Hungary 1999: Qualifying
Times
P. No Driver Team - Car Time/Laps
1. 1 Hakkinen McLaren Mercedes 1:18.156 182.957 km/h
2. 4 Irvine Ferrari 1:18.263 + 0:00.107
3. 2 Coulthard McLaren Mercedes 1:18.384 + 0:00.228
4. 9 Fisichella Benetton Playlife 1:18.515 + 0:00.359
5. 8 Frentzen Jordan Mugen-Honda 1:18.664 + 0:00.508
6. 7 Hill Jordan Mugen-Honda 1:18.667 + 0:00.511
7. 10 Wurz Benetton Playlife 1:18.733 + 0:00.577
8. 16 Barrichello Stewart Ford 1:19.095 + 0:00.939
9. 22 Villeneuve BAR Supertec 1:19.127 + 0:00.971
10. 17 Herbert Stewart Ford 1:19.389 + 0:01.233
11. 11 Alesi Sauber Petronas 1:19.390 + 0:01.234
12. 12 Diniz Sauber Petronas 1:19.782 + 0:01.626
13. 19 Trulli Prost Peugeot 1:19.788 + 0:01.632
14. 18 Panis Prost Peugeot 1:19.841 + 0:01.685
15. 5 Zanardi Williams Supertec 1:19.924 + 0:01.768
16. 6 R Schumacher Williams Supertec 1:19.945 + 0:01.789
17. 23 Zonta BAR Supertec 1:20.060 + 0:01.904
18. 3 Salo Ferrari 1:20.369 + 0:02.213
19. 20 Badoer Minardi Ford 1:20.961 + 0:02.805
20. 14 de la Rosa Arrows TWR 1:21.328 + 0:03.172
21. 15 Takagi Arrows TWR 1:21.675 + 0:03.519
22. 21 Gene Minardi Ford 1:21.867 + 0:03.711
107% time : 1:23.627
FIA Press Release
Qualifying, 13.00 to 14.00
Weather conditions: sunny and bright
Hakkinen's ninth pole of the season
Mika Hakkinen took his ninth pole position of the 1999 season here at the Hungaroring with his McLaren-Mercedes MP4/14, his best lap of 1m 18.516s being 0.107sec faster than Eddie Irvine's Ferrari F399. "I was happy with the balance," said Mika, "but my third run was spoiled when I came up behind Herbert who had bits and pieces flying all over the place from his car. It was a pity, because it was a really good lap." David Coulthard managed 1m 18.384s for third place on the grid. "I never felt I got a complete good lap together," he said, "but we should be in good shape for the race."
Irvine splits the McLarens
Eddie Irvine was satisfied with his 1m 18.263s best for second place on the grid. "It is good to be on the front row," he said, "although it is sometimes better to be third than second here. My last run was spoiled - I picked up a lot of understeer - but I am happy to be that close, I must say. The car is pretty good, but it is difficult to get the whole lap right here." Mika Salo set 18th fastest time(1m 20.369s), having struggled all weekend.
Fisichella fourth for Benetton
Giancarlo Fisichella wound up fourth fastest (1m 18.515s) for the Benetton-Playlife team. "I feel very happy with the car," he said. "Thanks to the aerodynamic tests last week at Lurcy-Levis we have picked up a couple of tenths of a second." Alexander Wurz set seventh fastest time on 1m 18.733s and was also satisfied with his car.
Jordans fifth and sixth
Heinz-Harald Frentzen(1m 18.664s) and Damon Hill (1m 18.667s) qualified fifth and sixth fastest. "On my first run I had poor balance," said Frentzen, "my second lap was trouble-free, my third run had too much understeer as I had lost a piece of the front wing and the fourth I was hit by Herbert." Hill felt he had got the optimum out of the car "but I picked up too much understeer at the last corner."
Briefly
Rubens Barrichello's Stewart-Ford (1m 19.095s) wound up eighth, complaining that he had a lot of understeer in the hotter track conditions and the car felt nervous. Herbert(1m 19.389s) finished the day tenth fastest after losing his nose in a collision with Frentzen. The Williams team had a frustrating time. Alex Zanardi wound up 15th (1m 19.924s) after having one run spoiled by an Arrows, another by Herbert and then a mistake on his third run. Ralf Schumacher was 16th (1m 19.945s) worried by grip problems.
Commentary
The session opened quietly, with Zonta taking to the track alone. Others soon joined them out there. On the strategy front, Jordan are using the Extra soft tyres, and almost all the others are using the Soft tyres: there is a risk involved.
The Ferrari's ran on a single set of tyres apiece for all their practice sessions, so it's currently unknown exactly how close to the pace they will be - we'll soon find out!
In the opening minutes, few take to the track, with Diniz coming out fastest of them, on a 1:21.2 - there's a lot to come off yet!
Around 12 minutes in, and Alesi puts in his first flying lap - impressive after this morning's crash - and he beats Diniz with a 1:20.2 for provisional pole, making him the first driver to improve on their morning practice time...
Hill, ahead of Coulthard is the first front runner out of the pits, at the fifteen minute mark, and he's immediately quicker than Alesi - the car looks very smooth. The mid-wing appears to help, as his first lap is 1:19.315 as Irvine leaves the pits. Coulthard follows him around, having a scrappy lap and putting dirt on the track, with a 1:19.197, making it up in the last sector for provisional pole. Salo starts his quick lap, and Hakkinen leaves the pits.
Salo's first time is not impressive - 1:20.369 for ninth - as Barrichello moves into second. Benetton are looking top of the Supertec runners, but no Williams have shown their faces yet, and they go well here. Frentzen's first flying lap is 0.05s off Hill's time, which is unusual!
Hakkinen looks impressive on his first quick lap, posting a very good 1:18.156 - excellent lap - as Irvine posts second fastest, 7 tenths behind.
Alesi is out again, posting a 1:19.875 for tenth place - he will be disappointed not to be closer to the front, but is showing good form and not a hint of the morning's accident.
Half way through, and the Williams duo attack the track, with Zanardi four seconds off the pace! Ralf Schumacher makes little impression also. Damon Hill posts fourth fastest (1:19.000s) as Barrichello improves his time for fourth. Salo fails to break for turn six, and takes a trip through the gravel.
Culthard puts together a smoother lap for 1:18.561, rejoining Hakkinen on the front row. In the Williams pits, Zanardi is having the car changed again; he is left foot braking (with full carbon disks) this session, and it's hurting his times a bit.
Irvine really puts it together to post 1:18.380 - two tenths of Hakkinen. It was a very composed lap, and there appears to be more to come. It prompts Hakkinen to try and extend his lead, but he encountered traffic at the start, slowing his opening section. He still puts together 1:18.224, but it's not an improvement.
Villeneuve puts in a 1:19.418 for seventh place, a very good lap, as Wurz comes through in 1:19.226 to take the place from him, then Fisichella goes fifth, 0.73s off the pace. Zanardi puts in a better time to get inside the 7% rule.
Twenty minutes remaining, and there's likely to be traffic as many drivers have a number of laps left. Damon Hill starts his third flying lap, but fails to take turns six and seven well, and abandons the lap. Frentzen has gone into fourth in the meanwhile, and is looking good in fourth place.
Hakkinen is surprised at Irvine's pace, and he intents to go out again - with no setup changes - to extend the lead. Coulthard had both roll-bars changed preparing for his next lap...
Barrichello, on a hot lap, misses the braking zone for turn six (like Hill ahead) and abandoned the lap. Salo begins a quick lap, trying to get on the pace again. He stays in eighteenth place, over two seconds off the pace, as Coulthard goes very fast: he put up 1:18.409, but remains in third behind Irvine, and he has no more chances to improve.
Ralf Schumacher has had everything changed ahead of his last run to improve on fifteenth place - Williams are struggling - as Benetton put in laps for fourth and sixth from Fisichella and Wurz. Excellent times from the team which is struggling this year.
Irvine puts together another excellent lap, looking smooth again, but not as quick as he could go: he puts up 1:18.263, which is a tenth off pole, and he has to think again.
With ten minutes to go, Gene puts together his best lap so far, but the Minardi's are still off the pace. Damon Hill starts his last flying lap from seventh - it's an all or nothing affair, and he starts very neat and tidy, only 0.1s off in sector one. He keeps it right through siz and seven to be 0.176 off in sector two - his best run so far - and he posts 1:18.667 for sixth, after losing four tenths from the front runners in the last sector, putting him 0.003s off Frentzen's time.
Five minutes to go, and all the top runners bar Hill still have another run. Barrichello posts 1:19.095 for eighth, not improving his place. Salo looks to make space, trying to improve from 18th place, and goes for it as Coulthard rejoins the track. Salo has traffic ahead - both Prosts - which ruin his lap. He is not going to improve from there... but he has a lap in hand to use. Yellow flags wave in the last corner.
As the session finishes, Coulthard goes for broke, putting up 1:18.384, so he remains in third. Hakkinen aborts his hot lap and tours in.
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