. He was catching up very quickly towards the end. He nearly beat Grosjean and, had Kimi and Lewis had tyre problems, he could have won.

      Red Bull had a choice between Vettel finishing 4th or Vettel finishing somewhere in the top 4. They chose the latter. It didn’t help them, but they gave it a shot.

      1. You really stretching it with a win. Considering how long Soft lasted for Kimi and Lewis being in free air, win was totally out of question, 3rd was in reach IF Romain kept on going wide in certain corners.

  2. Nothing new being indirectly or in hindsight blamed by another drivers. But this one, GRO on MSC case is, coupled with MSC’s intentional or inadvertent mistake at the start, and further down to the crash during practice, repercussing on the matter of his future as a F1 driver. So better ask himself, “am I gradually becoming a tumbling block on the road rather than a top tier contender with all the glories under his name, err, for a moment letting alone those controversies around him?”
    Sometimes being wise and knowing the limit is not as handy as it seems clear to grasp? Who knows..

  3. Impressive long last stint from Hamilton, he was still setting good times at the end of his stint, including the fourth-fastest lap of the race, and he managed to pull out 10 seconds ocer Grosjean (who seemed to have some problems with his left front tyre, but still). Still, Hamilton’s pole was crucial for his race win, as both Lotuses and Vettel seemed to be at least as fast as Hamilton on race pace.

    Looking at Button’s lap chart, it’s even more baffling why McLaren put him on a three-stopper. His second stint was his strongest, and he was even catching the leaders, and his lap times looked fine by the time he pitted.

    I was also surprised by how early Vettel came in for his second stop. He surely didn’t need to cover Button, who was safely tucked in behind Senna. Also, his tyres seemed fine as he was rapidly catching Hamilton and Grosjean. Perhaps the plan was to undercut the leaders, but he was still almost 4 seconds behind Grosjean when he pitted. Wouldn’t it have been better to close the gap first? His stop now forced the leaders to respond, but it also gave them plenty of time to do so. The only thing he achieved is that Hamilton and Grosjean pitted a few laps earlier than planned, but the only one to benefit from that was Raikkonen, not Vettel himself.

    1. Buttton was not able to run away from Vettel and secondly, Mclaren tried to use the undercut as they had done successfully all of last year, to get Button closer to the Grosjean and Hamilton, giving him a chance to jump ahead if they had any slow stop. He was also released into open air on his first stop.
      Button was probably going to finish 5th because, Kimi and Vettel had much better race pace and could manage their tyres much better. The only real loss was Alonso getting ahead of him.
      For Vettel’s stop, it was the window to set faster lap times and make up ground

    2. equally impressive 2nd stint from hamilton too then. both his medium tyres stints were 29 laps long, so after their 2nd stint where his tyres were ok i’m sure mcalren knew his final stint would be fine.

  4. Seems to me that Hamilton really benefited from having clean air (most of the time) and caused headaches for both Lotus drivers when they were busy dealing with his wake. Obviously that happens at every race but yesterday, well there might as well have been an invisible wall up.

    1. Reminded me of certain era, not so long ago :)

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