2006 Hungarian Grand Prix

The 2006 Hungarian Grand Prix, otherwise advertised as the Formula 1 Magyar Nagydíj 2006, was the thirteenth round of the FIA Formula One World Championship, held at the Hungaroring near Budapest, Hungary, on 6 August 2006.'Hungary 2006: Button sheds monkey on day for ducks', crash.net, (Crash Media Group, 07/02/2020), https://www.crash.net/f1/race-report/56630/1/hungary-2006-button-sheds-monkey-on-day-for-ducks, (Accessed 07/02/2020) Run in changeable conditions, the race would see Jenson Button secure his maiden F1 victory for , which was also their first win as a constructor since John Surtees won the 1967 Italian Grand Prix.
Qualifying had seen Kimi Räikkönen sweep to pole position ahead of Felipe Massa, while Button would share the second row with teammate Rubens Barrichello, only to be dumped down to fourteenth by an engine penalty. Elsewhere, Championship leader Fernando Alonso would only muster fifteenth after getting slapped with a time penalty, while his main rival Michael Schumacher would start from twelfth.
Ahead of the race there would be a series of heavy downpours, one of which came in the midst of the GP2 Series support race. As such, the circuit would be soaked as the F1 field lined up on the grid, although most teams believed that the Hungaroring would dry up fairly quickly.
The start saw Räikkönen slither away cleanly to claim an early lead, while Massa was instantly jumped by Pedro de la Rosa in the second . His predecessor Barrichello would also sweep past the #6 Ferrari, before slithering around the outside of de la Rosa to secure second.
At the back, meanwhile, Schumacher, Alonso and Button would all make excellent progress, with Schumacher and Alonso both sprinting into the top ten. Schumacher duly eased past Giancarlo Fisichella and then Massa to secure fourth before the end of the opening tour, while Alonso moved into sixth behind Fisichella.
A move on Fisichella a lap later left Alonso on Schumacher's tail, resulting in an enticing duel for fourth during the early stages, until Alonso danced his car around the outside of the Ferrari at turn seven. Out front, Räikkönen would break clear from Barrichello and de la Rosa, while Button picked his way through to run behind the /Ferrari fight.
The rain returned with a vengeance on lap five, just as de la Rosa swept past Barrichello for second, resulting in those drivers who had started on intermediate tyres to dive into the pits. However, the rain would quickly ease again and the circuit begin to dry once more, prompting McLaren to put de la Rosa onto inters when he stopped on lap sixteen.
Räikkönen stopped for inters a lap later, relinquishing the lead to Alonso, while Schumacher had slipped behind Button in the midst of the downpour. However, it was a misjudged move to defend from Fisichella that would end the German veteran's bid for victory, sliding into the back of the #2 Renault to remove his own front wing.
Six laps later and the fate of the race changed again, for second placed Räikkönen would misjudge a move on a lapped Vitantonio Liuzzi and hence write his McLaren off on the side of the . That brought out the Safety Car and hence saw the majority of the field dive into the pits, resulting in Alonso retaining the lead ahead of non-stopper Button.
The restart saw the #1 Renault ease clear of the #12 Honda, aided by the fact that Button would get caught out by former teammate Takuma Sato. However, with the circuit beginning to dry the Honda's Bridgestone tyres began to come into play, result in the Honda demolishing Alonso's eight second advantage.
Slicks came into play on lap 51 as Barrichello became the first of the leaders to swap to them, prompting Alonso to pit for them a lap later. However, a failure on his way out of the pits would end the Spaniard's race, and hence hand the advantage to Button, albeit with Schumacher closing in.
Yet, Schumacher's sprint would come too soon, and hence resulted in his pace collapsing in the closing stages having remained on inters. Button would therefore be left on his own at the head of the field, and eased away to claim victory by half a minute from de la Rosa. 
Nick Heidfeld would complete the podium after surviving a clash of wheels with Schumacher, and incident that resulted in the #5 Ferrari retiring. Barrichello hence inherited fourth ahead of David Coulthard, with Ralf Schumacher, Felipe Massa and Schumacher claiming the remaining points. Debutante Robert Kubica had initially been classified in seventh, but was disqualified from the race after his car was found to be 2kg underweight.
==Background==
Victory for Michael Schumacher, combined with a lowly fifth place finish for Fernando Alonso, had drastically changed the Championship picture with six rounds to go. Indeed, the German veteran had cut the gap to just eleven points between himself and the Spaniard out-front, and had momentum behind him. Alonso did, however, still have enough of a margin that he would lead the Championship heading into the summer-break after the Hungarian Grand Prix, but needed a drastic reversal in form.
In the Constructors Championship had moved to within striking distance of for the first time all season, leaving Germany just ten behind the leaders. Indeed, two one-twos in three races had done the damage for the Scuderia, and had moved them 62 points clear of third placed . The rest of the season would therefore likely be a duel between Renault and Ferrari for the crown, while McLaren were set to consolidate third, 40 clear of in fourth.
===Entry list===
The full entry list for the is outlined below:
No. 	Driver 	Entrant 	Constructor 	Chassis 	Engine 	Model 	Tyre
1 	Fernando Alonso 	Mild Seven Renault F1 Team 	 	R26 	 	RS26 2.4 V8 	
2 	Giancarlo Fisichella 	Mild Seven Renault F1 Team 	 	R26 	 	RS26 2.4 V8 	
3 	Kimi Räikkönen 	Team McLaren Mercedes 	 	MP4-21 	 	FO 108S 2.4 V8 	
4 	Pedro de la Rosa 	Team McLaren Mercedes 	 	MP4-21 	 	FO 108S 2.4 V8 	
5 	Michael Schumacher 	Scuderia Ferrari Marlboro 	 	248 F1 	 	056 2.4 V8 	
6 	Felipe Massa 	Scuderia Ferrari Marlboro 	 	248 F1 	 	056 2.4 V8 	
7 	Ralf Schumacher 	Panasonic Toyota Racing 	 	TF106B 	 	RVX-06 2.4 V8 	
8 	Jarno Trulli 	Panasonic Toyota Racing 	 	TF106B 	 	RVX-06 2.4 V8 	
9 	Mark Webber 	Williams F1 Team 	 	FW28 	 	CA2006 2.4 V8 	
10 	Nico Rosberg 	Williams F1 Team 	 	FW28 	 	CA2006 2.4 V8 	
11 	Rubens Barrichello 	Lucky Strike Honda Racing F1 Team 	 	RA106 	 	RA806E 2.4 V8 	
12 	Jenson Button 	Lucky Strike Honda Racing F1 Team 	 	RA106 	 	RA806E 2.4 V8 	
14 	David Coulthard 	Red Bull Racing 	 	RB2 	 	056 2.4 V8 	
15 	Christian Klien 	Red Bull Racing 	 	RB2 	 	056 2.4 V8 	
16 	Nick Heidfeld 	BMW Sauber F1 Team 	 	F1.06 	 	P86 2.4 V8 	
17 	Robert Kubica 	BMW Sauber F1 Team 	 	F1.06 	 	P86 2.4 V8 	
18 	Tiago Monteiro 	MF1 Racing 	 	M16 	 	RVX-06 2.4 V8 	
19 	Christijan Albers 	MF1 Racing 	 	M16 	 	RVX-06 2.4 V8 	
20 	Vitantonio Liuzzi 	Scuderia Toro Rosso 	 	STR1 	 	TJ2006 3.0 V10 	
21 	Scott Speed 	Scuderia Toro Rosso 	 	STR1 	 	TJ2006 3.0 V10 	
22 	Takuma Sato 	Super Aguri F1 	 	SA06 	 	RA806E 2.4 V8 	
23 	Sakon Yamamoto 	Super Aguri F1 	 	SA06 	 	RA806E 2.4 V8 	
Test Drivers for Practice Sessions Only 	Test Drivers for Practice Sessions Only 	Test Drivers for Practice Sessions Only 	Test Drivers for Practice Sessions Only 	Test Drivers for Practice Sessions Only 	Test Drivers for Practice Sessions Only 	Test Drivers for Practice Sessions Only 	Test Drivers for Practice Sessions Only
35 	Alexander Wurz 	Williams F1 Team 	 	FW28 	 	CA2006 2.4 V8 	
36 	Anthony Davidson 	Lucky Strike Honda Racing F1 Team 	 	RA106 	 	RA806E 2.4 V8 	
37 	Robert Doornbos 	Red Bull Racing 	 	RB2 	 	056 2.4 V8 	
39 	Markus Winkelhock 	MF1 Racing 	 	M16 	 	RVX-06 2.4 V8 	
40 	Neel Jani 	Scuderia Toro Rosso 	 	STR1 	 	TJ2006 3.0 V10 	
Source:'Hungary 2006: Entrants', statsf1.com, (Stats F1, 2015), https://www.statsf1.com/en/2006/hongrie/engages.aspx, (Accessed 07/02/2020)	Source:'Hungary 2006: Entrants', statsf1.com, (Stats F1, 2015), https://www.statsf1.com/en/2006/hongrie/engages.aspx, (Accessed 07/02/2020)	Source:'Hungary 2006: Entrants', statsf1.com, (Stats F1, 2015), https://www.statsf1.com/en/2006/hongrie/engages.aspx, (Accessed 07/02/2020)	Source:'Hungary 2006: Entrants', statsf1.com, (Stats F1, 2015), https://www.statsf1.com/en/2006/hongrie/engages.aspx, (Accessed 07/02/2020)	Source:'Hungary 2006: Entrants', statsf1.com, (Stats F1, 2015), https://www.statsf1.com/en/2006/hongrie/engages.aspx, (Accessed 07/02/2020)	Source:'Hungary 2006: Entrants', statsf1.com, (Stats F1, 2015), https://www.statsf1.com/en/2006/hongrie/engages.aspx, (Accessed 07/02/2020)	Source:'Hungary 2006: Entrants', statsf1.com, (Stats F1, 2015), https://www.statsf1.com/en/2006/hongrie/engages.aspx, (Accessed 07/02/2020)	Source:'Hungary 2006: Entrants', statsf1.com, (Stats F1, 2015), https://www.statsf1.com/en/2006/hongrie/engages.aspx, (Accessed 07/02/2020)
* Fabrizio del Monte was originally announced as Midland's third driver.
==Practice Overview==
==Qualifying==
===Q1===
===Q2===
===Q3===
===Qualifying Results===
The full qualifying results for the are outlined below:
Pos. 	No. 	Driver 	Team 	 	Q1 	Q1 	 	Q2 	Q2 	 	Q3 	Q3 	Grid
Pos. 	No. 	Driver 	Team 	 	Pos. 	Time 	 	Pos. 	Time 	 	Pos. 	Time 	Grid
1 	3 	Kimi Räikkönen 	 	 	2 	1:20.080 	 	2 	1:19.704 	 	1 	1:19.599 	1
2 	6 	Felipe Massa 	 	 	1 	1:19.742 	 	1 	1:19.504 	 	2 	1:19.886 	2
3 	11 	Rubens Barrichello 	 	 	6 	1:21.141 	 	3 	1:19.783 	 	3 	1:20.085 	3
4* 	12 	Jenson Button 	 	 	3 	1:20.820 	 	4 	1:19.943 	 	4 	1:20.092 	14
5 	4 	Pedro de la Rosa 	 	 	8 	1:21.288 	 	5 	1:19.991 	 	5 	1:20.117 	4
6 	9 	Mark Webber 	 	 	9 	1:21.335 	 	6 	1:20.047 	 	6 	1:20.266 	5
7 	7 	Ralf Schumacher 	 	 	5 	1:21.112 	 	9 	1:20.243 	 	7 	1:20.759 	6
8 	2 	Giancarlo Fisichella 	 	 	10 	1:21.370 	 	7 	1:20.154 	 	8 	1:20.924 	7
9 	8 	Jarno Trulli 	 	 	11 	1:21.434 	 	8 	1:20.231 	 	9 	1:21.132 	8
10 	17 	Robert Kubica 	 	 	4 	1:20.891 	 	10 	1:20.256 	 	10 	1:22.049 	9
11 	16 	Nick Heidfeld 	 	 	12 	1:21.437 	 	11 	1:20.623 	 	 	 	10
12† 	5 	Michael Schumacher 	 	 	13 	1:21.440 	 	12 	1:20.875 	 	 	 	11
13 	14 	David Coulthard 	 	 	7 	1:21.163 	 	13 	1:20.890 	 	 	 	12
14 	15 	Christian Klien 	 	 	16 	1:22.027 	 	14 	1:21.207 	 	 	 	13
15‡ 	1 	Fernando Alonso 	 	 	14 	1:21.792 	 	15 	1:21.364 	 	 	 	15
16 	18 	Tiago Monteiro 	 	 	15 	1:22.009 	 	16 	1:23.767 	 	 	 	16
17 	20 	Vitantonio Liuzzi 	 	 	17 	1:22.068 	 	 	 	 	 	 	17
18 	10 	Nico Rosberg 	 	 	18 	1:22.084 	 	 	 	 	 	 	18
19§ 	21 	Scott Speed 	 	 	19 	1:22.317 	 	 	 	 	 	 	20
20 	22 	Takuma Sato 	 	 	20 	1:22.967 	 	 	 	 	 	 	19
21* 	19 	Christijan Albers 	 	 	21 	1:23.146 	 	 	 	 	 	 	22
22 	23 	Sakon Yamamoto 	 	 	22 	1:24.016 	 	 	 	 	 	 	21
Source:'FORMULA 1™ Magyar Nagydíj 2006 - QUALIFYING', formula1.com, (Formula One World Championship Limited, 2006), https://www.formula1.com/en/results.html/2006/races/802/hungary/qualifying.html, (Accessed 07/02/2020)	Source:'FORMULA 1™ Magyar Nagydíj 2006 - QUALIFYING', formula1.com, (Formula One World Championship Limited, 2006), https://www.formula1.com/en/results.html/2006/races/802/hungary/qualifying.html, (Accessed 07/02/2020)	Source:'FORMULA 1™ Magyar Nagydíj 2006 - QUALIFYING', formula1.com, (Formula One World Championship Limited, 2006), https://www.formula1.com/en/results.html/2006/races/802/hungary/qualifying.html, (Accessed 07/02/2020)	Source:'FORMULA 1™ Magyar Nagydíj 2006 - QUALIFYING', formula1.com, (Formula One World Championship Limited, 2006), https://www.formula1.com/en/results.html/2006/races/802/hungary/qualifying.html, (Accessed 07/02/2020)	Source:'FORMULA 1™ Magyar Nagydíj 2006 - QUALIFYING', formula1.com, (Formula One World Championship Limited, 2006), https://www.formula1.com/en/results.html/2006/races/802/hungary/qualifying.html, (Accessed 07/02/2020)	Source:'FORMULA 1™ Magyar Nagydíj 2006 - QUALIFYING', formula1.com, (Formula One World Championship Limited, 2006), https://www.formula1.com/en/results.html/2006/races/802/hungary/qualifying.html, (Accessed 07/02/2020)	Source:'FORMULA 1™ Magyar Nagydíj 2006 - QUALIFYING', formula1.com, (Formula One World Championship Limited, 2006), https://www.formula1.com/en/results.html/2006/races/802/hungary/qualifying.html, (Accessed 07/02/2020)	Source:'FORMULA 1™ Magyar Nagydíj 2006 - QUALIFYING', formula1.com, (Formula One World Championship Limited, 2006), https://www.formula1.com/en/results.html/2006/races/802/hungary/qualifying.html, (Accessed 07/02/2020)	Source:'FORMULA 1™ Magyar Nagydíj 2006 - QUALIFYING', formula1.com, (Formula One World Championship Limited, 2006), https://www.formula1.com/en/results.html/2006/races/802/hungary/qualifying.html, (Accessed 07/02/2020)	Source:'FORMULA 1™ Magyar Nagydíj 2006 - QUALIFYING', formula1.com, (Formula One World Championship Limited, 2006), https://www.formula1.com/en/results.html/2006/races/802/hungary/qualifying.html, (Accessed 07/02/2020)	Source:'FORMULA 1™ Magyar Nagydíj 2006 - QUALIFYING', formula1.com, (Formula One World Championship Limited, 2006), https://www.formula1.com/en/results.html/2006/races/802/hungary/qualifying.html, (Accessed 07/02/2020)	Source:'FORMULA 1™ Magyar Nagydíj 2006 - QUALIFYING', formula1.com, (Formula One World Championship Limited, 2006), https://www.formula1.com/en/results.html/2006/races/802/hungary/qualifying.html, (Accessed 07/02/2020)	Source:'FORMULA 1™ Magyar Nagydíj 2006 - QUALIFYING', formula1.com, (Formula One World Championship Limited, 2006), https://www.formula1.com/en/results.html/2006/races/802/hungary/qualifying.html, (Accessed 07/02/2020)	Source:'FORMULA 1™ Magyar Nagydíj 2006 - QUALIFYING', formula1.com, (Formula One World Championship Limited, 2006), https://www.formula1.com/en/results.html/2006/races/802/hungary/qualifying.html, (Accessed 07/02/2020)
*T Indicates a driver used their test/spare car to set their best time in that session.
*Bold indicates the fastest driver's time in each session.
** Button and Albers were handed ten place grid penalties for changing their engines.
*† Schumacher was handed a two second time penalty for overtaking Kubica and Alonso under red-flag conditions in practice.
*‡ Alonso was awarded a two second time penalty for overtaking under yellow flags in practice.
*§ Speed had his fastest three laps from Q1 deleted for impeding another driver during the session.
===Grid===
** Klien started the race from the pitlane.
==Race==
===Report===
===Results===
The full results for the are outlined below:
Pos. 	No. 	Driver 	Constructor 	Laps 	Time/Retired 	Grid 	Points
1 	12 	Jenson Button 	 	70 	1:52:20.941 	14 	10
2 	4 	Pedro de la Rosa 	 	70 	+30.837s 	4 	8
3 	16 	Nick Heidfeld 	 	70 	+43.822s 	10 	6
4 	11 	Rubens Barrichello 	 	70 	+45.205s 	3 	5
5 	14 	David Coulthard 	 	69 	+1 Lap 	12 	4
6 	7 	Ralf Schumacher 	 	69 	+1 Lap 	6 	3
7 	6 	Felipe Massa 	 	69 	+1 Lap 	2 	2
8* 	5 	Michael Schumacher 	 	67 	Damage 	11 	1
9 	18 	Tiago Monteiro 	 	67 	+3 Laps 	16 	
10 	19 	Christijan Albers 	 	67 	+3 Laps 	22 	
11 	21 	Scott Speed 	 	66 	+4 Laps 	20 	
12* 	8 	Jarno Trulli 	 	65 	Oil leak 	8 	
13 	22 	Takuma Sato 	 	65 	+5 Laps 	19 	
DSQ† 	17 	Robert Kubica 	 	69 	Disqualified 	9 	
Ret 	1 	Fernando Alonso 	 	51 	Driveshaft 	15 	
Ret 	3 	Kimi Räikkönen 	 	25 	Collision 	1 	
Ret 	20 	Vitantonio Liuzzi 	 	25 	Damage 	17 	
Ret 	10 	Nico Rosberg 	 	19 	Accident 	18 	
Ret 	2 	Giancarlo Fisichella 	 	18 	Suspension 	7 	
Ret 	15 	Christian Klien 	 	6 	Spin 	13 	
Ret 	9 	Mark Webber 	 	1 	Spin 	5 	
Ret 	23 	Sakon Yamamoto 	 	0 	Fuel system 	21 	
Source:'Hungary 2006: Result', statsf1.com, (Stats F1, 2016), https://www.statsf1.com/en/2006/hongrie/classement.aspx, (Accessed 07/02/2020)	Source:'Hungary 2006: Result', statsf1.com, (Stats F1, 2016), https://www.statsf1.com/en/2006/hongrie/classement.aspx, (Accessed 07/02/2020)	Source:'Hungary 2006: Result', statsf1.com, (Stats F1, 2016), https://www.statsf1.com/en/2006/hongrie/classement.aspx, (Accessed 07/02/2020)	Source:'Hungary 2006: Result', statsf1.com, (Stats F1, 2016), https://www.statsf1.com/en/2006/hongrie/classement.aspx, (Accessed 07/02/2020)	Source:'Hungary 2006: Result', statsf1.com, (Stats F1, 2016), https://www.statsf1.com/en/2006/hongrie/classement.aspx, (Accessed 07/02/2020)	Source:'Hungary 2006: Result', statsf1.com, (Stats F1, 2016), https://www.statsf1.com/en/2006/hongrie/classement.aspx, (Accessed 07/02/2020)	Source:'Hungary 2006: Result', statsf1.com, (Stats F1, 2016), https://www.statsf1.com/en/2006/hongrie/classement.aspx, (Accessed 07/02/2020)	Source:'Hungary 2006: Result', statsf1.com, (Stats F1, 2016), https://www.statsf1.com/en/2006/hongrie/classement.aspx, (Accessed 07/02/2020)
*T Indicates a driver used their test/spare car.
** Schumacher and Trulli were still classified despite retiring as they had completed 90% of the race distance.
*† Kubica was disqualified from the race results as his car was found to be 2kg underweight during post-race scrutineering.
==Milestones==
* 300th Grand Prix appearance for as an engine supplier.'13. Hungary 2006', statsf1.com, (Stats F1, 2014), https://www.statsf1.com/en/2006/hongrie.aspx, (Accessed 07/02/2020)
* Debut race for Robert Kubica.
* Kimi Räikkönen entered his tenth Grand Prix.[Archived] '2006 Hungarian GP', chicanef1.com, (Chicane F1, 2014), https://web.archive.org/web/20190409230420/http://chicanef1.com/racetit.pl?year=2006&gp=Hungarian%20GP&r=1, (Accessed 07/02/2020) - Original
* Räikkönen registered his tenth pole position.
* Maiden victory for Jenson Button.
* Third and final win for Honda as a constructor.
** Also the first for a Honda chassis since the 1967 Italian Grand Prix.
** Honda secured their 72nd win as an engine supplier.
* Pedro de la Rosa secured his first and only podium finish.
* Maiden podium finish for as a constructor.
** secured their 70th podium finish as an engine supplier.
==Standings==
Heading into the Summer break it was Fernando Alonso who led the title hunt, holding a ten point lead at the head of the field. Michael Schumacher had closed to within a race's worth of points as a result of the Hungarian Grand Prix, as those two set about duelling for the title for the rest of the season. Behind, a three-way fight for third was likewise set to rumble for the rest of the season, with Felipe Massa, Giancarlo Fisichella and Kimi Räikkönen separated by just a single point.
 led the charge in the Constructors Championship as the field took three weeks off, heading by seven points. Indeed, a strong run since the North American tour had allowed the Scuderia to all but eliminate the French manufacturer's lead, and hence meant they had momentum heading into the final phase of the season. Behind, were set to finish a distant third, albeit facing a potential, if remote, challenge from after Jenson Button's breakthrough win.
World Championship for Drivers	World Championship for Drivers	World Championship for Drivers	World Championship for Drivers
Pos. 	Driver 	Pts. 	+/-
1 	Fernando Alonso 	100 	
2 	Michael Schumacher 	90 	
3 	Felipe Massa 	52 	
4 	Giancarlo Fisichella 	49 	
5 	Kimi Räikkönen 	49 	
6 	Jenson Button 	31 	1
7 	Juan Pablo Montoya 	26 	1
8 	Rubens Barrichello 	21 	
9 	Nick Heidfeld 	19 	1
10 	Ralf Schumacher 	16 	1
11 	David Coulthard 	14 	
12 	Pedro de la Rosa 	10 	4
13 	Jarno Trulli 	10 	1
14 	Jacques Villeneuve 	7 	1
15 	Mark Webber 	6 	1
16 	Nico Rosberg 	4 	1
17 	Christian Klien 	2 	
18 	Vitantonio Liuzzi 	1 	
World Championship for Constructors	World Championship for Constructors	World Championship for Constructors	World Championship for Constructors
Pos. 	Team 	Pts. 	+/-
1 	 	149 	
2 	 	142 	
3 	 	85 	
4 	 	52 	
5 	 	26 	
6 	 	26 	
7 	 	16 	
8 	 	10 	
9 	 	1 	
Only point scoring drivers and constructors are shown.
==References==
Images and Videos:
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References:
Category:Grand Prix articles
Category:2006 Grands Prix
Category:Hungarian Grand Prix