Hungarian GP 2006

AUGUST 6, 2006

Race Incidents

Trulli, Coulthard, Hungarian GP 2006
© The Cahier Archive

The track is wet and rain is spitting when the cars form up on the grid. Felipe Massa has a spin during the recognition laps. Christian Klien starts from the pitlane. Pedro de la Rosa spins on the parade lap but takes his place on the grid as he rejoins in time.

* Lap 1: At the start Kimi Raikkonen takes the lead from a fast-starting Pedro de la Rosa who goes inside Felipe Massa. But it is Rubens Barrichello who emerges in second place ahead of de la Rosa, Massa, an amazing Michael Schumacher and Giancarlo Fisichella. Michael then passes Massa and Alonso closes in and passes Massa for sixth place at the last corner. Further back Sakon Yamamoto goes off.

* Lap 2: Raikkonen extends his lead to 2.4secs with Barrichello 2.9 secs ahead of de la Rosa. Michael Schumacher is next with Alonso passing Fisichella to take fifth. The Michelins are clearly better in the conditions. Eighth-placed Kubica spins and drops to 16th. Mark Webber spins off from 17th place. Klien is on the move at the back moving from 20th to 17th.

* Lap 3: Raikkonen is four seconds ahead of Barrichello while Button is on the move, passing Coulthard for eighth place

* Lap 4: Kimi extends the lead to 6.9secs, while de la Rosa closes in on Barrichello. Alonso goes around the outside of Michael Schumacher at Turn 7 to grab fourth place. Further back Button passes Massa for seventh. Further back Tonio Liuzzi spins and falls from 12th to 15th.

* Lap 5: Barrichello goes into the pits to change from wets to intermediates and drops from second to 10th. Alonso sets the fastest lap. Down at the back Klien passes Takuma Sato for 16th.

* Lap 6: Raikkonen's lead is up to 7.7secs and second placed de la Rosa is able to stay ahead of the flying Alonso. Button passes Fisichella to grab fifth place while Coulthard takes seventh from Massa

* Lap 7: Christian Klien spins out of 16th place. Massa also spins and is passed by Coulthard. Button passes Michael at the first corner to take fourth place.

* Lap 8: Raikkonen is 10secs clear at the front by de la Rosa staying ahead of Alonso. Button is on the move and chasing after the Renault. Michael Schumacher is fifth with Fisichella sixth, Coulthard seventh

* Lap 9: Nick Heidfeld passes Massa for eighth place. At the back Nico Rosberg passes Takuma Sato for 16th.

* Lap 12: Raikkonen gets into traffic and loses time to de la Rosa. Massa pits and drops from ninth to 13th. Trulli makes a mistake and drops from 12th to 14th, being passed by Scott Speed and Kubica.

* Lap 14: Alonso is right behind de la Rosa. Further back Liuzzi passes Trulli for 14th.

* Lap 16: Pedro de la Rosa goes into the pits and Alonso goes to second place. Pedro rejoins in sixth place. Kubica passes Speed for 11th place.

* Lap 17: Schumacher tangles with Fisichella and loses his front wing. Raikkonen pits and is followed into the pits by Button and Schumacher. This leaves Alonso in the lead from Raikkonen and de la Rosa.

* Lap 18: Kubica has a spin and damages his nose. He pits and rejoins in 15th place.

* Lap 19: Fifth-placed Fisichella spins off and Coulthard moves up to fifth with Barrichello sixth, Heidfeld seventh. Michael eighth and Ralf Schumacher ninth. Everyone else is a lap down.

* Lap 22: Alonso's lead is half a minute but he is still to pit. Barrichello passes Coulthard for fifth.

* Lap 23: Ralf Schumacher pits but stays in ninth.

* Lap 24: Michael Schumacher is lapped.

* Lap 26: Raikkonen and de la Rosa are running together when they come up to lap Liuzzi. For no apparent reason the Finn drives into the back of the Toro Rosso. The McLaren flies over the Toro Rosso and then slews off the road. De la Rosa manages to avoid the wreckage. A Safety Car is sent out and various cars held for the pits led by de la Rosa, Barrichello, Coulthard, Heidfeld and Speed. A disconsolate Liuzzi retires in the pitlane.

* Lap 27: Alonso pits. He is still in the lead when he rejoins but the stops means that Michael Schumacher gets back on to the lead lap and gains back a huge amount of time as the cars close up behind the Safety Car.

* Lap 31: The race restarts with Massa punting Ralf Schumacher into a spin and so takes eighth place. Further back Trulli passes Speed for 11th. Michael Schumacher has a spin

* Lap 33: Alonso is pulling away fast at the front as Button loses three seconds in one laps trying to lap Massa.

* Lap 34: Button sets the fastest lap as he chases Alonso. The Renault driver slows suddenly and loses four seconds in a lap. Further back Kubica overtakes Ralf Schumacher for ninth place.

* Lap 36: Kubica passes Massa for eighth place to get into the points on his F1 debut.

* Lap 40: Michael Schumacher passes Coulthard for sixth place. Further back Ralf Schumacher passes Massa for ninth.

* Lap 41: Button is closing on Alonso at speed. Both men have to pit again but the Honda is looking very strong. Michael Schumacher sets the fastest lap of the race as he chases after Heidfeld. At the back Massa pits. Scott Speed pits and switches to dry tyres. The first man to try. It is a mistake.

* Lap 43: Button is right behind Alonso.

* Lap 44: Schumacher passes Heidfeld for fifth place. Kubica pits and drops from eighth to ninth.

* Lap 46: Button pits and rejoins in second. Michael Schumacher also pits and drops behind Heidfeld again. The two men stay on intermediate rubber.

* Lap 47: Alonso is 20secs ahead but Button is soon closing again. Further back Ralf pits and drops behind Kubica.

* Lap 48: Trulli tries dry tyres.

* Lap 50: Fourth-placed Barrichello goes on to dry tyres, and drops to sixth. It is now clear that the leaders will all have to switch to dry tyres.

* Lap 51: Alonso and de la Rosa stop. Fernando rejoins but there is a problem with the car and he slides off at Turn 1. The right rear axle fails. Alonso stops at Turn 2.

* Lap 52: Button sets the fastest lap as he celebrates going into the lead. Heidfeld is second with Michael Schumacher third and de la Rosa fourth. Barrichello is next ahead of Coulthard. Kubica is seventh with Ralf eighth and Massa ninth.

* Lap 53: Coulthard stops. He stays sixth.

* Lap 54: Button stops. All goes well and he emerges seven second ahead of Heidfeld. Further back de la Rosa sets the fastest lap.

* Lap 55: Heidfeld stops and drops behind Michael and de la Rosa. But the Ferrari driver is struggling as his intermediate tyres are now shot.

* Lap 59: Button continues on his way, increasing his lead all the time. Michael Schumacher falls back towards de la Rosa. Heidfeld too is charging. Further back Massa stops and falls from ninth to 10th.

* Lap 63: Schumacher and de la Rosa start a wild fight for second. Pedro gets Michael at the chicane but Michael drives across it and takes the place again. The Ferrari driver does not back off.

* Lap 65: Ralf passes Kubica for seventh. Massa sets his fourth consecutive fastest lap.

* Lap 66: De le Rosa passes Schumacher for second. Michael is immediately attacked by Heidfeld. Further back tenth-placed Trulli goes out with a big engine failure.

* Lap 67: Heidfeld and Schumacher clash at the chicane. Schumacher damages his front wing and has to retire in the pits.

* Lap 70: Button wins his first Grand Prix victory with de la Rosa a delighted second and Heidfeld third. Fourth goes to Barrichello. A lap behind are Coulthard, Ralf Schumacher and F1 debutant Kubica. Massa takes the final point.