EL2 in Budapest: Gasly before the rain and boredom

The many visitors who made the trip to the Hungaroring this Friday will be left wanting more. Once again, the F1 didn't cover itself in glory when the weather elements turned wet. Maybe the drivers and their ultra-sophisticated single-seaters are made of sugar?

Sheltered from the showers by their ponchos, umbrellas, and other makeshift means of protection, they will not have seen much action during these Free Practice 2 of the Hungarian Grand Prix. For more than half an hour, not an engine roared, nothing to eat.

So the TV production had to improvise, find things – anything – to film. To enhance this masquerade, we sent the helicopter flying over the circuit to take shots of the neighboring water park or zoom in on the local fauna and flora. Captivating like an episode of Hunting and fishing. 

Before the waterlogged clouds shower the turnstile nestled in the suburbs of Budapest, Pierre Gasly appeared on the clock to set a reference time of 1'17''854. The Frenchman, wearing soft tires, finally beats his teammate Max Verstappen of 55 thousandths.

Note that the Dutchman was riding on medium tires. Author of the best time in EL1, Lewis Hamilton hoist his Mercedes in 3rd place with hard tires. 

The Briton precedes his garage neighbor Valtteri Bottas, the Finn taking in his wake Daniel Ricciardo (Renault) and Kimi Räikkönen (Alfa Romeo). The first one Ferrari only points to the 7th row: it is that of Charles Leclerc. Sebastian Vettel, for his part, had to settle for 13th time.

Nico Hulkenberg (Renault), Antonio Giovinazzi (Alfa Romeo), and Daniil Kvyat (Toro Rosso) complete the Top 10 of an unrepresentative session since the weather forecast announces clear and dry weather for the remainder of the Hungarian weekend. Therefore, the truncated preparations of the teams could perhaps create surprises.

It would be a just reward after this good Magyar purge barely disturbed by the exit at the start of the session of Alex Albon (Rosso Bull).

RED FLAG: A nightmare start to FP2 for Alex Albon

He is off after losing control on Turn 14 #F1 #HungarianGP  pic.twitter.com/UQoZiaDiWU

- Formula 1 (@ F1) August 2