Max P4 during a hectic qualifying: “Could have fought for P2”
Published on 23 July 2016 by Mike Motilall
Max Verstappen is going to start the race to the Hungarian Grand Prix from fourth. During a qualifying session, that was dominated by rain and a drying track, the Dutchman drove a 1:20.557, six tenths slower than Nico Rosberg, who was the fastest man on track. The German’s fast lap was not without some controversy though: it was done under a yellow flag. Qualifying lasted almost two hours after having been delayed by downpour and some crashes. In the second part, Verstappen even managed to top the leaderboard but was unable to maintain that position.
“During the first run in Q3, I made a mistake when braking for the first corner”, Max explains after qualifying. “But apart from that, it all looked well, so I thought that the second run would be ok as well. Unfortunately, I crossed the line too late. I still drove on even though the checkered flag was out and the first sector was much better then. But unfortunately I was not able to finish the lap.” The Dutchman was therefore not entirely happy. “It is a pity because we could have fought for P2. However, the race is tomorrow and there is where the points are earned.”
Due to the heavy showers, the start of qualifying is postponed for twenty minutes. After Bernd Mayländer inspected the track several times in the Safety Car, the drivers are allowed on a still wet track for the first part of qualifying. The drivers choose the full wets. Even before the entire field gets well underway, the Heavens open up again and Charlie Whiting drops the red flag.
Max Verstappen is at the front of the row of drivers when getting back on track. He intends to improve his time and he does. Only Ricciardo is faster than the Dutchman. Marcus Ericsson crashes and triggers the second red flag in Q1. There are only nine minutes remaining.
The Red Bulls, Sebastian Vettel and Romain Grosjean head back out on the intermediates. Massa pits after an outlap also for the intermediates. However, he goes wide in turn four and hits the barriers, triggering the third red flag in Q1.
Everyone, on the intermediates by now, is out again after Massa’s Williams has been picked up. Rio Haryanto triggers the fourth red flag while the Mercedes are topping the boards. There is too little time remaining for a re-start, so Q1 is ended. The drop outs in Q1 are: Ericsson, Massa, Haryanto, Pascal Wehrlein and both Renaults.
The drivers make to track all on the intermediate tyres at the start of Q2. Ricciardo is the fastest, followed by the Mercedes and Verstappen in fourth. Max’ second run earns him second, behind of Lewis Hamilton. The slicks get strapped on and the first to clock a time on them is Valtteri Bottas, taking off over four seconds of his time done on the inters. Max straps on the super-softs and does a 1:26.693, putting him third. Red Bull’s timing is impeccable: Verstappen and Ricciardo are the last ones to do their fast lap, finishing in first and third. Verstappen tops the board with a 1:22.660, alsmost two tenths faster than Nico Rosberg. Hamilton barely makes it through to the next round finishing in tenth. Kimi Raikkonen falters and ends up fourteenth. Others that also didn’t make it through are: Romain Grosjean, Daniil Kvyat, Sergio Perez, Esteban Guttierez and Felipe Nasr.
At the start of the final part of qualifying there is a dry line on track, so all the drivers head out on the super-softs. Hamilton sets the tone with a 1:20.108. Verstappen is fourth with a 1:20.835, slightly slower than his team mate Ricciardo. Who almost loses control over his RB12 getting on the straight.
Having been in for the last time for some fresh tyres, everyone is out for their final fast lap. Verstappen gets stuck behind of Bottas and crosses the line too late to do another timed lap. Fernando Alonso spins and brings about a yellow-flag situation, rendering all the times irrelevant. Only Rosberg, despite a double-yellow, drives on and snatches pole from Hamilton by a little over a tenth. This puts Max in fourth, behind his team mate and both Mercedes.
Behind of Max is Sebastian Vettel, who failed to do a flawless lap. Carlos Sainz quite decently managed to pull off sixth. Both McLarens are seventh and eighth, leaving Nico Hulkenberg and Bottas to round up the top-ten.
Hungarian Grand Prix - Hungaroring - Saturday 23 July
RESULTS QUALIFYING 01 6 Nico Rosberg Mercedes 1:33.302 1:22.806 1:19.965 29 02 44 Lewis Hamilton Mercedes 1:34.210 1:24.836 1:20.108 28 03 3 Daniel Ricciardo Red Bull Racing TAG Heuer 1:39.968 1:23.234 1:20.280 27 04 33 Max Verstappen Red Bull Racing TAG Heuer 1:40.424 1:22.660 1:20.557 27 05 5 Sebastian Vettel Ferrari 1:35.718 1:24.082 1:20.874 25 06 55 Carlos Sainz Toro Rosso Ferrari 1:36.115 1:24.734 1:21.131 28 07 14 Fernando Alonso McLaren Honda 1:35.165 1:23.816 1:21.211 28 08 22 Jenson Button McLaren Honda 1:37.983 1:24.456 1:21.597 25 09 27 Nico Hulkenberg Force India Mercedes 1:41.471 1:23.901 1:21.823 24 10 77 Valtteri Bottas Williams Mercedes 1:42.758 1:24.506 1:22.182 26 11 8 Romain Grosjean Haas Ferrari 1:35.906 1:24.941 18 12 26 Daniil Kvyat Toro Rosso Ferrari 1:36.714 1:25.301 21 13 11 Sergio Perez Force India Mercedes 1:41.411 1:25.416 16 14 7 Kimi Räikkönen Ferrari 1:36.853 1:25.435 20 15 21 Esteban Gutierrez Haas Ferrari 1:38.959 1:26.189 18 16 12 Felipe Nasr Sauber Ferrari 1:37.772 1:27.063 21 NC 30 Jolyon Palmer Renault 1:43.965 9 NC 19 Felipe Massa Williams Mercedes 1:43.999 7 NC 20 Kevin Magnussen Renault 1:44.543 9 NC 9 Marcus Ericsson Sauber Ferrari 1:46.984 5 NC 94 Pascal Wehrlein MRT Mercedes 1:47.343 9 NC 88 Rio Haryanto MRT Mercedes 1:50.189 9
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