31 replies to this topic

[Forma1]

That was my 8th consecutive run to the Hungarian GP. I have made many experiences which I would like to share with you. I only had mobile net, so I couldn't make a detailed description at the end of the days, so feel free to ask me bout anything!

Fans

There are always people from many countries. There are lots of Hungarian, of course cos the organizers try to tempt people with cheap tickets combined with travel fees. Lots of people visited us from the Czech Republic, Poland, Austria and Finnland. There are still people who love Schumi and Polish people still act as Kubica was in action. Kuba Germaziak's name hasn't been even mentioned, altough he is arguably a real contender in the Porsche SuperCup. You can usually see load of people coated in Ferrari-red suits and waving Ferrari-flags, altough there was a massive camp for Kimi who had clearly more fans then Lewis or Sebastian. The Kimi-caps and shirt labelled "I know what I am doing..." were sold in a great quantity.

Drivers

The autogram session was quite challenging, but pretty successful for me, I got some signatures, for instance from Lewis, Sebastian, Max, Jules, Pastor, Sergio, Daniel. Sebastian was brilliant, he was at least for 20 minutes there for the taking, he signed load of caps, books, etc. He was in a very good mood, I talked to him in German and he laughed and repeated one of my sentence. smile.gif
Romain, Lewis and Hulkenberg were the only drivers who seemed to be in a bad mood. Nico's head was filled clearly with contractual issues, while Lewis seems to still be suffering by spilting up with Scherzy. The two Ferrari drivers were the last to come to see the fans, but they only stayed for 5 minutes which was way less then any other drivers. They were laughing and waving towards us, Alonso even threw his signed cup into the crowd. People got crazy when Kimi was on the turn. He is beloved by girls for his look and the men for his attitude. There was a party organized by Burn on Friday. The organizers advertised it with Kimi, they said Kimi would be there. The Finnish drivers only stayed there for a few minutes before getting back to his hotel. There is no point in denying Kimi loves drinking alcohol, but the image people want to build around him is just a bit far from the thruth. Pastor is a very-very kind and friendly guy. His look is as one of a prisoner, but he is a good chap. Esteban is very friendly, as well.
Lewis and Seb signed my Italian Ferrari book.

On track event

Lots of things come to my mind, you can ask me if you want, I just mention a few stuffs. I was at most part of the track during the Friday practices expect the first sector which is closed for the fans.
The Ferraris are clearly out of balance, those cars are way more difficult to drive than the Lotus, Red Bull or Mercedes. The F138 has lots of understeer, it didn't want to work on used tyres or on the medium. In qualy on fresh soft it was pretty fine, but as the tyres went away it was just horrible to drive. It generally lacks of traction and tends to have massive understeer coming from mid-speed corners. It is so-so unpleasant to drive that car on a track like the Hungaroring.
The Red Bull and the Lotus are fantastic to drive. Those cars go like on a rail. Vettel, Grosjean were the ones to watch in the chicane, those cars have incredible traction on low speed, no wheel-spin and stability over the kerbs. On top of that those cars loved turn 8. Incredible stability. Amazing, stunning, breath-taking. You could see with naked eyes how dominant those cars are on this part of the track. They are even better than the Mercedes. Nico was strong in turn 9, he was very early on the throttle on low-fuel coming out from that turn. Lewis is a real gokart racer. He always want to chop away from the track by using the kerbs, even in turn 9 he tried the touch the inside kerb even it means you can't be that early on the power.

The McLaren has quite a neutral balance, although Jenson couldn't get the front tyres get up to temp in qualy, that's why he had to wait under acceleration out of the middle-speed turns. The Renault-powered cars, especially the Caterhams let sound some interesting noises out of low-speed corners, it is very similiar to the sound created by off-throttle blowing. Dunno how they manage it under so thight regs.

I have to disappoint Alonso's fans. He drives his hearts out, you can't even image how many things that guy tried out during Friday. He tried different lines for example in turn 8, he tried to gear down in the middle of it to let the rear slide, etc. The Lotus and RB guys didn't have any head-aches, their cars were nearly perfect from the first lap on.

Others

Rob Smedley tends to look self-conceited, but not this time. He was in a good mood on Thursday. He smiled and took a small gift from a fan. The RB guys always listen to music when working on the car. A McLaren's guy was polishing Sergio's car underneath its nose cone. JEV stayed until late in the evening at the track, they worked on the car cos they wanted to try load of new pieces out. They were working on the seat position at around 19 local time. Williams was carring out lots of pit stop drills, but the front left guy messed it up a few times. The Lotus guys carried out drills after 19 when most of teams closed in their garages and the pit lane has already been cleared from the visitors. They were in a good mood as well, a Lotus guy gave an umbrella to a fan. One thing to note that lots of track marshalls who stand close to the track are staning right at the wall which borders the track aren't protected by anything. Especially the GP2 guys were very aggressive at turn 9, pieces could fall onto the marshalls. The safety should be improved on that aspect, but I fear the governing body waits again til something serious happens...

Check out my pics at my facebook:
https://www.facebook...7...e=3

Sorry for the low-quality, but even surviving such an event is real achivement with so many fans who are on the rampage for their beloved drivers. smile.gif

Edited by Forma1, 29 July 2013 - 19:00.

[superdelphinus]

"His look is as one of a prisoner, but he is a good chap"

Best thing I've ever read on here

Edited by superdelphinus, 29 July 2013 - 17:33.

[Atreiu]

Terrific report!
Sounds like you had a good time.

[SamH123]

That was a very good read, especially the bit about the on-track action. It really matches up to the lap times

[PEW]

A report like this is worth more than 20 journo reports. Thank you

[Massa]

Fantastic job Forma, as always.

[jonpollak]

A report like this is worth more than 20 journo reports. Thank you

+1
Jp

[Owen]

Thanks for taking time to write this. Really enjoyed reading it.

[Der Pate]

I was at the grandstands at Turn 1, just when the cars started to brake and downshift. I´ve been to several GPs in the past, but this time I was really surprised, how different the cars sound in downshifting...

All in all the organisation of the race was one of the best. Silverstone last year was very chaotic (very much because of the rain, I guess), and I really didn´t like that concept in Silverstone, that you only have your designated seats on raceday. The weather was that bad, that I arrived very late to the track and wasn´t allowed to enter my grandstand with a roof, so that I got wet on another grandstand. But that´s another story...

You could take a taxi from the hotel in Budapest, which took you within 30min to the grandstands at gold...and you´d only pay 10.000,- forint, which are about € 33,- It was great!

Temperatures were extreme! Cannot understand, how people can eat a kebab, when it´s 38 degrees...

Merchandising was interesting: McLaren no buyers, Mercedes some more, Ferrari many people (as everytime), but much more at Red Bull, which had double the place (with Toro Rosso) and pop-music. The concept of Red Bull ist still being the "cool team".

I don´t understand either, why women go to a GP with high heels...

Maybe I´ll recall other facts later...

[STRFerrari4Ever]

Great report, gives a better insight compared to what we usually get from journalists.

[senna da silva]

Great read, thanks.

[MikeV1987]

Good read, thanks

[g1n]

Thanks for sharing, but where you there only for Qualifying, as you later write that teams practice pit stops and working on the cars in the evening, when this is what they actually do everyday apart from race day?!

edit: ah ok I think you were there for practice, still nice reading your observations!

Edited by g1n, 29 July 2013 - 23:39.

[OfficeLinebacker]

Thanks for sharing.

[discover23]

Good post - we should have threads like this for every race .

I was in Gold 4 in the lower rows - turn one.
My first f1 race in Europe .. I didn't have any tickets but I was told I could get them at the box office so I did that on Saturday..
My biggest surprise was when I arrived at the hotel on Saturday, my wife asks the concierge "do you know where some of the teams are staying" , and the response was we have 3 teams staying at this hotel. I could not believe it and started getting very excited about the whole trip..
As it was Saturday right before qualy I didn't see anyone there ..
I decided to go to the track to buy my tickets for Sunday's race just in case there wouldn't be any available the next day . Getting there is no big deal, metro > free bus > walk. Coming back from the race is a different story.

When I got back to the hotel I start to run into Ferrari personnel .. There were three girls in ferrari uniforms always hanging out together.. Sky and BBC crews were also staying there.. I saw Kovalainen, and one of the BBC or Sky f1 reporters at the bar - I can't remember his name.

We changed and went out to dinner where I bumped into one of the team pricipals and a test driver from another team, who had joined his table for a talk, and some other F1 people who I was not very familiar with - They were sitting at the table right next to ours ..

Sunday morning we go out a little late for breakfast and by the time we got down most of the f1 staff where finishing with their breakfast and heading to the race. I did get to see Van Der Garde (caterham and sauber were the other two teams staying at the hotel) he came down late from his room and was the only guy wearing jeans.
Rob Smedley sat by himself right behind us at the breakfast table.

At the race track.. Finnish fans everywhere.. There were lots of Ferrari fans also followed by Mclaren fans. I saw fewer RedBull and Mercedes fans.
I took pics with fellow Finns who had painted their faces with their national flag - the people sitting right below us were really friendly and they were giving us wine throughout the race. Finns are really nice and friendly people and I really enjoyed sharing this experience with them as they were sitting all around me. The heat was almost unbearable.

The cars: Lotus, specially Romain and Redbull were on rails . The way they took turn one was impressive .. And I agree with the OP that Ferrari was no where near this good..
Marussia should not be competing , they are so slow it is almost as watching Lemans with two categories racing at the same time.

After the race we made some friends and were able to go inside the hotel restaurant where most of the drivers were staying .. I find it strange that the team stays at one hotel and the drivers stay at a different hotel .. You never see this in football for example. I was able to have pictures taken with Massa, he was really upset, Perez and Pedro delaRosa. Everyone else either did not return to the hotel right after the race or they must have entered through the elevators from the back or garage.

Overall an amazing experience. The city is fantastic.. Restaurants, bars, lounges everywhere and on top of that you have the beautiful scenery .. I am going to try those famous baths today..

Edited by discover23, 30 July 2013 - 07:58.

[jstrains]

Is the photogallery working for you?

[Jovanotti]

Thanks Forma and discover23 for sharing your experience Definitely want to go to the Hungarian GP myself someday.

Edited by Jovanotti, 30 July 2013 - 08:20.

[Der Pate]

During a walk in downtown Budapest I came across the "Le Meridian", where a couple of people waited in front of the main door. So I went there and started looking. Then some cars of Williams arrived, and I thought of Maldonado or Bottas. In the end it was "only" Claire Williams, but the people went crazy and wanted autographs of her. It was strange! Just like a popstar, and it wasn´t even a driver...

Some hours later I was there again, and saw a couple of Infinit-cars in front of the "Le Meridian". On the side of the cars was written: "My other ride is a RB9"

[DampMongoose]

Thanks Forma... a very enjoyable post! I second the Maldonado comment being one of the best things I've read for a while!

[DRSwing]

Thanks all for sharing your experiences! Great to read!

Forma1, is the driver's autograph session open to all with tickets or do you need special passes to attend?

[Forma1]

Thanks all for sharing your experiences! Great to read!

Forma1, is the driver's autograph session open to all with tickets or do you need special passes to attend?

Thank your for your thanks!

In Hungary you could enter the pit lane session with every type of ticket, but I have just heard next year only people with three-days-tickets will be enabled to the session.

[Risil]

Great. Thanks a lot for this, Forma

[Rubens Hakkamacher]

The Red Bull and the Lotus are fantastic to drive. Those cars go like on a rail. Vettel, Grosjean were the ones to watch in the chicane, those cars have incredible traction on low speed, no wheel-spin and stability over the kerbs. On top of that those cars loved turn 8. Incredible stability. Amazing, stunning, breath-taking. You could see with naked eyes how dominant those cars are on this part of the track. They are even better than the Mercedes. Nico was strong in turn 9, he was very early on the throttle on low-fuel coming out from that turn. Lewis is a real gokart racer. He always want to chop away from the track by using the kerbs, even in turn 9 he tried the touch the inside kerb even it means you can't be that early on the power.

It's a shame you can't (via FOM webpage...?) watch just one turn during practice. That's also why it's a shame the they don't let you wander to the other stands during practice, either, because that is the big thing to get from going to a race - watching all of the drivers/cars handle one particular part of the track repeatedly. It's way more educational than on tv. I recall at my first race, watching the first turn at Indy from the inside stand - where you could see over into the exit - everybody come through in FP1. Everybody being a little out of shape, a little sketchy on the braking, a little sketchy at the apex, loose on the exit... but then Schumacher comes in and he's perfect on his first lap, sets the fastest time of the session on that lap. You could very clearly see why he was "Michael Schumacher".

Sigh.

They should let people roam at the tracks, and tickets should be wayyyy cheaper for at least friday and saturday. I'd pay to stand in the cattle pens at the USGP on sunday if I could afford it, if I could go into the stands on friday/saturday. The pricing is idiotic.

$.10

[Ghostrider]

Thanks guys for sharing your experiences, great read.

[king_crud]

I was in Gold 4 in the lower rows - turn one.

I was in Gold 4 in the second row from the top. Fairly good view but after having walked around the track on the Friday I think the silver ticket over at the back chicane would be the best seats.

There was a Finnish guy in our stand, 38 degrees, he's wearing no shirt and has weird sunburn, and he's wearing a........beanie. Douchbag of the week.

[Der Pate]

I was in Gold 4 in the second row from the top. Fairly good view but after having walked around the track on the Friday I think the silver ticket over at the back chicane would be the best seats.

There was a Finnish guy in our stand, 38 degrees, he's wearing no shirt and has weird sunburn, and he's wearing a........beanie. Douchbag of the week.

I was at Gold 4 Sector H, Row 20! Maaaaany Finish supporters, but I like those Vikings and their attitute towards alcohol!

[DRSwing]

Thank your for your thanks!

In Hungary you could enter the pit lane session with every type of ticket, but I have just heard next year only people with three-days-tickets will be enabled to the session.

Thanks again

I went to the Singapore GP last year. There wasn't a pit lane session, and drivers autograph session only for those with special passes of which a grand number of 15 pairs can be won in a lucky draw for early bird ticket purchase! So comparatively the Hungary GP organizers are quite a bit more generous.

[Forma1]

Thanks again

I went to the Singapore GP last year. There wasn't a pit lane session, and drivers autograph session only for those with special passes of which a grand number of 15 pairs can be won in a lucky draw for early bird ticket purchase! So comparatively the Hungary GP organizers are quite a bit more generous.

To be honest it also depends on the way people act. I dunno what for example people from SIngapore are like, but the crowd should be disciplined cos load of people get "locked in" in a very small territory. It can be a good fun, but sometimes people are prone to get crazy, I had to warn people not to be "animals" when a few people trampled down others...

[jonpollak]

Good post - we should have threads like this for every race .

Yep...Like my old one, which I recently revived.
Jp

[MarileneRiddle]

To be honest it also depends on the way people act. I dunno what for example people from SIngapore are like, but the crowd should be disciplined cos load of people get "locked in" in a very small territory. It can be a good fun, but sometimes people are prone to get crazy, I had to warn people not to be "animals" when a few people trampled down others...

Singaporeans are relatively good at queuing and such because it is the national pass time (in conjunction with shopping). That said, the GP organizers are doing the driver signing session as an exclusive thing, so the amount of people allowed was always going to be limited. It is more incentive for you to spend money with their sponsors (where the lucky draw prizes are the autograph sessions).

[Forma1]

Singaporeans are relatively good at queuing and such because it is the national pass time (in conjunction with shopping). That said, the GP organizers are doing the driver signing session as an exclusive thing, so the amount of people allowed was always going to be limited. It is more incentive for you to spend money with their sponsors (where the lucky draw prizes are the autograph sessions).

Oh, I see. Thanx for the piece of info.

[Zava]

Fans

There are always people from many countries. There are lots of Hungarian, of course cos the organizers try to tempt people with cheap tickets combined with travel fees. Lots of people visited us from the Czech Republic, Poland, Austria and Finnland. There are still people who love Schumi and Polish people still act as Kubica was in action. Kuba Germaziak's name hasn't been even mentioned, altough he is arguably a real contender in the Porsche SuperCup. You can usually see load of people coated in Ferrari-red suits and waving Ferrari-flags, altough there was a massive camp for Kimi who had clearly more fans then Lewis or Sebastian. The Kimi-caps and shirt labelled "I know what I am doing..." were sold in a great quantity.

I (or more like my pal who's in read only mode ) just wanted to add, that the finnish flags are not just down to a massive amount of finnish people coming here (who, by the way, are awesome! every single finnish group we talked to were great, one guy even offered his cottage for free if we want to visit finland once ), but also to the incredible support Kimi gets from the hungarian fans as well. probably down to finnish-hungarian relationship as well as Kimi being (one of) the most liked driver(s), dunno. we love Mika too.

also, lot of love for him at the podium too. we ran there from T12 to applaud the podium finishers (and were caught by the cameraman, if you see a closeup of 3 idiots jumping up and down by the time Raikkönen starts his interview, the middle one is me), only thing you could hear was the crowd shouting "Ki-mi, Ki-mi, Ki-mi". when Vettel started his interview, a weak voice of a girl started "Vet-tel, Vet-tel" with the same rhythm, but that chant died a fast death. even though I'm a fan of Seb too, that made me chuckle.

last, but not least, I read here that Seb was booed again... luckily we didn't hear anything of it near the podium, only pure cheering. guess the fans who took the trouble to sprint up to the podium are well past booing the success of a sportsman. I cheered when Alonso got his trophy 2 years ago, even though he's the driver I dislike the most since I'm watching f1, I don't know why it is hard for others to do so as well*. but as I said, at least I didn't meet that behaviour in front of the podium, so kudos to the other guys & girls who were there.


ahh, had a great time out there, see you next year.



*edit: by saying "I don't know why it is hard for others to do so as well", I meant applauding even for the dislked guy, not disliking Alonso the most. just to make things clear

Edited by Zava, 01 August 2013 - 21:51.