The 1999 Hungarian Grand Prix
13th - 15th August

Race screenshots

Sunday - Race

77 laps. Weather: Sunny and hot. Ambient temperature 25 deg C, track temperature 33 deg C

Rubens Barrichello finished fifth in today's Hungarian Grand Prix adding two points to the Stewart-Ford team's tally. Team-mate Johnny Herbert finished 11th.

The race was won by Mika Hakkinen with his McLaren team-mate, David Coulthard second and Eddie Irvine (Ferrari) third. Heinz-Harald Frentzen (Jordan) was fourth.

JOHNNY HERBERT Car No.17 (SF3-05)

After being on the pace this morning - you didn't seem to have the same speed during the race?

'To be honest I'm very confused as to why I was slow. The car was very twitchy and I kept having wheelspin. We made some changes during the pit stop but it didn't help. Towards the end I had one quick lap but then the car immediately changed back and I was fighting it again.'

What do you think caused the problems?

'I don't know. We have to look at the data. I was on the pace this morning and we made no major set-up changes to the car before the race. There was changes in the track conditions but that was the same for everybody - so I'm a bit mystified at the moment.'

RUBENS BARRICHELLO Car No.16 (SF3-04)

What was the thinking behind the one-stop strategy?

'It's so hard to overtake here that we felt our best chance with our tyre choice was to go for one stop. Because the guys ahead were using softer tyres and were on two stops my aim was to keep up with the pack at the start and make sure of a clean stop. The crew did a good job. The car handled well considering the fuel load it was carrying.'

Fifth place and two championship points, you must be pleased?

'I'm relieved to finally get back in the points. I'm sure we can pick up more points before the season is over if we produce performances like today's. I'm really looking forward to Spa now after this result. I think the car will be well suited there.'

PAUL STEWART, Stewart-Ford Chief Operating Officer

'After missing out on points recently, I'm really pleased to be fifth and to have both cars finish. It was a strong and reliable result for the whole team.'

MARTIN WHITAKER, Director, Ford Racing, Europe

'It was imperative that we improved reliability following recent mishaps. It was important that both cars finished today's race and I'm pleased that we did just that. We experienced no mechanical problems throughout the weekend.'

Race results

Saturday - Qualifying

STEWART-FORD NOTES & QUOTES

Weather: Sunny and hot (ambient temperature 21 deg C, track temperature 39 deg C)

Rubens Barrichello will start tomorrow's Hungarian Grand Prix from the fourth row after qualifying in eighth position - the Brazilian's lowest qualifying position of the year. Team mate Johnny Herbert qualified in 10th place.

Pole position went to Mika Hakkinen (McLaren) with a time of 1:18.561. Second was Eddie Irvine (Ferrari) 1:18.263 and third was David Coulthard (McLaren) 1:18.384.

JOHNNY HERBERT Car No.17 (SF3-05)

Time: 1:19.389. Position: 10th

You aborted your final run - what happened?

'I was coming into the last turn about to start my flying lap conscious that Frentzen was on a quick one behind me. I backed off and moved over to give him room but he didn’t go for the gap I left. Instead he ran over my front wing which was a bit annoying.'

What are your expectations for the race?

'My job will be a lot harder staring from 10th on the grid but if the conditions stay as they were today and I can run a clean race I'm hoping for a points finish.'

RUBENS BARRICHELLO Car No.16 (SF3-04)

Time: 1:19.095. Position: eighth

Were you expecting to be higher up the grid?

'I was hoping for a top four position today which was realistic given the way the car had been performing. However the car was very nervous and I experienced a lot more understeer this afternoon. I can't really explain it because I was happy with the set-up before qualifying.'

What will be the main factors in the race?

'Strategy is the key here because there are very few overtaking opportunities. There will be a chance to pick up places off the start if you can get enough of a drag, but it's very bumpy into the first corner so it won't be easy. Tyre wear will also be critical.'

PAUL STEWART, SGP Chief Operating Officer

'This was a very frustrating qualifying session - our worst of the season. We certainly expected to do better based on our Free Practice positions. If you look at the time sheets it appears that tyre choice was crucial today.'

MARTIN WHITAKER, Director, Ford Racing, Europe

'With both Rubens and Johnny finishing in the top five this morning we had hoped to maintain our pace during qualifying. That we failed to do so will make the race more difficult. After the last few races reliability is top of our list and this will be paramount tomorrow. We experienced no problems with the Series 4 engines during today's running, and both drivers will be using Series 3 engines tomorrow.'

Qualifying times from F1Today

Morning free practice times from F1Today

Friday - practice

STEWART-FORD NOTES & QUOTES

Weather: Overcast, light showers

(Ambient temperature 18 deg C, track temperature 23 deg C)

Rubens Barrichello was fourth quickest in today's Free Practice for the Hungarian Grand Prix. Team mate Johnny Herbert finished the day with the tenth fastest time. The first hour-long session began in overcast conditions. Light rain began falling before the start of the second hour and made track conditions damp in patches. Eddie Irvine (Ferrari) set the pace with a time of 1:19.476 right at the end of the second session. He was followed by Mika Hakkinen (McLaren-Mercedes, 1:19.722), David Coulthard (McLaren-Mercedes, 1:20.117) and Rubens Barrichello.

JOHNNY HERBERT Car No.17 (SF3-05)

Time: 1:21.486. Position: 10th. 21 laps

You were restricted to 21 laps. Why?

'I lost the chance to do more running towards the end due to a suspension problem. It was a shame that I also lost a set of tyres this morning because of a puncture. Despite that I'm confident we have reached a good base to improve the set-up for qualifying.'

How has the car performed so far?

'We definitely have a car which is suited to this circuit. What you need most of all here is a good balance because it helps in reducing tyre wear. A good balance also helps driveability of the car particularly on such a twisty circuit as this.'

RUBENS BARRICHELLO Car No.16 (SF3-04)

Time: 1:20.547. Position: fourth. 32 laps

Fourth fastest - you must be pleased with your work today?

'I was able to identify the direction to go on set-up early on and follow it as the day went on. The car is working well. The aerodynamic balance is good. I can still find time by improving the mechanical grip so I'm optimistic for tomorrow.'

What were the track conditions like?

'Parts of the circuit are quite bumpy, particularly the last two turns. The bumps unsettle the cars a little so you have to work on suspension settings to enable the car to ride the bumps without too much interference to the overall handling. The rain that fell made the track a little damp and the white lines became slippery. I think that's what caught a lot of people out.'

PAUL STEWART, SGP Chief Operating Officer

'We have had a very productive start to the weekend. Both drivers made significant progress with set-up during both sessions today in preparation for qualifying and the race. Having a trouble-free day enabled us to get through a lot of work.'

MARTIN WHITAKER, Director, Ford Racing, Europe

'We experienced no problems today and there is no doubt that the work we did at the Silverstone test last week to increase the engine's driveability has proved beneficial with the engines responding well to the traction requirements of the circuit. We will be using Series 4 engines in both cars tomorrow.'

Practice times from F1Today

Race Preview from Stewart-Ford

STEWART-FORD NOTES AND QUOTES

After the high speed rigours of Hockenheim, the Hungaroring offers a complete change of pace and circuit layout. Twisty, bumpy and low grip are the characteristics of a circuit which is second only to Monaco in terms of the amount of downforce the teams will run.

Whereas at Hockenheim, the average speed for the German Grand Prix was 224kmh, the Hungaroring is a more sedate 175kmh. The circuit has hosted the Hungarian Grand Prix since 1986. The tight, undulating layout offers few opportunities for overtaking and qualifying for good grid positions is vital.

Rubens Barrichello produced the fastest lap time overall at the Silverstone test last week. His time of 1:26.47 was two tenths of a second quicker than McLaren driver David Coulthard.

Rubens was joined by Johnny Herbert and Luciano Burti for the three-day test. The three drivers carried out evaluation on new suspension configurations, engine endurance running and tyre testing as part of the team’s preparations for the Hungarian Grand Prix.

JOHNNY HERBERT Car No.17 (SF3-05)

What set-up requirements do you need for the circuit?

‘The set-up for the Hungaroring is pretty close to that we use at Monaco. You carry a lot of wing because there are a lot of low speed corners so you need good traction and grip. You also have to find a good balance so the car can ride the kerbs effectively. The circuit is bumpy in places so the ride of the car is important, particularly with the way these cars behave on grooved tyres.’

How do you rate your chances this weekend?

‘I was third in 1997 and fourth in 1995 so I’ve had some good results here. I have always been comfortable on circuits that have a lot of low speed corners. We found improvement at the Silverstone test so I’m confident of repeating my performance in Austria where I was on the pace all weekend and qualified sixth. I’m more comfortable with the car than I was at the start of the season – I just need some luck in the race.’

RUBENS BARRICHELLO Car No.16 (SF3-04)

How physically demanding is the twisty Hungaroring layout?

‘Breathing can be a problem. There is not much respite for a driver because there are so many turns. I have specifically worked on improving my breathing for the race through aerobic work and running. Mentally the race is tough because you are concentrating harder than what you would on a layout that has long straights. You are very busy in the cockpit at the Hungaroring.’

How important is qualifying?

‘Qualifying is everything in Hungary because there are very few overtaking opportunities. The only chance you have is on the pit straight. Strategy, particularly tyre choice will be a big factor – a straight choice between consistency and performance. At the Silverstone test we improved the car’s mechanical grip which should put us in good shape for qualifying and the race.’

PAUL STEWART, SGP Chief Operating Officer

‘Following the two non-finishes we experienced at Hockenheim a lot of time and energy has been spent on improving our reliability for the Hungarian Grand Prix. We are confident that the car works well in high downforce aerodynamic trim so we will be looking to qualify both cars at the front of the grid. A points finish for both Rubens and Johnny is a realistic target.’

MARTIN WHITAKER, Director, Ford Racing, Europe

‘The Stewart-Ford team had a successful test at Silverstone last week where we completed further extensive running of the Series 4 engine. We finished the test with the fastest time of the week, so it looks like we've made progress with both the car and the engine package. It was also good to get another view of the engine from Luciano Burti who reported the same improvement in performance as both Rubens and Johnny. The intention is to run the Series 4 engine on Saturday only in Hungary and Series 3 engines during Friday and Sunday's race.’

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Last updated 15th August 1999