We complete our driver performance analysis for the Hungarian Grand Prix with a run through the backmarkers, better known at Badger as the Sleeping Dogs
Williams
- Qualifying: Barrichello (15th) Maldonado (17th)
- Race: Barrichello (13th) Maldonado (16th)
The first two series of U.S black comedy/drama Six Feet Under; the roadworks by the HSBC in Wimbledon, south west London; the fact that the character of Basil Seal in Evelyn Waugh’s Black Mischeif was inspired by Peter Rodd, first husband of Nancy Mitford; learning that in cricket, a ‘golden duck’ is when a batsman is out for nought on the first ball he faces; the revelation that a pie at Arsenal’s Emirates Stadium costs £4; Caroline Quentin trimming a hedge whilst humming along to The Pretenders; Jonathan Legard doing the sports news on Radio 4; being told about the rental cost of artists’ studio space in Sweden; horses.
All of these are more interesting than anything Williams did at the Hungarain Grand Prix. They turned up, did zero of note and then left again. Barrichello was faster in qualifying and finished ahead of Maldonado in the race. Done.
Badger’s Best: Barrichello
Virgin
- Qualifying: Glock (21st) d’Ambrosio (24th)
- Race: Glock (17th) d’Ambrosio (19th)
The presence of Timo Glock continues to be the most encouraging aspect of the Virgin outfit. The German didn’t make any on-air ‘jokes’ to his team this weekend, qualified where you’d expect (behind the Lotuses, ahead of the HRTs) and ran a solid race to 17th, albeit 4 laps down on victor Button. In the 2008 Hungarian Grand Prix Timo lapped Jenson and scored a career-best second place finish. Swings and roundabouts, aye?
Team-mate d’Ambrosio meanwhile managed to qualify last, behind both HRTs, and then performed his most eye-catching feat of the season: spinning in the pits during the race. His team say they’re in no rush to decide on a contract extension for the Belgian, but you get the feeling that the sight of his car sliding towards the pit garage may have helped them make up their minds.
Badger’s Best: Glock
HRT
- Qualifying: Liuzzi(22nd) Ricciardo(23rd)
- Race: Ricciardo (18th) Liuzzi (20th)
Both HRT drivers were top-notch in Hungary. Liuzzi was three hundredths shy of Glock in qualifying and both he and Ricciardo lined up ahead of d’Ambrosio. In the race it was the young Aussie who emerged on top, with Daniel ending the grand prix ahead of Tonio and Belgium’s finest Jerome.
Credit to both, really, for dragging that car about the twists and turns of the Hungaroring. Ricciardo is already showing the abilities that have prompted Helmut ‘That’s Doctor Helmut To You’ Marko to plow several million Euros in to his career. The Austrian’s most difficult bit of maths is now on the horizon, as he attempts to make three go in to two at Toro Rosso.
Badger’s Best: Ricciardo (who we have no driver graphic of and thus hope lets Tonio win in Belgium).
Lotus
- Qualifying: Kovalainen (19th) Trulli (20th)
- Race: Kovalainen (DNF) Trulli (DNF)
Last by dint of neither car finishing in Hungary, Lotus are anything but bottom of the pile on pace. Kovalianen’s qualy lap was a whopping 2 seconds quicker than Glock’s and just 0.5s shy of Maldonado in the Williams. Their progress is visible on the timesheets.
Trulli was a lot happier too, closer to Heikki than he has been for some time and appearing genuinely chuffed that his powersteering issues are sorted. His race lasted just 17 laps before a water leak ended his fun whilst Kovalainen got as far as lap 55 when the same problem sent him for an early bath. There’s plenty to be encouraged about though as Lotus edge closer to Q2.
Badger’s Best: Kovalainen
* Bonus marks for anyone who read all of the things that are more interesting than Williams’ Hungarian GP – you’re a true Badger diehard.
