FORMULA 1 - 2010

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  OzCuban said:

MIKA: New venues come and go but I think that once this is built, it will be here to stay IMO. I don't know why, but I really feel that a US GP is what is lacking considering the US have such a huge fan base for car racing.

Besides, they could do with a real sport and ditch INDY CARS and NASCAR.

I agree Mika

And as a technological spin off they may start to be able to build decent road cars

OZ

What are you trying to say Oz..that the US can only build fast straight line cars but are in dire need of cars that can actually handle well!?

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Mallya: We'll bounce back

Force India suffered their most disappointing race weekend this season in Germany but Vijay Mallya is confident the poor form won't extend to Hungary.

Neither Adrian Sutil nor Tonio Liuzzi made it further than Q1, with the German qualifying in nineteenth place while his team-mate struggled to twenty-first. Things didn't get any better on Sunday with the team enduring a horrific race that included the drivers being mistakenly given each others tyres, an error that required the duo to come in for a second stop. The end result saw Liuzzi finish in sixteenth spot with his team-mate close behind in seventeenth.

The race came as a major step back for the team who have only failed to score points on one other occasion this season. Despite this, team principal Vijay Mallya takes solace in the fact that the loss of form did not see rivals Williams gain significantly in the Constructors' race.

"Germany was very disappointing for the team but I see it as a blip rather than anything more significant. It started very well, of course, with Adrian P1 in first free practice, but after that we didn't get to grips with the track and one issue led directly into the next," he explained.

"Fortunately it was only the second time this year we have missed out on the points and - more importantly - we did not lose any ground to our main rivals, so we got off lightly all things considered.

"However, this clearly cannot happen again as the race for fifth and sixth in the championship is closer than ever and we need to finish with at least one car in the points at each race from now on.

Mallya believes the team has reason to be optimistic heading to Hungary, with a number of developments coming into play.

"We can, however, be confident that we have enough strength in current performance and the new developments coming," he said.

"On Friday we will test the blown diffuser, which we believe will give us a big step forward. We will analyse the findings and any data will be fed back into the programme for the second half of the year. Similarly, we have some new developments on the front of the floor.

"This year we have a much more balanced car over all types of tracks and, while we are looking forward to Spa and Monza as high speed tracks that should suit our car, I think we will hold our own in Hungary," the Indian added.

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Button out to 'claw back' points in Hungary

Jenson Button has warned McLaren team-mate Lewis Hamilton he is not prepared to let the gap between them become any greater.

Following the Spanish Grand Prix in which Hamilton crashed out on the penultimate lap when running second and Button finished fifth, the reigning World Champion held a 21-point cushion to his fellow Briton.

But that was the last time Button finished ahead of Hamilton, a run of six consecutive races over which time the latter has managed to open up a 15-point advantage at the top of the Drivers' standings.

Button, who ended a run of six successive races in which he was out-qualified by Hamilton at the German Grand Prix on Saturday, is now determined to bring the other 'losing' streak to an end.

"Germany was a pretty good weekend, and hopefully Hungary will be another step forward," said Button ahead of this Sunday's race at the Hungaroring.

"I'm 15 points behind Lewis, which in old money (under the previous points system) was about six, and I don't want that to grow any more.

"I thought I was going to claw a few points back in Germany, but that didn't happen, so I hope I do this weekend."

The McLaren duo were forced to settle for fourth and fifth around Hockenheim as their car was found wanting for pace in comparison to Ferrari pairing Fernando Alonso and Felipe Massa, as well as Red Bull's Sebastian Vettel.

The full debut of the performance-enhancing exhaust blown diffuser proved only a marginal success, but at a circuit that should prove more to McLaren's liking, Button is hoping for greater success this weekend.

"We had improvements with the blown diffuser, but the downforce level wasn't right for us," added Button.

"We were very quick in a straight line, seven to eights kilometres (per hour) if not more. That's because we didn't have a downforce level that suited the circuit.

"We weren't in the right area with that, so it was pretty tricky for us over the weekend. It was like driving on ice.

"Going into Hungary it's a circuit where you throw downforce at the car, so we know the car will be competitive there, but I don't know how competitive yet.

"The Red Bull is still going to be strong, as will Ferrari with the new package they have because from what Fernando told me, they did have quite a big upgrade in Germany.

"But it will be a better circuit for us because we have a package that will suit that circuit.

"It's a circuit I really enjoy, and although it's a little bumpy in places, it's one that should suit the car pretty well."

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Derek Warwick to join stewards in Hungary

Derek Warwick will enjoy his second appointment as the driver representative on the stewards' panel for the Hungarian GP this weekend.

The Brit is only the second driver to be called upon twice so far, the other being Johnny Herbert who held the role at the Malaysian and Turkish GP's.

Warwick competed in Formula One between 1981 and 1993, driving for Toleman, Renault, Brabham, Lotus and Arrows.

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Force India preview the Hungarian GP

Dr Vijay Mallya, chairman and team principal:

Germany was very disappointing for the team but I see it as a blip rather than anything more significant. It started very well, of course, with Adrian P1 in FP1, but after that we didn't get to grips with the track and one issue led directly into the next. Fortunately it was only the second time this year we have missed out on the points and - more importantly - we did not lose any ground to our main rivals so we got off lightly, all things considered. However this clearly cannot happen again as the race for fifth and sixth in the championship is closer than ever now and we need to finish with at least one car in the points at each race from now on. We can however be confident that we have enough strength in current performance and the new developments coming. On Friday we will test the blown diffuser, which we believe will give us a big step forward. We will analyse the findings and any data will be fed back into the programme for the second half of the year. Similarly, we have some new developments on the front of the floor.

This year we have a much more balanced car over all types of tracks and, while we would look forward to Spa and Monza as high speed tracks that should suit us better, I think we will hold our own in Hungary.

Adrian Sutil:

Hockenheim obviously wasn't the best race weekend for us, unfortunately. We had a mechanical issue in practice, which in turn affected qualifying and the result was that I started at the back so we had to try a pretty creative race strategy - use the option tyres at the start, pit very early, and put on the hard tyre and go the whole race. Otherwise you spend a lot of time trying to overtake other people. However because of the radio conversations with Tonio and him coming in at the same time they mixed up the tyres in my stop so I had to pit again to change the rear left. This set didn't perform well and after a few laps, it was sliding and I flat spotted the front. I changed to the soft tyres and did quite well, good lap times, and I could enjoy my driving at least.

But now we can look forward to the next race in Hungary. Budapest is a great city, it's beautiful there, and always nice and warm. I'm looking forward to it after a cold weekend in Germany! The Hungaroring is actually a difficult track, with a lot of corners that require focus as one leads into the next without any recovery time. I like driving there, even though the average speed is quite low. Qualifying is very important, and despite our recent form in this area, I'm always confident I can make it into the top 10.

We'll also try new parts, including a new blown diffuser on the Friday. In the past I've never had much luck in Hungary, but this is a new year for me, year number zero, with a competitive car, a strong position in the championship and everything to push for.

Tonio Liuzzi:

Like Adrian, Hockenheim was one of those races you have every so often that doesn't seem to ever come together. The accident in qualifying was a real disappointment as I got caught out on a damp patch on the kerb, but because of where it was the car went straight into the wall and I missed the rest of the session and started P22. I had a good start though but got squeezed into one corner, which meant I thought I'd damaged the front wing. I had a discussion with the team during the lap, and we decided to pit and change it. Adrian was in front of me in the pit lane when I came in as part of his strategy, so it all happened very quickly and there was a misunderstanding with tyres, so I had to make another stop to put it right. The race was basically difficult from that point, which was a shame because we had a strong pace, and with the hard tyres we were really consistent and fast. It was good enough to be in the top 10, if we had started in front.

But Hungary is now coming very soon and although we know it could be a tough weekend for us because of the strength of the competition now, we still have a chance to fight for points because we're always there when everything goes right. And it's like a big Monaco in that the circuit is very twisty and there's not much room for overtaking, and at Monaco we were quite strong.

I quite like the track and I've been pretty fast in the past. It's all about the rhythm, akin to a kart circuit, so I like it! It's one of the old school circuits with a nice atmosphere and a beautiful city, and it's always good to be there. I believe we have a chance to score points, but the others won't make it easy.

Paul di Resta, test and reserve driver:

In Hungary I'll be getting back to my normal Friday duties, driving in FP1 when I replace Tonio. Of course, after sitting out Hockenheim, I'm looking forward to getting back out there. The Hungaroring will be another new track for me so I've been doing my homework, going in the simulator, looking through last year's data and talking with the engineers to be as prepared as I can.

It looks like it's quite a tight track and the cars don't get going as much as at other tracks such as Silverstone or Melbourne, but I've always enjoyed watching the races there so hopefully it will be good to drive.

The year is really flying by now and we're now well over half way. I feel so much more comfortable in the car and at the moment it's even more exciting to be part of the programme as the team is now under pressure to move forward and do the best job it possibly can.

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Lotus preview the Hungarian GP

Heikki Kovalainen:

"I've got great memories of Hungary. It's where I scored my first victory, which is obviously the highlight of my career so far, so I'm always looking forward to going there, particularly as there's very strong Finnish support out around the track - it's almost like a home race for me. This year the challenge is obviously different, but we've made good progress at every race so far, and we're well prepared for Hungary so there's no reason why we can't take another step forward this weekend.

"The track itself is obviously hard to pass on, but it's satisfying to find a setup that allows you to get the most out of the car as the track evolves, and then nail it in qualifying - as a driver that's a good feeling. In the race, it's easy to get stuck behind someone, because of the nature of the track, so pitstops become even more critical. With that in mind it's good to see how everyone in the team, the pitcrew, the engineers and everyone in the garage, can make a real difference to your race performance, even more than normal. As a driver that's also very satisfying as it shows how important everyone in the garage is, so hopefully we'll be able to put that into practice this weekend."

Jarno Trulli:

"It'll be good to get back in the car straight away after a frustrating end to the German Grand Prix. After what had been a really strong weekend, it was obviously not the way we wanted the race to go, so hopefully Hungary will be better luck for us! The Hungaroring is a very twisty track, bumpy and hard to pass on, and not one you can get a great rhythm on. We'll be running the full downforce package, and as it's normally very tough – hot and very long, it's a real physical challenge. But I'm feeling good, and we keep progressing, so I'm looking forward to the weekend."

Mike Gascoyne, Chief Technical Officer:

"After a disappointing end to the Hockenheim Grand Prix we're looking forward to Hungary. Always an interesting race, it's obviously very difficult to pass and the tight, twisty layout should suit the characteristics of the T127 very well. Traditionally it's very hot and dusty early on with lots of track evolution. We're still in tenth place as the best of the new teams, and this should be a circuit that suits us, so we need to maintain our strong qualifying form, maintain our reliability and look for a two car finish."

Riad Asmat, Chief Executive Officer:

"After the Hockenheim result we're looking forward to next weekend in Hungary. We'll pick ourselves up and do what we do best – work hard, focus on the positives and make sure we keep pushing towards the teams ahead. Funnily enough, what happened in Germany actually brings out the best in our team – the passion, the camaraderie and the spirit within everyone in the team, at the factory and at the races – we're all determined to keep looking ahead and not let setbacks hold us back, and Hungary gives us another chance to take a step forward, and that's what we'll do."

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Sauber preview the Hungarian GP

Pedro de la Rosa:

"Budapest is one of my favourites because I achieved my first and - so far – only podium there. This was back in 2006 when I finished second. The city is extremely interesting and offers a lot. The architecture of the bridges, houses and castles is just beautiful. When I was a test driver I used to go running along the river on Saturdays after qualifying. You can feel the history, but at the same time the city is very much alive. In a way it reminds me of Spain. I like to describe the track as the permanent version of the Monaco street circuit. You need maximum downforce and a good car in slow corners, while efficiency is less important. It is a nice track but it is very hard on the drivers, especially when it is hot, which has quite often been the case at the race weekends. Perhaps it is not the best track for our car, but we have improved it a lot for slow corners and we have also proved if we finish races we can fight for points."

Kamui Kobayashi:

"I have good memories of the Hungaroring. Despite not achieving the best results there, I like racing on this circuit a lot. I find it nice and exciting, and I certainly enjoy the city, especially the restaurants on the side of the river. Also the circuit has a good tradition and a nice atmosphere. It is very narrow and windy, which might be tough for us this year. Overtaking is very difficult on that track, and therefore our chances on the Hungaroring depend a lot on if and how much we can improve our qualifying performance."

Technical Director James Key:

"If we look at the last four races Hungary is a different type of circuit again. We've had Montreal with reasonably long straights and slow speed corners in Valencia, high speed corners in Silverstone, a mix in Hockenheim and mainly low and medium speed corners in Hungary. It's a fairly winding circuit which requires a high downforce level. You can get away with a slightly less aerodynamical efficient car there as well. It also requires a good mechanical grip, while there are some kerbs and some high and medium speed chicanes where the car needs to be stable. The track is also quite bumpy. The last corner is quite tricky, as is turn one the downhill right hander where you've got to get that right not to lock up your inside wheel. In qualifying you also have to look after your tyres for the end of the lap, because graining can be a problem. There are two other things to consider: It's normally very hot so you have to watch cooling levels and how that affects the tyres, secondly it's a place where overtaking is very difficult so qualifying is very important."

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Bridgestone preview the Hungarian GP

Hiroshi Yasukawa - Director of Bridgestone Motorsport:

"The Hungaroring holds many good motorsport memories for Bridgestone as we came very close to seeing a victory on our tyres in our very first season with Damon Hill in 1997 driving for Arrows. Today, Hungary is an interesting market for Bridgestone. We have a factory in Tatabanya which uses the Bridgestone BIRD system. This is the Bridgestone Innovative and Rational Development system which shows how we are pushing innovative technology and shows our passion for excellence in all that we do."

Hirohide Hamashima - Bridgestone Director of Motorsport Tyre Development:

"The Hungaroring is a challenging circuit even though it is one of the shortest on the calendar. We expect to hear a lot of discussion about the track surface at the beginning of the weekend, as the circuit is not used as much as some, so the surface is quite dirty for the first sessions. We can expect to see some graining on Friday because of this. The ambient and track temperatures are often very hot here, but as the surface is quite smooth and there are no very high lateral forces we don't expect overheating to be too much of an issue if the tyres are managed well. Finding the maximum traction through the last corner is very important as it enables a good top speed on the short straight, leading into the first corner, where there is the main overtaking opportunity on the circuit. This is a track where Bridgestone came very close to winning a race in our first season in the sport, so we hope we see a good race in our final visit here."

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James Allen on the team orders row

Formula 1 is often a byword for controversy, yet, in comparison to recent years at least, contentious incidents had been rather thin on the ground in this otherwise absorbing season – that was until Ferrari’s tactics in the German Grand Prix reopened the can of worms that is ‘team orders’.

ITV.com/F1 columnist James Allen gives his views on the biggest talking point from last Sunday’s race and assesses where the row goes next from here.

This has been a watershed weekend for Formula 1, with the latest row over Ferrari’s team orders.

Anyone who loves the sport and was watching on Sunday will have been wincing at the way Ferrari moved Felipe Massa out of the way to let Fernando Alonso through.

Why would they do that? Is Alonso so clearly superior to Massa this season that the plucky young Brazilian, who was a whisker away from being world champion in 2008, should become a de facto number two driver?

It’s ironic coming a fortnight after Mark Webber’s jibe about his win at Silverstone being “not bad for a number two driver”.

Massa’s drive on Sunday wasn’t bad for a number two either. He won the start, as polesitter Sebastian Vettel and fellow front-row starter Alonso got so absorbed in each other they forgot about him.

He led the first phase of the race and was still ahead after the pit stops, which meant that Alonso needed to get past one way or another.

The Spaniard tried by legitimate means to pass him in the early stages of the hard tyre phase, but then Massa pulled out a gap. Alonso, however, reined him in and when the coded message was given by Rob Smedley, Alonso slid by.

Is it right, is it fair? It certainly seems harsh given that 12 months ago to the day Massa was in intensive care after being hit in the head by a spring in qualifying for the Hungarian Grand Prix.

But F1 is an unsentimental business. There were to be no fairy tale stories this weekend.

Alonso has been by far the strongest Ferrari driver this season and with so many points dropped over the last few races, Hockenheim represented a crucial chance to get back in the championship race.

Alonso has form as a driver who expects his team to look after him as number one. And it seems that today at Ferrari he has what he was looking for at McLaren in 2007.

I well remember commentating on the US Grand Prix that year and Alonso was weaving about in Lewis Hamilton’s slipstream, even veering towards the pit wall at one point as if to say “get him out of my way”.

Ironically, if McLaren had obliged that day, Alonso would have won the world championship that year. His point being that they were taking unnecessary risks on backing a rookie when he represented their best chance of sealing the title. And in purely pragmatic terms he was right.

But there is a sporting side to this and most fans seem to feel cheated by what they witnessed on Sunday. Alonso cut his teeth in F1 in the era of Michael Schumacher and Ferrari domination and this was achieved by hard-nosed pragmatism and by prioritising Schumacher.

Massa did not give way to Alonso early in the season and in Melbourne the Spaniard was frustrated, while in China he took matters into his own hands and passed Massa on the way into the pits.

Whatever the rights and wrongs of this as a way to conduct team affairs, the stewards in Germany fined Ferrari $100,000 and the case has been referred to the FIA World Motor Sport Council.

There are calls for the team to be banned, but this will not happen. The most that will happen is that the team will lose its points but the drivers will keep theirs.

As for the sport, it needs a moratorium to discuss the nature of team orders and come up with a system that works for teams and fans alike, because a team must be free to make tactical calls and the fans are entitled to watch a race without feeling cheated.

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Sauber preview the Hungarian GP

Pedro de la Rosa:

"Budapest is one of my favourites because I achieved my first and - so far – only podium there. This was back in 2006 when I finished second. The city is extremely interesting and offers a lot. The architecture of the bridges, houses and castles is just beautiful. When I was a test driver I used to go running along the river on Saturdays after qualifying. You can feel the history, but at the same time the city is very much alive. In a way it reminds me of Spain. I like to describe the track as the permanent version of the Monaco street circuit. You need maximum downforce and a good car in slow corners, while efficiency is less important. It is a nice track but it is very hard on the drivers, especially when it is hot, which has quite often been the case at the race weekends. Perhaps it is not the best track for our car, but we have improved it a lot for slow corners and we have also proved if we finish races we can fight for points."

Kamui Kobayashi:

"I have good memories of the Hungaroring. Despite not achieving the best results there, I like racing on this circuit a lot. I find it nice and exciting, and I certainly enjoy the city, especially the restaurants on the side of the river. Also the circuit has a good tradition and a nice atmosphere. It is very narrow and windy, which might be tough for us this year. Overtaking is very difficult on that track, and therefore our chances on the Hungaroring depend a lot on if and how much we can improve our qualifying performance."

Technical Director James Key:

"If we look at the last four races Hungary is a different type of circuit again. We've had Montreal with reasonably long straights and slow speed corners in Valencia, high speed corners in Silverstone, a mix in Hockenheim and mainly low and medium speed corners in Hungary. It's a fairly winding circuit which requires a high downforce level. You can get away with a slightly less aerodynamical efficient car there as well. It also requires a good mechanical grip, while there are some kerbs and some high and medium speed chicanes where the car needs to be stable. The track is also quite bumpy. The last corner is quite tricky, as is turn one the downhill right hander where you've got to get that right not to lock up your inside wheel. In qualifying you also have to look after your tyres for the end of the lap, because graining can be a problem. There are two other things to consider: It's normally very hot so you have to watch cooling levels and how that affects the tyres, secondly it's a place where overtaking is very difficult so qualifying is very important."

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Schumi had a little chat with Massa

Michael Schumacher has revealed he held a private conversation with Felipe Massa about the controversial events that unfolded in the German GP.

Massa has effectively become Ferrari's number two driver for the remainder of the season after being told, via coded messages, to allow team-mate Fernando Alonso to pass and collect the win.

It was a situation that has since caused a storm in Formula One as team orders are banned, resulting in Ferrari being fined 100,000 US dollars and facing a World Motor Sport Council hearing.

Massa, visibly angered after the race, must now play second fiddle to Alonso, who will be given preferential treatment in his bid to win the title.

It led to Schumacher speaking with Massa, who is a close friend after their spell as team-mates at Ferrari in 2006 prior to the German retiring.

"He is experienced enough not to need advice from me," said the seven-times Champion at a Mercedes-Benz event in Budapest.

"But I definitely had a little conversation with him, which was naturally of a private nature."

The incident has led to a great deal of debate this week as to whether the rule on team orders should be dropped.

Formula One supremo Bernie Ecclestone believes team principals should be allowed to run their organisations as they see fit.

But Mercedes motor sport vice-president Norbert Haug believes it is not as simple as that.

"It is definitely not a black and white decision. It's a difficult one," said Haug.

"If you allow it then the consequence will be you see overtaking manoeuvres that probably are not expected.

"And if you do not allow it then you have some issues with hidden strategies, or whatever, so we will not solve this problem today.

"You could say be very strict and punish everybody, but then it needs to be the same for everybody in the whole field.

"So it needs to be very carefully thought through, and a solution should be found, which would be the wish of all of us.

"But it's not such an easy one to resolve, otherwise the solution would be in place by now.

"We have to think we are racing for the spectators, for the guys who are interested in the sport.

"We have to accept the most important guys are those in the car because if they are not fully focused then they will not achieve anything, and that needs to be kept in mind."

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Heidfeld looking elsewhere for 2011 drive

Nick Heidfeld is preparing to walk away from Mercedes GP as he wants a full-time race-seat for next year's Championship.

Following BMW's departure from F1 at the end of last year's campaign, Heidfeld had hoped to land a drive with Mercedes GP.

However, the team opted instead to sign Nico Rosberg and the returning Michael Schumacher, leaving Heidfeld with little option but to accept a test driver role.

And with Rosberg and Schumacher saying put next season, Heidfeld told the Bild: "With Mercedes it would not be possible to become a race driver in the near future."

The German is now looking elsewhere with Renault, Sauber and Force India all believed to be interested in signing him.

"My goal for next season is to drive again," he added.

MIKA; I'd love to see Heidfeld back behind the wheel. What a wasted talent to be a test driver in a sport where no testing is allowed.

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Petrov: I just need more time

Vitaly Petrov is confident he can secure his Formula One future, he just needs time to prove he's got what it takes.

Petrov joined Renault at the start of this year's Championship, partnership the in-form Robert Kubica. And it's been a tough learning curve for the Russian rookie, who has just seven points to his name while Kubica has already bagged 89.

Petrov's struggles adapting to F1 have recently led to rumours that Renault are set to replace him at the end of the season. The team, though, insist he still has a chance to secure his future, he just needs to become a regular points-scorer.

"No, I know what I can do," Petrov told Autosport when asked if he was feeling the pressure.

"I'm just asking them to give me time. Time for me is important because when I was in GP2 I needed three years to be quick because I didn't do formula cars before.

"I needed to understand how to work with the teams, with the engineers, with the set-up. I would say it was my school. Formula 1 is also my school, but with a higher level, so I just need more time."

One aspect he admits he needs to improve on is his qualifying performances as he has yet to qualify ahead of Kubica.

"In the race I don't have any problems. The problem I think it is qualifying. We need to improve the qualifying, because for example in Germany until Turn 16 I was absolutely the same lap time as Robert.

"I just lost three tenths at Turn 16 because I didn't know how to do this corner. There was not enough time in the dry to learn how to go quick. It looks simple, but it was three tenths and I was P10."

As for the rumours surrounding his future, he said: "For me it doesn't matter what people say. I always try to do the best, try to go as quick as I can. Of course it's positive when the team is speaking about good things, not bad.

"I try to push hard anyway. If you see, by the end or the middle of the race, Robert and I always have the same lap times.

"It's just that from Friday to Sunday I'm learning and in the middle of the race and the end of the race my laps are always the same because I learned a lot."

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Massa: I'd quit before I became a number two

Felipe Massa has assured fans and the media that he is no number two driver despite letting his team-mate, Fernando Alonso, past him during the closing stages of the German GP.

The Brazilian managed to take the lead into the first corner of the first lap and remained there until his race engineer, Rob Smedley informed him that he was slower than the Spaniard - a lap later and the switch took place.

That led to speculation that Massa is a clear second driver within Ferrari, but the 29-year-old insists he would quit F1 before such a scenario became reality.

"The time I say I am number two driver, I will not race any more," he said in the Hungarian paddock.

Massa now trails championship leader Lewis Hamilton, by over 70 points and his team-mate by 38, however the Italian outfit has ensured him, he can fight for victories.

"For sure I have spoken to everybody inside the team," Massa said. "As I said I am not here really to race, I am here to win. That is really my point. As long as I am in the condition to win, we need to go to the end, to fight for the victory.

"I am a professional, I work for the team and everybody has to understand my point."

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Barrichello ‘feels very sorry’ for Massa

Rubens Barrichello has spoken of his sympathy for Felipe Massa’s plight as the Ferrari team orders controversy continued to dominate paddock conversation at the Hungaroring on Thursday – saying no driver should have to go through such a wrenching experience.

Massa’s actions in handing the lead of the German Grand Prix to team-mate Fernando Alonso after receiving a coded radio message from his race engineer have provoked the biggest furore over team orders in eight years.

“All I can say is that I’m very sorry for him, to see that he had to go through such a bad thing,” said Barrichello.

“Nobody should be able to go through those feelings. Felipe is a friend and I wish he didn’t go through that.”

Barrichello, who had to forfeit victory in the 2002 Austrian Grand Prix to his then Ferrari team-mate Michael Schumacher, said he had phoned his Brazilian compatriot during the week to offer his advice.

“I’ve called him and I’ve already told him what I think, but it’s going to stay between me and him,” he said.

“But there’s not a lot to tell; he’s feeling the same thing I felt some time ago.”

Barrichello believes the onus is now on the sport’s powers-that-be to devise a workable rule that consigns team orders to the past.

“Whenever they said team orders should not take place, other ways of telling the driver to back off were introduced,” he noted.

“So in that respect you could think this [the ban] should not take place and the team should decide to do whatever.

“But I just think we should do something to stop this thing, because at the end of the day it could get into a bit of a drama.

“When you are racing you want to beat the other one, but I wouldn’t feel nice and feel good [if a team said] I’ll give you this and then you will win.

“I don’t like that and I never did. That’s why I changed teams and that’s why I went on.

“So I think it’s in the hands of the top people to change that.”

Barrichello, the most experienced driver in F1 history, reckons team orders not only cause resentment but devalue the achievements of those who benefit from them.

“You should be allowed to race. What’s the problem? If you don’t win the championship by one point, so be it.

“And if you win the championship by one point because somebody let you win, what’s the point? That’s my view.

“If I have to be a bad guy to be world champion, I don’t care for that. I will teach my boys the same way my father taught me, and I’m happy with that.”

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Watch Webber's Hungaroring lap

Take a closer look at the tight and twisty Hungarian GP layout in the Red Bull simulator.

Hungaroring lap

[MIKA27]

Prac One: Bulls dominate from start to finish

The Red Bull racers proved to be untouchable in Friday's first practice in Hungary where the only competition they had was each other.

Mark Webber was the first of the big-name drivers to put in a serious lap time, immediately taking the P1 slot. And it was from that point onwards the Red Bull held it.

The Aussie led the way, easily quicker than his rivals, before his team-mate Sebastian Vettel joined the mix, making it a Red Bull 1-2. The duo traded blows for a while before Vettel emerged as the quicker of the two with a 1:20.976.

And although Robert Kubica was the closest to the Red Bull drivers, he found himself over a second off the pace with Jenson Button fourth.

Report: Despite the clouds overhead and rain earlier this morning, the track temperature was already sitting at 31'C when the first practice for the Hungarian GP got underway on Friday morning. All eyes were focused on Felipe Massa as the Brazilian ventured out of the garage to put in his first lap at the circuit that almost claimed his life last season. No problems for the Ferrari driver, though, as he made his way back to his garage. But a few problems for Jarno Trulli as he returned to the Lotus garage with a lot of smoke pouring from his T127. Initial reports suggest it was perhaps bodywork that was overheating. Several drivers opted to do more than one installation lap while Nico Rosberg took it to the max, completing six!

Massa set the first time of the day, a rather slow 1:38.521, which was easily beaten by 12s by Adrian Sutil, who is debuting Force India's new blown diffuser exhaust. Jaime Alguersuari claimed second ahead of Bruno Senna and Sakon Yamamoto. Mark Webber joined the fray, taking first place with a 1:23.396. His team-mate Sebastian Vettel slotted in behind him as Webber lowered the benchmark time for the third successive lap. Pedro de la Rosa took third behind the Red Bulls, followed by Alguersuari, Vitaly Petrov, Nico Rosberg, Kamui Kobayashi and Sutil.

Michael Schumacher joined the running, claiming fourth place on his first lap, while Fernando Alonso went eighth quickest. At the halfway point of the session, Webber, with a 1:21.710, led Vettel, Rosberg, de la Rosa, Robert Kuibca, Schumacher, Petrov and Alguersuari. But that didn't last long as Vettel went quicker with a 1:21.275 and Schumacher climbed to third place behind the Bulls.

Kubica was the next to take the fight to the Bulls, moving up to third place with Barrichello fourth, followed by Schumacher, Alonso, Rosberg and de la Rosa. It was a slow start for McLaren with Lewis Hamilton only managing the 15th best time while his team-mate Jenson Button had yet to even set a time.

Vettel lowered the benchmark to a 1:21.177 but his team-mate Webber was on an even faster lap and took the P1 slot by 0.169s. With less than half an hour on the clock, Button ventured out, taking 17th place, right behind Hamilton on the timesheets. Button continued lapping, moving up to fourth place.

Yellow flags were waved - for the first time in the session - when Vitaly Petrov spun his Renault through the last corner, coming to a halt on the straight. The rookie's mistake cost both Hamilton and Kubica, who are on quicker laps. The action resumed but with few changes to the timesheets as lap after lap the drivers put in the mileage, working on their programmes and eventually the data.

The final few minutes saw a flurry of activity but try as they might, Red Bull's rivals were not able to put an end to the team's 1-2 with Vettel quicker than Webber. Kubica finished third but over a second off the pace.

Times

01. Vettel Red Bull-Renault 1:20.976 29 laps

02. Webber Red Bull-Renault 1:21.106 + 0.130 27 laps

03. Kubica Renault 1:22.072 + 1.096 21 laps

04. Button McLaren-Mercedes 1:22.444 + 1.468 17 laps

05. Barrichello Williams-Cosworth 1:22.601 + 1.625 25 laps

06. de la Rosa Sauber-Ferrari 1:22.764 + 1.788 24 laps

07. Alonso Ferrari 1:22.772 + 1.796 25 laps

08. Rosberg Mercedes 1:22.777 + 1.801 25 laps

09. Schumacher Mercedes 1:22.792 + 1.816 26 laps

10. Hulkenberg Williams-Cosworth 1:22.966 + 1.990 25 laps

11. Sutil Force India-Mercedes 1:23.003 + 2.027 19 laps

12. Massa Ferrari 1:23.007 + 2.031 26 laps

13. Petrov Renault 1:23.249 + 2.273 24 laps

14. Kobayashi Sauber-Ferrari 1:23.327 + 2.351 23 laps

15. di Resta Force India-Mercedes 1:23.520 + 2.544 19 laps

16. Buemi Toro Rosso-Ferrari 1:23.780 + 2.804 22 laps

17. Alguersuari Toro Rosso-Ferrari 1:23.868 + 2.892 28 laps

18. Hamilton McLaren-Mercedes 1:24.075 + 3.099 15 laps

19. Trulli Lotus-Cosworth 1:25.032 + 4.056 22 laps

20. Kovalainen Lotus-Cosworth 1:25.210 + 4.234 23 laps

21. Glock Virgin-Cosworth 1:25.990 + 5.014 21 laps

22. di Grassi Virgin-Cosworth 1:26.686 + 5.710 17 laps

23. Senna HRT-Cosworth 1:26.990 + 6.014 34 laps

24. Yamamoto HRT-Cosworth 1:28.157 + 7.181 24 laps

[strayvector]

Excellent stuff from Webber today, and another loss from the pole for Vettel.

[sje]

I watched this race from start to finish, this was a brilliant race for webber, lucky but brilliant

.

2 fascinating coments

1/ in the pre race interview webber says that Horner tells vettel on team radio after qualifying on pole " well done , you got him" ...... Webber suspects this was in reference to "him" being pole position rather than "him" meaning Webber. I suspect there are still issues with the team.

2/ after vettel presses Alonso for second lap after lap , someone says , tell Alonso vettel is the faster car, in reference to last weeks incident between Alonso and massa . Absolute Gold

[Warren]

At the end of the race Alonso was the first to get out of his car and congratulate Webber but Vettel was no where to be seen. At the press conference you could see Webber glancing sideways at Vettel while he was speaking.

I thought Vettel was extremely unsporting and came across as a spoiled little brat who dropped his ice-cream in the dirt.

For him to sit there and say that he lost the race because of the drive through penalty was a bit rich.

He was behind Alonso before the drive through and came out behind him and that's where he stayed for the rest of the race.

Why Webber is not no. 1 driver is beyond me.

[MIKA27]

  sje said:

2/ after vettel presses Alonso for second lap after lap , someone says , tell Alonso vettel is the faster car, in reference to last weeks incident between Alonso and massa . Absolute Gold

It certainly was!!

[MIKA27]

  Warren said:

At the end of the race Alonso was the first to get out of his car and congratulate Webber but Vettel was no where to be seen. At the press conference you could see Webber glancing sideways at Vettel while he was speaking.

I thought Vettel was extremely unsporting and came across as a spoiled little brat who dropped his ice-cream in the dirt.

For him to sit there and say that he lost the race because of the drive through penalty was a bit rich.

He was behind Alonso before the drive through and came out behind him and that's where he stayed for the rest of the race.

Why Webber is not no. 1 driver is beyond me.

You summed it all perfectly Warren.

Vettel is a spoilt brat and its a darn shame. He certainly does have the goods for being one of the very best drivers in Formula 1 but his immaturity or as I like to call it, "Alonso - Syndrome-itis" where one has a sulking condition, really leaves a Fan like myself very disapointed.

Vettel lost the race simply because he was sleeping behind the wheel. He did that last race also.

[MIKA27]

Webber: It was a bit of gift

After all his trials and tribulations earlier this year, Mark Webber was delighted to have the Hungarian Grand Prix race victory gift-wrapped for him on Sunday.

The Australian started on the front row of the grid with team-mate Sebastian Vettel, but things went horribly wrong at the start and he dropped to P3 behind Fernando Alonso. His mood worsened on lap 17 when the Safety Car was deployed and he failed to make his mandatory stop when everyone else made their way to the pits.

However, it turned out to be a stroke of good fortune for him as he was able to stay out much longer and build a big gap over second-place Alonso. When he eventually made his stop on lap 43 he had a big enough lead to come out ahead of the Ferrari driver.

"The start we always knew was going to be a bit tricky on that side," Webber said. "I knew once I'd got the primes on and these guys had already done 20-odd laps; it was in the bag. It was a bit of a gift for me - but I haven't had many of them. An incredible day for the team. One-two was our goal but we were unfortunate not to get that."

Red Bull team principal Christian Horner says they decided to change the strategy after Webber failed to make a pit stop after the deployment of the Safety Car.

"Mark drove a blinding race," he is quoted on BBC Sport. "The Safety Car came out at the wrong time, and we decided to split the cars. Mark's middle stint was amazing."

[MIKA27]

Petrov feeling 'wonderful' after best result

Vitaly Petrov is basking in the glow of his best-ever F1 result after he brought his Renault home in fifth place in Hungary.

Starting P7 on the grid, his best-ever qualifying, and ahead of team-mate Robert Kubica, Petrov made up two places at the start, passing Nico Rosberg and Lewis Hamilton.

And although he was later overtaken by Hamilton, that move was negated when the McLaren driver retired, again elevating the Russian rookie to fifth place, which is where he finished the race.

"I feel wonderful because we did everything almost perfect today. I made a good start and managed to pass Rosberg and Hamilton into the first corner, which was our target," he said.

"After that, I didn't try and block Lewis too much because I had a problem with my tyre warm-up. I lost a lot of grip and I was fighting the car. I decided to let him through rather than risk losing more positions.

"The points today are very important for us because Mercedes didn't score any. Also, I have a lot of friends and family here today so I'm pleased I could give them a good result."

Team boss Eric Boullier was relishing Petrov's points-haul, especially as it allowed Renault to close the gap on Mercedes GP in the Constructors' Championship.

"We scored a lot of valuable points today, but just as important is the fact that Vitaly has had a superb weekend," said Boullier. "He finished the race in fifth, which is obviously an excellent result.

"It's even more satisfying because Mercedes didn't score any points today, so we have made up ten points on them."

Alan Permane, Renault's chief race engineer added: "It was an excellent drive from Vitaly today with good pace and consistency.

"He made a great start and did well to get ahead of Rosberg, which was our target, and after that he was able to pull away from him comfortably.

"From then on he drove a faultless race and he can be very satisfied with his performance across the entire weekend."

MIKA: This is a great result for Petrov. I'm a huge fan and would ove to see Renault keep this guy for the 2011 season as he has so much potential IMO.

[strayvector]

Perhaps Webber was lucky with Vettel having to do a drive through, but it was a pretty brilliant performance from him to coax 40 some laps on the the softer tires to get the huge lead on Alonso before having to pit. Vettel does a brilliant job from the front or qualifying, but it seems he just doesn't have that little extra to get the job done when he's behind. He was pulling away from Alonso and keeping up with Webber before the penalty, but afterwards, he just didn't get the job done. Ever since the crash with Webber when he tried to pass, he doesn't seem to have that "do or die" mentality anymore when he needs to pass to win.

On another note, I hope Schumy gets a heavy penalty for that move on Barichello. Very unsporting and totally uncalled for.