Hungarian GP: Seventh place for Senna

Brun o gets ready
By Andrew Hooper
July 29 2012

It would be a great performance from Williams F1 team driver Bruno Senna in the 2012 Hungarian Grand Prix, a race that would see him finish in 7th. For team-mate Pastor Maldonado his race would not go so well after struggling at the start. He would finish 14th.

Hungarian GP Race Review

After sunny conditions during qualifying race morning would start with rain but the sun did come out. But the teams were expecting more rain later in the day, possibly during the race. For the Williams F1 team they would see their drivers Pastor Maldonado and Bruno Senna start the seventy lap 2012 Hungarian Grand Prix from eighth and ninth. This was the best qualifying effort from the team. On pole was Hamilton from Grosjean, Vettel, Button, Raikkonen, and Massa in seventh. Some notable drivers outside the top ten were Webber in eleventh, Rosberg thirteenth, and Schumacher seventeenth. The top ten cars would all be starting on the soft tyre on what was now a sunny and hot day. The grid would move away for their formation lap and Hamilton would bring the grid back and he would take his spot on pole. Webber was on the medium tyre joined by De la Rosa, Glock, and Pic.

But the race start would be aborted and the grid told to complete another formation lap. This was due to Schumacher's car stopping on the grid and was not ready to go. Hamilton would lead the field around for their second lap. Schumacher would get his car restarted and take the start from the pit lane. The grid would reform and the lights would go out and off they would go with Hamilton leading. Vettel would try to pass Grosjean at Turn one but was not able to do so. Button would pass Vettel while Webber was up to seventh. Pastor had dropped to twelfth and Bruno was in eighth. Lap one and Hamilton was leading Grosjean by 1.4 seconds.

Schumacher would pit to switch to the medium tyre while at the front Alonso was fifth from Raikkonen, Webber, Bruno, Massa, and Hulkenberg. Pastor was right behind eleventh placed Rosberg. Schumacher was under investigation for pit lane speeding as Hamilton extended his lead out to 2.1 seconds. The start had seen Bruno made a really good start but the same could not be said for Pastor. Schumacher was given a drive through penalty which he took on lap five. Webber was 1.2 seconds behind sixth placed Raikkonen with Bruno still running close behind the Red Bull. Lap six and Grosjean was 2.2 seconds behind Hamilton. Behind fifth placed Alonso there was a queue of cars. Bruno was dropping away from Webber with the gap out to 1.3 seconds after lap seven. Pastor was still in twelfth 1.1 seconds behind Rosberg.

Perez was running close behind Pastor with very little happening in terms of place changes on the track. lap eleven and Hamilton was only 2.5 seconds ahead of Grosjean with Button 4.0 seconds behind Grosjean. Vergne would pit from seventeenth on lap thirteenth staying on the soft tyre. Button's pace had dropped off compared to the leaders as he continued to fall away from Grosjean. Ricciardo would pit on lap fifteen staying on the soft tyre. Button would pit on lap sixteen and he was joined by Hulkenberg and Pastor. Pastor would take on the medium tyre Button would come back out in front of Perez while at the front team-mate Hamilton was leading by 2.0 seconds. Bruno would pit on lap seventeen joined by Di Resta. Bruno would also take on the medium tyre. Rosberg had also pitted and on lap eighteen we would have Vettel and Alonso pit. Kovalainen would also pit from thirteenth.

Lap nineteen and Hamilton would pit switching to the medium tyre. Massa would also come in as Hamilton made a slow stop. Alonso was now on the medium tyre and running behind Perez. Lap twenty and Grosjean would pit taking on the soft tyre. Hamilton would pass Grosjean as Alonso passed Perez for seventh. Lap twenty one and both Raikkonen and Webber would pit with Raikkonen coming back out in front of Alonso. Hamilton was again leading with Grosjean second but the Lotus was on the soft tyre. Pastor was down in thirteenth as Bruno went past Perez at Turn two. Perez would pit on lap twenty two with Bruno back in eighth. With twenty two laps completed the order was Hamilton from Grosjean, Button, Vettel, Raikkonen, Alonso, Webber, Bruno, Massa, and Rosberg in tenth.

Grosjean was setting a quick pace and had closed in onto Hamilton with the gap down to 0.9 after lap twenty four. Bruno was now comfortably running in eighth with Massa 5.5 seconds behind the Williams. Pastor was again running in twelfth still suffering from his poor start. Vettel was pressuring Button with the Red Bull running on the soft tyre. Hamilton would respond to Grosjean and would pull out his lead to 2.3 seconds. Grosjean was able to lower Hamilton's lead down to 1.7 seconds after lap twenty nine. Bruno was dropping away from Webber while Pastor was also dropping away from eleventh placed Hulkenberg. Lap thirty one and Grosjean was 1.3 seconds behind Hamilton. The gap would fluctuate as the laps counted and only lap thirty five Button would pit coming back out behind Bruno. Bruno was now in seventh and had Button right behind him. Pastor was still twelfth and 1.4 seconds behind Hulkenberg. Bruno continued to hold his place despite Button running on the soft tyres.

Lap thirty seven and Hamilton was only leading by 0.7 seconds over Grosjean. Vettel was now third followed by Raikkonen, Alonso, Webber, Bruno, Button, Massa, and Rosberg in tenth. Vettel would pit on lap thirty nine coming back out in front of Bruno. This had seen Vettel move ahead of Button due to his pit stop. Grosjean would pit on lap forty joined by Webber. Grosjean had taken the medium tyre as Button continued to attack Bruno. Pastor was now eleventh with Hulkenberg pitting on lap forty. Hamilton would pit on lap forty one brining him back out in front of Alonso. Rosberg would pit from tenth on lap forty one as he now had Raikkonen leading. Hamilton was second from Alonso, Grosjean, Vettel, Bruno, Button, Massa, Webber, and Pastor. Pastor would pit on lap forty two staying on the medium tyre.

Hamilton was told that he should be able to get to the end of the race as Bruno pitted on lap forty three. Alonso would pit on lap forty four joined by Massa. Both Ferrari's would take on the medium tyre while at the front Raikkonen was still leading and it was looking like he could take second when he pits. Pastor was down in fourteenth with Bruno back in eighth. Raikkonen would pit from the lead on lap forty six joined by Button from fifth. Button would make a slow stop while for Raikkonen he would come out in second. Grosjean was now third from Vettel, Webber, Alonso, Button, Bruno, Massa, and Rosberg tenth. Perez was in eleventh with Hulkenberg, Di Resta, and Pastor all running close together. Perez would pit on lap forty eight while replays would show Pastor making contact with Di Resta as Pastor tried to pass the Force India. Button was right behind Alonso with Bruno close behind the McLaren.

Raikkonen continued to close in onto Hamilton with the gap 2.6 seconds after lap forty nine. Pastor was now in twelfth as it was announced that the incident between Di Resta and Pastor was now under investigation. Lap fifty and Hamilton's lead was now just 1.3 seconds. Pastor would get a drive through penalty for causing a collision. Lap fifty two and Raikkonen was now just 0.9 behind Hamilton as Pastor took his penalty. Been outside the points all the race the penalty for Pastor had really made very little difference. Bruno was still 1.1 seconds behind Button. ON lap fifty five Webber would pit taking on the soft tyres rejoining in eighth. Bruno was now seventh as Raikkonen continued to follow Hamilton. Grosjean was third from Vettel, Alonso, Button, Bruno, Webber, Massa, and Rosberg tenth. Pastor was now thirteenth while Webber was closing in onto Bruno.

Vettel would pit again on lap fifty nine taking on the soft tyre. Vettel would come back out in front of Alonso keeping fourth place. Hamilton was pushing at the front setting the quickest final sector time. Raikkonen would say his only hope of getting past Hamilton was if his rear tyres fade. Webber was now making any ground to Bruno with Bruno still seventh. Raikkonen was now pushing looking to get close to Hamilton. Webber was now 0.6 behind Bruno with six laps to go. Hamilton continued to hold off Raikkonen with the gap 1.0 seconds after lap sixty five. Hamilton would pull out a few tenths seeing him deny Raikkonen the use of his DRS. Two laps remaining and it was looking like Hamilton would keep the lead to the end of the race.

Hamilton would start his last lap which he would complete to take victory in the 2012 Hungarian Grand Prix. Raikkonen was second followed by Grosjean, Vettel, Alonso, Button, Bruno, Webber, Massa, and Rosberg in tenth. Possibly not the result that the Williams team had hoped for with only one driver in the points. Pastor would finish in fourteenth not able to recover from his poor start, not helped by his drive through penalty. For Bruno he has had a consistently good weekend performing well across all the practice sessions, qualifying, and the race.

Hungarian GP: Seventh place for Senna

Posted by: Williams F1 (IP Logged)

Date: 29/07/2012 15:06

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