Rate the race: 2014 Hungarian Grand Prix

2014 Hungarian Grand Prix

Posted on

| Written by

What did you think of today’s race? Share your verdict on the Hungarian Grand Prix.

F1 Fanatic holds polls on each race to find out which fans thought of every race during the season.

Please vote based on how entertaining and exciting you thought the race was, not on how your preferred driver or team performed.

Rate the race out of ten and leave a comment below:

Rate the 2014 Hungarian Grand Prix out of ten

  • 10 (44%)
  • 9 (39%)
  • 8 (13%)
  • 7 (2%)
  • 6 (1%)
  • 5 (1%)
  • 4 (0%)
  • 3 (0%)
  • 2 (0%)
  • 1 (1%)

Total Voters: 965

 Loading ...

1 = ‘Terrible’, 10 = ‘Perfect’

You need an F1 Fanatic account to vote. Register an account here or read more about registering here. When this poll is closed the result will be displayed instead of the voting form.

See the results for past seasons here:

2014 Hungarian Grand Prix

Browse all 2014 Hungarian Grand Prix articles

Image © Ferrari/Ercole Colombo

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...

Got a potential story, tip or enquiry? Find out more about RaceFans and contact us here.

230 comments on “Rate the race: 2014 Hungarian Grand Prix”

  1. 8/10

    The pre-race rain shower + the early Safety Cars meant that we had more “on the fly” strategies rather than the usual simulations we were used to, which shook up the running order.

    For a track that doesn’t provide a lot of overtaking there was a lot of action. Things built up to a good finish as well once the final strategies played themselves out.

    Can’t give the race a higher score as despite the above I wasn’t gripped to my seat for the entirety, but it was a good race.

    1. “For a track that doesn’t provide a lot of overtaking there was a lot of action.”
      Quite true.
      I must also add that all the lies of Toto and his bosses at Mercedes came to the fore today when they asked Lewis Hamilton severally to let Nico Rosberg past. It is interesting considering that Toto talked about it being ‘not fair’ to Nico to let Lewis have fewer pit stops at Silverstone yet someone was on the phone today almost frantically asking Lewis – whi stated from the pitlane and worked his way up to his position – to slow down and let Nico – who couldn’t retain his pole position- past even when it was obvious that Nico couldn’t shorten the gap to Lewis to less than 0.9 secs. Even if Lewis was to let him past the least Nico could have done was come close to Lewis by shortening the gap to say 0.5 secs.
      MercedesAmgF1 have not been frank about their so-called ‘open policy’ and ‘no team orders’.

      1. You are joking right? Can’t you just be pleased that Lewis had a great drive today.

        1. David Moondi
          27th July 2014, 16:02

          Not really. It is important to keep reminding you about this. They keep talking about being fair to both drivers but in reality that is not the case.

          1. Just as McLaren had it in for Lewis too! One big conspiracy.

        2. How can I be ‘joking’?
          To think that Mercedes paid Lewis € 60 million to order him to move over for a German winner with whom he is competing for the title is outrageous and goes to show that those who keep pointing at the amount Lewis is paid as a reason for Mercedes not to have Nico favoured for the title are deluded.
          € 60 million isn’t much for a company whose revenue runs into billions after all Ferrari cut short Kimi’s contract and even paid him extra millions to kick him out of the team in 2008. So mentioning the money lewis signed in his contract is a weak argument. Lewis Hamilton’s sojourn at Mercedes has elevated the team to greater heights and brought a lot of benefits to them both in notoreity, car development, data-mining, etc. The last mentioned was particularly noted by Lewis Hamilton in an interview in Bahrain (before the grand prix) when he said he was surprised to see an entire volume on all he did with the car at Malaysia had been compiled by ‘someone’ at Mercedes after he had completely blown Nico away in his 1st completed race of the season after his retirement in Melbourne. He showed them the true potential of their 2014 car and the entire data and info was brought to Bahrain and were at Nico’s disposal.
          So Nico Rosberg is the preffered 2014 title winner both at Mercedes and by Bernie’s stewards which I don’t really care about that much. What irks me though, is the double talk from Toto Wolfe and co. They should come clean with their preffered driver and continue their team orders at least in the open like major teams do. I don’t care whether majority of the workers are british and the factories are in England or not as that is irrelevant, what matters most is who the bosses are and who funds the business. He who pays the piper dictates the tune. And the last time I checked, Mercedes remains a German company.
          So to answer your question, I am happy Danny won, Fernando performed exceptionally well today and that Lewis came from the pitlane to come third but it was digusting for me to hear Mercedes severally on the phone today telling their supposed million Euro driver to get out of the way for a slower team mate.
          That was very uncalledfor.

          1. Haven’t you realised or have learned by now and through history about Germany (please read) that is the German way, anything and everything for “Deutschland, Deutschland über alles”

          2. @tata

            Merc revenue is Quoted to be $100 billion,

            Pit radio to car 44
            Lewis, let Nico by – he is more German than you.

            (joking)

    2. Agreed. Epic race, but it did have some slow moments

      1. Agreed, 1st. part with lack of grip made for some great racing but then pit-stop strategies spread the cars out and it was pretty ordinary until after the last round of pit stops and the chase to the flag bought back the excitement.

  2. What a race! Superb Ricciardo! A solid 9 for me.

    1. The ingredients were there: Rain. SC and a top car coming from the pits.

      In the end, Lewis call not to let Nico through was proved correct.

      1. @jcost, and if I might add, great F1 drivers!

  3. One of the best races for a long time!

    1. +1 you know its been a great race if you can’t wait to watch the BBC re-run !

      1. +1
        I’m in New York and last night I was considering not waking up at 8am and just watching the replay at 2pm. I’m happy I woke up and im going to watch it again at 2. :) Great race. And even as a Ferrari fan, I can’t say anything bad about RIC, he’s too damn likable.

  4. 10/10… No way this could be less than that.

    What a fantastic race ! what a season ! what a sport ! God, I LOVE FORMULA ONE !

    Tell me now we need to fix it ! The last 5 races have been epic. It keeps getting better!

    1. My wife and I were on the edge of our seats for the last 20 laps. Darn race director needs to be informed that the most important action to focus on is ANYTIME there is a battle up from.
      Great race, great drives, great finish! Don’t know what else you want from a race.

      1. *front!

      2. @jackal40 indeed. I forgot about that. That’s a massive points down. The top 3 were inches away from each other and they were showing replay after replay.

        The TV director really needs to sort himself out. He’s usually the weakest link in the broadcast.

        1. This is why I wish they would look into split/embedded screens.

          Keep the main fight as the priority, but if they want to show replays or other incidents, split the screen so that both can be viewed.

        2. To be fair though, the director did cut straight back to the racing after the lead 4 cars finished, almost as though he read our complaints from GermanGP. Thank you Mr.Director.

      3. Heath (@lotus4thewin)
        28th July 2014, 3:20

        Agreed, this race and the Canadian GP had some questionable camera choices, but this one was more frustrating becuase they would tease us with the timing gaps and then not show the battle!

    2. Both my calves are sore from pumping the balls of my feet.

    3. Exactly! I was thrilled! Loved it. And It was 9AM start where I am! But no grogginess! 10

    4. Michael (@freelittlebirds)
      27th July 2014, 18:32

      +1
      So much tension at the end!!!

    5. Totally agree. I live in California, so I had to wake up at 5:00 A.M. to watch it, and I wasn’t disappointed in the slightest. Probably the best race in at least 2 or 3 years, due to all the overtaking, and attempted overtaking, and even though I’m a Rosberg fan, I was happy to see Ricciardo win and Alonso come second.

  5. 10/10 It had everything! Championship ramifications, a drive through the pack, crashes, safety cards, rain, tyre issues, a battle for first, team-mate squabbles, controversy, what more could you want!?

    1. +1. FIA got the usual SC call this time, no experiencing this time…

  6. 9/10 – a bit too much chance was involved in this one to make it 10/10 but a brilliant race.

    1. Don’t want to be selfish, but Rosberg didn’t finish low enough for it to be a 10/10!

      1. I honestly don’t see how that’s a justified reason to lower the score…

    2. The first SC was like the leaders were handed a random penalty for an offense they didn’t commit. They really need to look at the SC regulations.

      The racing was top class but the result unfair. 9/10.

      1. @aardvark So what? That’s racing. They’re hardly not going to deploy a safety car when a car has just crashed into the barriers with debris everywhere, just because it’s “unfair” on the lead cars.

      2. They should stop the race, allow to change tyres and make a regular restart. Wait, isnt that a red flag?

      3. Alonso was one of those early leaders. It didn’t seem to hurt his race much.

  7. Gave 10. Plenty of wheel to wheel action, surprise podium and Ham getting back some good luck.

  8. What a race.

    Driven by strategy. Excellent.

  9. 8/10
    could have been better, rain affected the positions and the SC had too much influence.
    Still good race

    1. I don’t mind the rain impacting positions, as that’s a natural occurrence. I do agree that the SC played too much of a role today. However great racing at the start and end, some epic battles and overtakes on a track that doesn’t normally allow it. And having been to Hungary GP, can imagine the fans must have appreciated the rain giving a break from the oppressive heat.

      I gave it a 9.

  10. Wow! My heart’s still pumping! Ricciardo, what a master!

    1. OmarR-Pepper (@)
      27th July 2014, 15:10

      @danieljaksa hehehehe…. oh bad bad Bernie, his double points “idea” is going to rob us something good I guess. I also realized that my heart rate went bananas in the last 2 laps. It looks like my heart knows what F1 should always be. And I imagine, that if Ricciardo had arrived 2 years early to Red Bull, maybe we would have 2WDC for Seb and 2 for him. Today he didn’t care it was Alonso and Hamilton ahead. Outstaaaaaaaaaaaaaaanding drive!!!

      1. +1 the excitement just built all the way to the end, my heart has never beat so fast… Since Bahrain anyway!!!

  11. Absolutely amazing race. Intense battle for the lead all round.

    Cannot, cannot understand why they did not pit hamilton twice for the options, he had nothing but unused sets available and he was clearly faster than anything out their on fresh ones. Almost lost to Rosberg in the end even though he was in front.

    Still, stunning drives by Ricciardo, Alonso and Hamilton.

  12. Where’s the option for 11/10?

    1. Turn that amp to 11! Agreed! I am going to watch it again before bed!

  13. an absolute breath-taker in the end…3 superb drivers from 3 different teams going in 3 different strategies fighting hard for the win; cant ask for more… f1 is only getting better.. thx rain.. thx SC

    1. feel sorry 4 ROS btw

      1. Yeah, was an amazing race, Although I did feel that the second safety car was a bit excessive, as precedent from the German GP would dictate that the car could have been rolled into the pit lane (albeit the wrong end of the pit lane) safely under double yellows. And brilliant drive by Hamilton, although when Driver of the Weekend comes around, I think it’ll have to be between Ricciardo and Alonso, because both put their cars way ahead of their teammates, in positions that neither car deserved to be in, I think Alonso a little bit more than Ricciardo. I mean yes, Hamilton gained something like 18 positions, but he has by far the best car, a car that could lap something like 3-4 seconds a lap faster than any of the midfield competition

        1. @zjakobs

          The safety car was needed because it’s impossible to roll a car which has such a high amount of damage.

          1. @f190 yeah, I suppose I didn’t really make my position on the SC very clear, I was a little confused as to whether or not Charlie Whiting was paying any attention to what I thought was a precedent set during the German GP, and looking at it as if the German GP SC controversy never happened, the SC was the right decision today

  14. 9/10

    Fantastic race and great fight for victory and championship, but luck was a bit too big factor for 10/10.

  15. That is a freaking 11. Danny RIC is a legend. But Fernando Alonso you beaut! #EpicDefending

    1. Michael (@freelittlebirds)
      27th July 2014, 18:35

      +1
      That’s why F1F needs to add 11 for races that exceed 10:-)

      1. @freelittlebirds or they could just add a button that says “Alonso/Ricciardo”, because it seems that almost every race that those two finish well is an amazing race. Solid 11/10.

  16. 9/10

    It was OK, I guess.

    1. 10/10

      Could have been better.

  17. First half was a 9. The next 25 laps a 6. End was a 10. So overall a 9. Hectic race. Chaos in the first laps, then strategies building up into an epic end. Alonso and Hamilton drivers of the day. Alonso really deserves a big medal for his risky strategy.

    1. Shhhh…. Bernie might be reading.

  18. Absolute 10… That race had everything.

  19. How much time did Nico lose behind Lewis? Would that time be more than his difference to Daniel at the end of the race?

    1. Mr. @eugenius, the question to ask is if Hamilton slowed down for Rosberg to pass would he be on the podium (finish third)?

    2. Better question is how much time did ROS lose behind JEV

    3. Never mind. Ted is gonna analyze this on the notebook. :)

      1. 10 seconds – good enough for second place in the end was Ted’s answer, for anyone who cares. :)

    4. Ted’s answer is almost certainly incorrect, incidentally. If he seriously was losing 9 tenths a lap he’d have been on Hamilton’s gearbox, but he wasn’t.

    5. Why did they feel the need to disrupt Hamilton’s race when they could have just called Rosberg in earlier instead and gone for two stints of a similar number of laps.

  20. 10.

    Simply amazing.

  21. Now THAT, Ladies and Gentleman, is a proper 9/10 race. Brilliant action. Not quite Brazil 08 or Spa 98, but close.

  22. Changing, tricky conditions, drivers struggling and spinning, some interesting/poor strategic choices, Hamilton recovering, Alonso being PHENOMENAL, a fight for the lead at the end, Rosberg catching them.

    10/10.

  23. 7/10, very fun to watch, but too much chance instead of skill involved

    1. I do agree, but the race was still bloody brilliant. Ricciardo only won because he was outperformed in qualifying basically, which feels a bit backwards.

      1. What??? What are you on about??? “Ricciardo only won because he was outperformed in qualifying basically, which feels a bit backwards”???

  24. You can’t get better than that.

  25. There’s a category of races that are above the other races. Today’s race was one of those. Rain that delivered the unpredictability, battles, an amazing recovery drive by Hamilton, one of the ultimate drives of the decade by Ricciardo. Sheesh, I’m shaking. That’s the F1 I love. And the waiting for Spa is already immense.

  26. I find it difficult to criticise F1 (the racing bit). These guys raced today and for that I give you 10.

  27. Best race ever man

  28. Vettel told he is going to make ALO-2012? Where?

    1. BTW 8 points for a race, not that bad.

    2. @slava

      What are you on about. Use English please.

      1. Learn English, please.

  29. MY POOR HEART OH GOD

  30. Solid 9, Daniel is fantastic but my goodness Alonso is absolutely phenomenal !!!!!!

    1. Definitely, a racer of the day. Wins over Ricciardo because of better start.

  31. The safety car was around for a very long time (and rightly so) and it made the race into a dramatic slow burner. With everything that is wrong with Formula One at the moment, it cannot be forgotten that Formula One can be absolutely phenomenal at times. The top three drivers today were the top three on the podium and that’s how it should be, remarkable stuff.

    9.

  32. Ricciardo, ladies and gentlemen…who wanted to see Vettel with a normal car? Here you go guys!

    1. @palmerstoneroad

      What’s normal about it?

      Want to see Vettel with a normal car? Here you go guys!

  33. 10/10!! The best race I’ve seen since Brazil 2012. It had a wet start, crashes, mighty save from Vettel, Great comeback from Lewis, great defence from Vergne and Alonso. It was epic! Slightly ruined by Rosberg being a whining idiot and complaining about how he couldn’t get past Lewis but still an epic race!

    1. What about Ricciardo winning? Where is the congrats for him? Some just forget the ability that it takes to be there in the top 3 for every race in an inferior team with a 4 times world champion as your team mate. Great race Dani and you deserve every accolade that people give you or begrudge you.

  34. Brilliant race, had absolutely no idea how it would end up throughout the whole race! Drama and action all the way… On a track that doesn’t always deliver.

  35. 1/10 – Rosberg not on the podium so I gave it 1.

    LOL, deffs a 10/10 race… even my dog was barking at me for shouting at the computer

  36. The race was a 9/10. Fernando best driver on this day – and probably most days if I’m honest. :)

  37. 10. nothing else.

  38. 10/10 any less would just be an understatement!

  39. 9/10, brilliant race, totally enthralling from start to finish.

  40. Very entertaining – 9/10.

    Missing 10th point because all three on the podium needed a lot of luck (besides there good driving)

  41. Perfect, just perfect. This race confirms to me just how good a season this is. A vintage season that will live long in the memory. I can’t wait to find out how it all ends.

    Congrats Ricciardo. You da man.

  42. Crazy race! The third such amazing race this year. Luca must be proud of his taxi driver.

  43. Doesn’t get any better than that. What a race!

    This could well be one of the best seasons of all time.

  44. 10/10 absolute rubbish

    1. totally bogus 9/10

  45. Jan (@yancheelaa)
    27th July 2014, 15:11

    10 best gp since canada 2012

  46. 10/10
    I dont need anything more for a perfect entertainment!

  47. 10/10
    Great race. Great fight at the front, deserved victory, good overtaking, some drama but the rain actually hurt some of the overtaking, the most important is that there was a deserving victor. The DRS didn’t overpower the weekend this time and actually showed that weak DRS or twitchy tracks yield better fights at the forefront, similar to Monaco 2011, fortunately this time we weren’t robbed of the last few laps. Just.

  48. My three favorite drivers on the podium and what an incredibly unlikely charge to third for Hamilton, AHEAD of Rosberg! Wow a perfect 10 hands down battle all the way to the end! Congrats Riccardo!

  49. Drive of the year from lewis hamilton, so difficult at the end with dead. hard tires and kept his teammate behind.
    Exceptional drive from alonso as well to keep lewis at bay
    Riccardo had the advantage but still had to make it stick, showing how its done at the moment.
    Nico’s lack of racing talent really showed today, very good driver, racer not so much.
    Lvettels save was awesome stuff

  50. Ricciardo! Alonso! Woohoo!

    As far as the races go, this is one of the best years in F1 I´ve witnessed.

  51. Clucky (@cluckyblokebird)
    27th July 2014, 15:16

    10/10. Literally on the edge of my seat. Would be unreasonable to expect anything more out of a f1 race.

  52. Saferty car driven race… 5/10

  53. Felix (@icemanforever)
    27th July 2014, 15:18

    7 – missed the on-track overtaking action we had last weekend in hockenheim.

  54. 10/10.What a race,it had everything!!!
    Kudos to Alonso,Ricciardo,Hamilton!!

  55. For me to give a 10, I’d have to be on the edge of my seat, chewing my nails for the entire race. I can only rate this race a 9.9!

  56. 11/10 better than Canada ’11

    Pit-Lane to 3rd for Lewis!!
    Daniel got to use his WINNING face :D
    Nico doesn’t finish on the podium for a change!
    Crashes!! (with no serious injuries of course)
    Vettel taking parallel parking to another level!
    Changing conditions!

    Thank you Hungary, see you next year.

  57. WilliamB (@william-brierty)
    27th July 2014, 15:20

    Snooze fest, yet more fodder for F1’s naysayers, I am really on side with Bernie and Luca di Montezemelo now…or not… 10/10

  58. Gr8888888 race …. awesome racing …… gutted for Force India but anyways …. almost an easy 10/10 for the race.

  59. I think this weekend we learned what driver Mercedes wants to win the Championship

    1. LotsOfControl (@for-unlawful-carnal-knowledge)
      27th July 2014, 15:26

      ??????
      Which school do you go to? I want to know as well.

    2. Today we learned that Mercedes only care about Mercedes. Reverse the positions and they would’ve asked Rosberg to move over. Anyone who thinks otherwise is wrong.

      1. LotsOfControl (@for-unlawful-carnal-knowledge)
        28th July 2014, 8:55

        Agreed!

  60. 10/10 coming from a miserly voter . What a race !

    First lap drama with cars running on the limits of grip. Hamilton spinning at the start, cars going for huge spins , drivers having to deal with tricky cars and conditions on a narrow track . Safety car coming in at an unfortunate time for the leading pack only to be outsmarted by track position by the guys behind and a strange pecking order . Then another safety car , mayhem ,vettel catching the car till the very end of the barriers. Thrilling to the core . It was touch and go in the final laps . Anyone could have won that in those final laps .Rosberg catching them up rapidly . Ricciardo with tyre advantage but pushing through two world champions magnificently in the span of minutes ! I don’t think the script could have been any better for a thriller of a race.Bernie , I hope you watched .

    1. Bernie left just after the start… what else… 80+, dinner is at 2:30

  61. That was a great race for sure. Ok I wanted Alonso to win it but there is no denying this was a 10/10!

  62. Rosberg lost the race due to sheer bad luck. That safety car destroyed his race. Where are all the people crying for Hamilton’s bad luck now? (after he had such good luck today)

    1. Well he deserves some good luck, doesn’t he?

    2. Rosberg threw away the race himself by not getting past Vergne (unlike Hamilton) didn’t pass Lewis and called for team orders (what a crybaby) and pitted too late when he was behind Hamilton.

      1. +10,000

    3. I can’t understand why rosberg was unlucky this race. Sure after the first safety car, ROS was fourth. But ALO was also eight after the first safety car. And I remember ALO making vital overtakes on VET, ROS and JEV to come third. Whereas ROS with a more powerful car was stuck behind JEV. To me ALO was the best driver on the grid today. RIC got the advantage of first safety car inspite of his poor start.

      1. NR and LH should win every race with the package that they have, why don’t they do it? Oohh well they almost do it every time so another one slips by how unfortunate for the Petro Mercs fans but not for the overall F1 fans really.

  63. Incredible race: 9 (i wish 9.5 :P)

  64. Repeat of Canada a month or 2 back with a wet weather patch? 10/10

  65. Very unpredictable race with lots going on. Can see why people rate it high, but I’m just disappointed about the safety car lottery. Bottas could have landed his 4th straight podium here :(

    1. At least it wasn’t standing starts instead I guess @markf1 !

  66. Also guys which english commentary is the best?
    I watch Sky and although Martin Brundle is really good, but gosh do they talk about anyone but Hamilton? They are so Hamilton centred and sometimes they just sound so childish.

    1. 1. Sky is a British TV channel
      2. HAM is a British driver
      3. HAM had an eventful race from pits to 3rd
      4. HAM is fighting for the WDC

      What on earth did you expect?

      1. Yes but it’s got to the point where their assumption (particularly Croft) seems to be that none of their viewers cares about anyone BUT Hamilton. I was quite frustrated that there was no news from the rest of the race for the last 20 laps or so.

    2. Yeah true, but you have to remember that the Sky team are British so they are going to tend to talk a lot about the leading British driver who is fighting for the championship. Even Murray used to bang on a lot about Mansell and Hill when they were a contender for the title.

      Free to air TV in Australia only gets the Sky commentary, and FTA is what the majority of the population have to watch. We have Pay-TV (Foxtel), but only about 40% of the population in Australia had that.

      1. The commentary and the f1 driver might be British but Sky is owned by an Aussie called Murdoch so at least chip in and get into the good books with the boss you lot, but I agree Martin rabbles on at every race about LH as though he’s the only one on the track and sort of shrugs off Dani as though he’s not even there, unfortunate and very biased commentary.

    3. In all fairness David Croft is an Hamilton fanboy, however Martin spent his last season at BBC and his 1st at Sky criticising Hamilton. Even when it wasn’t his fault. Brundle usually favours anyone else but Hamilton. I was genuinely surprised that he was so pro Ham today.

  67. Awesome race!!! Being a Hamilton fan, I cannot be happier today. I am a bit weak when it comes to understanding race strategies but shouldn’t Mercedes have pitted Lewis once more for the Softs considering the number of unused sets they had with them? Could it have helped Hamilton at the end to get second position or even win the race?

  68. Rubbish. I could barely keep my interest with those quiet engines. And the fuel saving has gone too far, it was almost like they weren’t even trying. And the tyres have gotten out of hand, those option tyres Alonso was using could barely last 5 minutes. And where are the sparks?

    Perhaps I would’ve enjoyed this race more if double points had been rewarded.

    10/10

    1. Agreed, more points and sparks ,

      1. And trumpets on the exhausts!

        1. Luckily the sprinkler system wasn’t needed.

          1. It was made worser because Lewis didn’t behave like a good boy and let Nico beat him because…well heaven knows why Lewis didn’t give Nico the place Nico deserved. I mean team orders is team orders.

            I was so gutted I felt compelled to vote 10.

            I looked for a tag but couldn’t find one. Just pretend my comments are enclosed by tags.

  69. Im going for a 9/10 ,

    epic race, great entertainment,

    1. ok ok,

      10/10.

      Dan the Man,

  70. Another farcical display of the FIA’s competence in handling safety cars mars an otherwise entertaining race. 4/10.

    1. @kanil

      Please explain.

      1. @PhilEReid The top four guys had to queue behind the SC, while those behind them got to pit. They were punished for running well. ‘course, FIA safety car incompetence has been a staple of F1 for my entire viewership, and comes in a truly surprising number of flavors (Rosberg’s podium in Singapore springs to mind as the single dumbest thing I can recall.)

        1. @kanil That’s just literally down to unlucky timing. They were passed the pits when the SC came out, and it couldn’t have come out any earlier (i.e, it was deployed straight after the incident). Unless I don’t fully understand what you’re getting at, I disagree at what you’re getting at.

          1. @PhilEReid You do understand, but that the rules allow that is idiotic. The top four drivers had no mechanical issues, they weren’t caught up in a wreck, their strategy wasn’t compromised by the safety car. They got screwed for no other reason than the rules being bad, which is something that doesn’t happen in series with better rules (IndyCar springs to mind.)

          2. @Kanil The only other options would be to delay the SC (which would be wrong) or to delay the ability to go into the pits for a lap. The issue here is that all the cars would be bunched up, teams would have to double stack their cars which would be unfair on the 2nd place driver of every team on the grid. Secondly, it would almost certainly cause a pit-lane incident. F1 pit-lane is much tighter than an IndyCar pit-lane (for the most part), and with all the cars bunched there would almost certainly have been contact and thus the ruining of another drivers race.

            In this instance, 4 drivers got screwed, with a change, it could be a hell of a lot more. The only other way would be to let the leaders of each team pit one lap, and then the next set of drivers the next lap… But that would cause the SC to stay out much longer.

            It’s just how sport goes sometimes. You can clearly be the better team, doing everything right and then you get caught with something unlucky. This is no different. I’d be interested to hear your suggestion though, maybe you’ve thought about a better solution which I haven’t, in which case I’d rest my case.

    2. How?
      Ericsson was a meter or 2 from the edge of the road at the exit of T3 Grosjean’s car had to be moved from just as much a dangerous position and Perez’s crash flew debris all over the pit straight like an opened blender.

  71. Completely absorbing from start to finish. For me, the best race of a year when there have been some great races. An easy 10/10.

  72. 8/10 for me. Great battles but too much luck involved especially 1st safety car. Still do not understand why Merc didn’t bring in ROS 5 laps earlier for the final tire change. That would have spiced up things in the end.

  73. Rosberg yesterday:
    “Also I would prefer to be out there battling with Lewis, that would give me the maximum adrenaline rush. It won’t be a gloves-off battle with Lewis but I am still very, very happy.”

    Rosberg today after his wish came true:
    “#@Q%#&%*!”

    1. I know right! He was whining like a 5 year old child with his yearning for team orders! ”LEWIS ISN’T LETTING ME PAST WAAHHH!!!” Rosberg should have overtaken him, he didn’t. End of story.

    2. +100000000000000000000000000000000

    3. COTD

    4. Rosberg: I don’t always get an adrenaline rushing gloves-off battle with Hamilton, but when I do I prefer he’d be a lap down.

    5. Brilliant!!!!!!

  74. I voted 9 by mistake. My bad, should have been a 10.

    Great win by Dan, he continues to show that racing wheel to wheel with World Champions doesn’t phase him one little bit. He’ll fight as much as his car allows him to. Fernando didn’t look all that happy. If his tyres weren’t beyond their life he might very well have won. As it was he was powerless to hold of the young Aussie.

    Lewis finishing third makes me wonder “what if” he had started at or near the front instead of from the pits. I know a few cars didn’t finish, but to pass that many cars in a race at the Hungaroring is an impressive effort in those conditions.

  75. I usually rate the race after I’ve seen the TV coverage, which for me is BBC highlights for most races, and listen live to the race on BBC radio 5 Live. Today, I’ve rated straight away, because I probably won’t watch the highlights show, because it is always a disappointment, and by leaving off my rating, I’m doing a disservice to the radio broadcasters (not the producers though, who seem quite happy to have the coverage start late or end early or be constantly interrupted by something that could be broadcast on 5live Extra). Honestly though, the simple fact that it is LIVE makes all the difference. The best race in the world is nothing if it isn’t live.

    1. @splittimes I too listen to 5 live for english commentary, as I watch german TV for the races that the BBC aren’t showing. So I depend on that. Quite frankly I was appalled at what happened today, prioritising the commonwealth games and a test match (which goes on for all day), instead of F1. They said they were switching to Hungary for the race start but they were too late, only switching to it when the car’s were midway through the first corner. And then dropping it to go back to the commonwealth games after 20-odd seconds. Just terrible.

  76. 9/10

    As much as I enjoy seeing Danny Ric smile on the podium, it’d be nice to have one of the “old guards”, Lewis – 4 victories or Fernando – 3 victories, on the top step.

    But overall, a great race, plenty of surprises.

    Move of the Day: JEV on Rosberg.
    Driver of the Day: RIC, HAM

    1. HAM on JEV was better tbh

  77. there should be an option to rate 11/10 i wanted to rate 9/10 but by mistake i rated it 10/10 for some reason lol!

  78. What a dramatic race! Everything from Hamilton spinning on the opening lap, denying Rosberg track position and finishing 3rd, to JEV denying Rosberg a handful of times AND overtaking him fairly and squarely, Alonso ending up leading the race, Riccirado winning, the crashes, the strategies..

    Yet, there were a lot of moments in the race where there was drama, yet little overtaking. If we had this drama at a track like Interlagos or even Hockenheim, it would have be a 10. Yet, I’m going to to one up from last race and vote a 9, even though I would vote a 9.5 were it possible.

    It’s not often I find myself cheering this many drivers on, purely because they make some absolutely amazing moves, though!

    1. HAM on JEV was better

      1. That response would be better off elsewhere ted ^

        1. I might have replied to the wrong comment, my bad…

  79. Driver of the day – 1- Lewis / 2- Ricciardo / 3 – Alonso

    1. You have that in reverse.

  80. 8/10 for me.

  81. 9/10 for a properlygood, combatative race.

    1/10 for my choice on bets for the result this week. £6 spent, zero back!

  82. My first 10 point ever. Although the top 4 was a bit unlucky, the others played it very well (apart from McLaren) to get a super race.
    Big problem though: who is the man of the race? Ricciardo for his perfect drive? Alonso for outdriving the Ferrari? Or Hamilton for the Pits (+barrier) to Podium?

    1. @marcusaurelius

      Big problem though: who is the man of the race?

      Indeed. Difficult call because Ricciardo, Alonso and Hamilton all shone today imho.

      My first 10 too.

  83. Gave it a 9, almost a 10, great entertainment, no way was I going down the road for a Starbucks break during this one.

    @Post race interview with Will…..Rosberg came across as a whiny little spoiled brat, I thought he was about to cry..

  84. It wasn’t a 10. The opening and closing stages of the race were worthy of a 10 but the middle of the race was rather lacking. Had the rain come when they thought it would have, it may have spiced things up a bit. A solid 8 though overall.

  85. 9/10. A great race, another superb drive work by Lewis Hamilton, a real champion. also great race for Ricciardo and Raikkonen.

  86. Why not “11” button?
    This race was legendary, it had everything: crashes, pit stop drama, overtakes, wheel to wheel fights, team mates clashes, amazing recoveries, and a three-way battle for the win in the end.

    Bahrain, and Hungary. Two classics

  87. 8/10, alot of racing and overtakes when considering what track it is. Would’ve been 9/10 or 10/10 even if all this happened without any SC involvement. Reserving the best points for that. Good efforts from Ricciardo, Alonso, Hamilton, Rosberg, Kimi. Feel bad for Bottas and Vettel.

  88. Wonderful race !!! makes up for the dull race last week. It was a strategy fest…… the timing of the first Safety Car did the trick. Wow… I was thinking Alonso will win the race. Rosberg did a good drive in the last.

    After the safety car Roseberg, Vettel and Bottas might be thinking what the hell happened…we did nothing wrong here…….

  89. Epic race. It had all the drama. Championship contenders battling over position, Hamilton fighting from a pitlane start all the way up to the podium, Ricciardo winning the race (not in a Mercedes), different strategies used with Rosberg getting the strategy all wrong and Alonso en Ricciardo getting it right.

  90. A generous 7. Entertaining but not memorable.

  91. 10/10 for me here! A real strategists’ race!

  92. Everyone critising Formula One since 2014, shut up now..

    Thanks Pirelli and DRS since 2011 for brilliant racing.

    Today’s race is one of the top 5 all time races.

    Think back pre 2011. In 2010 boring 1 stop races thanks to Bridgestone’s wood-tyres.
    The old Schumacher, Hakkinen and Villeneuve days, all boring races!

  93. F1 had it’s racing at it’s best, loved the Renault, Ferrari, Mercedes showdown! 10

  94. petebaldwin (@)
    27th July 2014, 17:42

    9/10 for me. 10/10 is reserved for the races that you will still be talking about in 10 years time.

    Absolutely brilliant race though which keeps the title hunt very exciting.

  95. Truly unbelievable result and certainly managed to keep me on the edge of my seat

  96. 10/10

    Unbelievable race. If the overall rating is 9.25 or lower I will be genuinely shocked.

  97. Great race. Had a bit of everything including weather. Some great overtakes among the usual suspects again.
    Great drives by many but I was again impressed by Danny. He showed a lot of patience, maturity & timing. Yes, he got lucky, as did others with the timing of the safety car no doubt, but he took that advantage and never thought he wasn’t going to win. He drives respectfully yet doesn’t take any prisoners either. Reminds me of a young Lewis Hamilton actually. Also a good on-the-fly strategy by the team.
    I gave it a 9.

  98. My perspective is coloured by the fact that I was there, which is always more fun… but WOW. Best race I’ve been to. (And I’m a Hulkenberg fan!)

  99. this was honestly one of the best races i’ve seen in my life. 2014 is such a great year for racing.

    f1 in bahrain, canada and now hungary. gp2 in bahrain and germany. and it’s only halfway through the year! there’s plenty more to come :D

    if there’s one thing that could’ve made the race even better it would’ve been MORE RAIN. but i’m sure we’ll have a wet race a some point in the future. i mean it can’t always not rain, right? (i do not count this race as a wet race, neither do i count malaysia 2013, because it wasn’t raining at any point during the race and they just started on a wet track)

  100. Great race 10/10 and it’s even greater that the Mercs didn’t win because it’s so much better and more exciting to see superior drivers like Alonso and Ricciardo fight it out on inferior cars instead of the winging, moaning LH and NR saga every race.

  101. Who the hell voted 1??? The sole member of the Caterham F1 Fan Club?

    1. Vijay Mallya

  102. 9/10, a point off for the safety car totally screwing the top 3.

  103. Almost as good as Montreal. The two best races yet this year.

  104. Fantastic race, with real racing. Proper wheel to wheel stuff. Just damp enough for the drivers to treat the track with respect, well, most of them, just long enough to give the start an edge. It went a bit dry in the middle third, sadly, but those last 20 laps, my goodness, all out for a good finish with at least 6 cars in the frame. Wonderful stuff. Read quite a few +ves and -ves, but in the end it was racing. Pure racing. Thats what we have been missing and this year it seems to have come back.
    One thing.. Vettel. Struggling to stamp his mark in the pack, he doesn’t seem to have the edge recently, but how lucky/skillful was that spin on the start finish straight. Millimeters from the wall and continued on as if it was just another day in the mill. Excellent recovery. Respect. Daniel San, you learn quickly and I’ll bet Alonso sings his praises again.
    All in all a very enjoyable afternoons entertainment, oops sorry Bernie, business venture.

  105. 9/10. Only because I hat the wrong rating button! Fantastic race.

  106. Best race in years. The only time I’ve voted 10 actually.

    1. I might have rated Bahrain or Montreal a 10(can’t remember tbh) but this race really put a smile on my face. Very unpredictable and edge of the seat stuff. I poured myself a drink half-way thru the race and it was still untouched at the end of the race. I can’t put it any better than that. 10/10. A much better race than the track deserved.

  107. For me that was I race to remember, great batles from start to the fihish, the was probably the best race held in Hungary. I’ll give 9/10 because I still wait for the ultimate race :).
    The last couple of races are outstanding, do you remember the start of the season and the discutions about engine noise? :)))
    For me thas is Formula 1, and this is the sport I’m watching every single race since 1998.

    1. Don´t forget hungary 2006 ;)

  108. 10/10 for me. This is turning out one of the best seasons in recent memory. Really happy to go to Suzuka for my 1st GP.

  109. 10/10
    Probably not perfect, but 10 is the vote that gets closest to the entertainment provided. Many good drives weren’t rewarded, namely Vergne’s, but either way it’s impossible to say Ricciardo’s win wasn’t deserved. Alonso drove an awesome race, and having the fastest cars behind, both due to starting positions, weather and Safety Car periods, allowed us to see overtakes on one of the – usually – most boring tracks of the calendar. So many mistakes at the start made for an unpredicatble situation, which was further changed by differing strategies and more accidents. And finally we saw a race where different strategies – prime tyres for one stint, or option tyres for two stints – were pretty equal in terms of time lost through pitting and tyre drop-off, but helped swap positions that had to be earned back through on-track manoeuvres. I.e., Ricciardo was ahead and returned in front after stopping one more time, whereas Alonso pitted once less but was tenths away from taking the win. Also, track conditions – and, undeniably, neutralisations – reduced the performance gap between teams and allowed certain drivers to shine.

    1. @fixy

      Probably not perfect, but 10 is the vote that gets closest to the entertainment provided.

      I also voted 10 because of the sheer, entertainment value. We didn’t expect to see the result that we did see.

      No doubt there are technical reasons why the race wasn’t a perfect 10. But Mrs McKenzie and me enjoyed the race so much we will be watching the Beeb highlights again in a few minutes. We’ll keep the recording too, something we rarely do.

      So it was a 10 for me.

  110. I’m really happy to see another thriller at Hungary. I am somewhat biased towards it as I’ve been to three races there, including buttons debut win in 2006 and i have always felt it to be one of the best places to watch f1 live, which is of course different to being the best race track to watch on TV. This sort of a classic and the great crowds that you always get at Hungary should hopefully keep it on the calendar for many years to come.

    Outside of the marquee events like Silverstone, suzuka, spa, Monaco, and Montreal there’s no other circuit I’d be more sad to see cut from the calendar.

    Keep up the good work mogyrod!

  111. Trying to imagine this race with standing restarts I do not think it would have been as enjoyable, it sure would have been different!

  112. Were they really racing in Hungary? Can’t have been. It was exciting, and I stayed awake watching it.
    So it’s a nine for me. Maybe the best race they have held there since they joined the calendar.

  113. I voted 9 right after the race after the great ending fight but if I’m honest it’s probably an 8. Very good race just not great.

  114. 6 out of 10. The two yellows and the rain just threw strategy up in the air. Vettel was lucky as was Lewis with their mishaps. Rosberg watched his 28 sec lead eaten up by the pace car. Ricardo drove superbly and Alonso showed what determination can do with a dog with no feet. Just too much randomness to give it more than a 6.

  115. The new Formula 1 is so boring, isn’t it? Another terrible race, just like Bahrain and Canada

    Haha, definitely a perfect 10 for this race!

  116. I gave it a 10/10
    I think this was better than Canada but not as good as Bahrain. Alonso DOTD. I would give it to Lewis but his car is much better than Alonso’s

  117. 10/10, Even though both drivers of the team I support, crashes out. We can’t deny that this race was one of the highlights of 2014, and good for sport. As long as F1 give this kind of action packed races, we can forget about those Engine sound issue some races. To be frank for me there was no space to think how much is the noise yesterday. If the audience comes to Grand Prix to watch this real racing, then they easily got it here. Get ever with this Silly Engine Noise and Dummy Megaphone Exhausts.

    1. So excited So much Typos :) Read “Engine sound issue some raises.” and “Get over with this Silly Engine Noise”

  118. Clear 10 in my opinion. This was the best weekend of recent time.

    Quali was great. Big names didn’t make it to Q2, and a dramatic Q3, with many names hitting the top and exchanging places, plus the chaos of the first minutes.

    The race was exceptional. Close and brilliant racing, drivers giving it all, different strategies throughout the field, and a big fight for P1 and the podium till the last lap!

  119. If there was ever going to be a 10/10 race, that was it.

    There was everything – fast cars charging from the back and getting stuck mid-pack, a brilliant drive from Riccardo, a deserving winner (maybe there was a bit of luck, but he made the most of it), a brilliant fight for the top positions at the end, a (partially) wet race, general unpredictability and excitement throughout… and most importantly, the DRS was just right – not to easy, but enough to create opportunities for overtaking.

  120. Matt (@hamiltonfan1705)
    28th July 2014, 10:27

    Gr8 race, and great drive by Lewis. I gave it a 9 however, cos it was no way as good as Bahrain, where there was consistent overtaking, when there wasn’t for this race or Canada.

  121. I voted it a 10 without hesitation. It had drama, changing conditions, great overtakes, spectacular crashes and near-misses (without anyone getting hurt), a team orders controversy and an unexpected winner. The cars were clearly a handful in those conditions, and the variable grip and tail-happy nature of 2014′s F1 cars made it a real test for the drivers, and a great show for the fans.

    That last few laps with Alonso, Hamilton and Ricciardo dicing line astern was epic – the cream rising to the top amidst the chaos. Three very different drivers, all fantastic talents. Three different cars, three different engines, three different strategies, all with a taste of the win and giving everything to achieve it. Then Rosberg chasing them down with some scorching laps and getting the door slammed in his face by his team-mate.

    I just wish I could have seen the whole race – had to make do with BBC highlights (although the coverage was still very good).

  122. only watched the highlights and i was gripped. the skill on show was breathtaking and there were lots of swings where it wasn’t clear who was favoured. the only disappointing thing was how easily ricciardo was able to pass alonso at the end but his pass on hamilton was just sensational. raikkonen and vettel showed tremendous skill, as did hamilton and rosberg on the final lap.

    first one i’ve ever rated 10/10 (though i think 2008 brazilian was better…nothing can top that)

  123. I think it was a great race but I did not enjoy it as much as I probably should have, and that is largely down to only seeing the BBC highlights show.

    All the elements of the race made it a classic, the wet dry nature and the safety cars shuffling the pack with some drivers pitting and some not.

    We had Hamilton starting from the pit lane, spinning on the first lap and then managing to get a podium and was genuinely challenging for the victory at one point, he went from damage limitation in the championship to actually closing the gap on Rosberg.

    The top drivers all had slightly different strategies which meant that you weren’t sure what the final order would be until the final few laps.

    Some of the overtakes were due to the big difference in the tyre performance at the time, which meant they are almost inevitable but they were still enjoyable despite that.

    When only watching the race highlights one of the main problems is that you don’t get a full picture of the race, you notice from the lap counter that the coverage has just missed out 5 laps and all the time gaps between the drivers have changed, it is hard to fully appreciate all the different strategies played out and how each drivers races went.

    If I was rating this on how much I enjoyed watching it at the time I would maybe only give it a 7 but I knew that the race was better than that so I rated it the same as I did the British and German GPs at 8.5 rounded up to a 9.

Comments are closed.