2020 Hungarian Grand Prix

The **2020 Hungarian Grand Prix** (officially known as the **Formula 1 Aramco Magyar Nagydíj 2020**) was a Formula 1.5 motor race held on 19 July 2020 at the Hungaroring in Mogyoród, Hungary. The race was the third round of the 2020 Formula 1.5 World Championship.

## Background

### **Impact of the COVID-19 Pandemic**

On the provisional 2020 calendar, published in 2019, the Hungarian Grand Prix was pencilled in for 2 August. However, due to the COVID-19 pandemic, the FIA reshuffled the calendar. The Hungarian Grand Prix was moved to 19 July swapping places with the British Grand Prix.

Prior to the race, concerns were raised regarding Hungary's strict coronavirus restrictions, which include the threat of fines and imprisonment for personnel who do not comply. Further to this Scuderia Ferrari team principal Mattia Binotto revealed he had spoken about the need to follow the FIA's own COVID-19 safety protocols to both of his drivers after both were found to have breached the rules on separate occasions during the first two race weekends in Austria with the threat of sporting sanctions (including being removed from the event entry list) by race stewards a possibility for further breaches. Binotto stated he expects the drivers to pay closer attention to these rules going forward.

### **Championship Standings before the race**

After the second round, the Styrian Grand Prix, Lando Norris led the championship by 14 points from Sergio Perez, with Carlos Sainz of McLaren a further 4 points behind in third place. In the Constructors' Championship, defending champions McLaren led the championship with 70 points, Racing Point was in second with 45 points, with Ferrari in third with 29 points following a double retirement for the team at the Styrian Grand Prix. Renault was 4th with 20 points, with Scuderia AlphaTauri in 5th with 19 points.

### **Enterants**

The drivers and teams were the same as the season entry list with no additional stand-in drivers for the race. Robert Kubica took part in the first practice session for Alfa Romeo Racing in place of Kimi Räikkönen.

### **Tyre Choices**

The Hungarian Grand Prix used the C2, C3 and C4 combination of tyres, the second, third, and fourth hardest compounds available. The same compound selection as was used in the first two races of the season at the Red Bull Ring.

## Practice

The first practice session was topped by Sergio Perez and then Lance Stroll, both of Racing Point, followed by Daniel Ricciardo and then Sebastian Vettel. Pierre Gasly was unable to set a lap time due to issues with his power unit.

Second practice was run in the wet and ended with Sebastian Vettel fastest for Ferrari ahead of McLaren's Carlos Sainz Jr, in a session where only 13 drivers set a time. The third practice session ended with Perez fastest ahead of Leclerc and Stroll.

## Qualifying

The start of qualifying was marked by most of the cars immediately exiting the pit lane, as there was a chance of rain (as it happened, the rain was very light, and there was no need for non-slick tyres). Characteristically, the grip on the Hungaroring circuit increased dramatically over the session, especially in Q1. The five drivers knocked out in the session were Kevin Magnussen, Daniil Kvyat, Romain Grosjean, Antonio Giovinazzi and Kimi Raikkonen - the latter two both driving for Alfa Romeo and achieving the worst qualifying results this season for the team by locking out the back row of the grid with Giovianzzi qualifying 15th and Raikkonen 16th and last. The former world champion Raikkonen was also knocked out in Q1 for the fourth consecutive race, the first time in his career this had happened. Conversely, both Williams drivers (George Russell and Nicholas Latifi) managed to make it out of Q1, the first time the team had achieved this since the 2018 Italian Grand Prix.

In Q2, the five drivers knocked out were Daniel Ricciardo, Russell, Esteban Ocon and Latifi - for the latter, the highest grid placement at that time in his career. Although Pierre Gasly's AlphaTauri ran out of power near the end of the session, his time set earlier would be enough to reach Q3, where he would not complete a flying lap.

Lance Stroll took pole by over one-tenth of a second from his Mercedes teammate Sergio Perez, achieving the team's first front-row lockout of the season. Ferrari managed to lock out the second row of the grid for the first time in 2020.

## Race

### **Pre-Race**

At the start of the formation lap all drivers but one were on the intermediate tyres with Magnussen on full wets. During the formation lap, both Haas cars entered the pits and swapped from intermediate and wet tyres to slicks.

The race started in damp conditions with further rain forecast during the race.

### **Race Report**

With the track drying swiftly, drivers quickly came into the pits for slick tyres - as both Haas cars were already on the medium compound, they did not have to pit, and were in first and second by lap 8. Having already spun at turn one on lap 5, Nicholas Latifi of Williams received a five-second time penalty for an unsafe release in the pits, where he almost collided with the McLaren of Carlos Sainz Jr.

Pierre Gasly in his AlphaTauri retired on lap 15, due to the engine problem that had affected him throughout the weekend. By lap 25, the top 5 ran thus: Stroll, Magnussen, Grojsean, Vettel and Perez.

On lap 30, Ferrari, betting on there being no rain, had Vettel pit for hard tyres. This became the view of all the teams in the next few laps, and all of the drivers pitted for new slick tyres. Three laps later, Leclerc was involved in another close fight, this time with Lando Norris. In the final few laps, Sainz overtook the other Ferrari of Leclerc.

### **Post Race**

Kevin Magnussen and Romain Grosjean each received a ten-second penalty for a breach of rules regarding formation lap radio messages instructing the drivers to pit and change tyres, which, in turn, contravened the rule that the driver "must drive the car alone and unaided". The penalty dropped Magnussen from 5th to 6th and Grosjean 11th to 12th. Renault protested the results of the Racing Point team over the legality of their car for the second successive race.

## Championship standings after the race

Drivers' Championship standings

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Constructors' Championship standings

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## External links

1. ↑ Includes 1 point for fastest lap
2. ↑  Kevin Magnussen qualified 12th, but his place on the grid was left vacant as he came into the pits during the formation lap. He originally finished 5th, but received a ten-second time penalty for breaching rules regarding radio communications on the formation lap.
3. ↑  Romain Grosjean qualified 14th, but his place on the grid was left vacant as he came into the pits during the formation lap. He originally finished 11th, but received a ten-second time penalty for breaching rules regarding radio communications on the formation lap.