Hungarian Grand Prix Awards

Best Driver: Verstappen overall.
Worst Driver: Gasly now has the spotlight firmly on him
Luckiest Driver: Leclerc to recover from his qualifying smash
Unluckiest Driver:
Best Rookie/New Driver: Russell deserved a bit of credit in this race.

Best Team: Mercedes
Surprise Team: Williams
Worst Team: Force India
Best Strategy: Mercedes
Worst Strategy:

Best Overtake/Defence (Racecraft): a few inter team battles looked good. Kvyat and Albon

Most Surprising:
Least Surprising:
Funniest moment:
Excuse of the weekend:

Special Mention: Sainz. He's topping the B league. I bet Red Bull are wishing they had him back.

Race Rating: 7/10

Best Driver: Verstappen overall.
Worst Driver: Gasly, for being lapped again. Mention for Bottas too, contact with your team leader and then a fairly lacklustre recovery drive will not get you a 2020 contract renewal.
Luckiest Driver: Leclerc in quali for getting away with the hard contact. Not sure if anyone was particularly lucky in the race.
Unluckiest Driver: Probably would say Verstappen. Red Bull froze when Merc changed their strategy and he lost what would have been another win on what was an excellent weekend for him.
Best Rookie/New Driver: Russell, nearly got into Q2 and raced well to finish ahead of more than just Kubica.

Best Team: Mercedes, played a blinder to give Lewis a chance to win.
Surprise Team: Ferrari being so far off the pace
Worst Team: Force India. Behind the Williams (or at least one of them) is not a good thing in 2019.
Best Strategy: Mercedes
Worst Strategy: Red Bull believing they could go to the end, although that is a bit harsh as it was only shown up by Merc's good strategy.

Best Overtake/Defence (Racecraft): Verstappen and Hamilton's mid-race fight for the lead was both close and fair.

Most Surprising: A Williams off the back row on genuine pace
Least Surprising: Kubica miles off the back again.
Funniest moment: Sainz post race radio
Excuse of the weekend:

Special Mention: Ferrari, a minute off the pace is shocking.

Race Rating: 7/10

Best Driver: Carlos Sainz. Don't think he's been praised enough for his season, only a handful of points behind Gasly.
Worst Driver: Pierre Gasly. Surely he must be out of time now.
Luckiest Driver: Leclerc not being out of qualifying
Unluckiest Driver: Max Verstappen
Best Rookie/New Driver: George Russell

Best Team: Mercedes
Surprise Team: Ferrari, in the worst way
Worst Team: Ferrari
Best Strategy: Mercedes
Worst Strategy: N/A

Best Overtake/Defence (Racecraft): Albon and Kvyat

Most Surprising: Russell nearly making Q2
Least Surprising: Kubica last.
Funniest moment: -
Excuse of the weekend: -

Special Mention: Lewis Hamilton

Race Rating: 7.3/10

Best Driver:I'll give it to Hamilton, forced his way passed Bottas and charged down Verstappen.
Worst Driver: Gasly, Bahrain 2018 was a long time ago.
Luckiest Driver:either Ferrari, CLC for not getting punished in any way for breaking Bottas wing, or Vettel for getting a podium.
Unluckiest Driver: Bottas.
Best Rookie/New Driver: Russel or Albon, Norris scored points too. Britain has been blessed.
Best Team: Mercedes, great strategy
Surprise Team: Williams, gone from competely **** to just mostly.
Worst Team: Probably Ferrari, gone the wrong way Aerodynamically by the look, which probably means they're screwed til '21
Best Strategy:Mercedes, won it
Worst Strategy:RBR, lost it

Best Overtake/Defence (Racecraft): I enjoyed the wheel to wheel battle between the STRs

Most Surprising: ~Williams qualifying pace (or rather, Russell's qualifying pace)
Least Surprising: It's all gone wrong at Ferrari
Funniest moment: Sainz radio
Excuse of the weekend:

Special Mention: Kimi, raced a blinder again,

Race Rating: 8.2/10 probably a 7, but it was hungary ffs.

Best Driver: Jointly to Verstappen and Hamilton - Both in a league of their own and would be unfair to single one out
Worst Driver: Gasly - What is going on! Lapped yet again
Luckiest Driver: LeClerc, Not only did he get away with his quali crash, he also swiped Bottas without so much as an investigation
Unluckiest Driver: Bottas - All went wrong, Also Norris - Bodged pitstop screwed him
Best Rookie/New Driver: Russel - All doing well tbh, but was a cracking weekend for Russel

Best Team: Mercedes?
Surprise Team: Williams
Worst Team: Ferrari - 1 Minute!
Best Strategy: Hamilton's
Worst Strategy: Leclerc's?

Best Overtake/Defence (Racecraft): Ham/Ver was surprisingly fair - STR boys had a good scrap

Most Surprising: An overtake for the win in Hungary!
Least Surprising: Ferrari mid season fail
Funniest moment: Despite being a legend, it's always amusing to see Sir Jackie's pain in having to share a podium with Lewis
Excuse of the weekend: Stroll

Special Mention: Sainz

Race Rating: 8/10

Best Driver:Hamilton. Verstappen did well to lead for most of the race but in part that was because it was Hungary. Lewis wanted the win and got it.
Worst Driver: Gasly, but Bottas also let himself down. Both are shown up by their team mates.
Luckiest Driver:None stand out
Unluckiest Driver: I will go with Bottas but I think he lacks strategic thinking at times. I think he perhaps needs to think about track position at the start just a bit more. He s too busy defending not thinking about how do i win enough.
Best Rookie/New Driver: Russell

Best Team: I am going with Red Bull, Mercedes had a slow pitstop (4 secs if I remember correctly). Red Bull are making the most of what they have and you just feel the whole team are fired up (except that guy who had his head in his hands when Lewis did his second stop)
Surprise Team: Williams, they have made progress, let us hope they can do some more.
Worst Team: Ferrari, more than a minute off the pace, thats nearly a second a lap off the pace yet the highest budget. Inexcusable frankly. Will they redeem themselves at Spa and Monza?.
Best Strategy:Not a team award, clearly the 2 stop strategy worked well, so has to have my vote.
Worst Strategy: RBR not responding to the second pitstop. Had they done so they may have just got out in front, think Lewis was 21.8 secs behind at the end of his first lap on the new tyres. It proved to be RBR's only chance which they ignored.

Best Overtake/Defence (Racecraft): Has to be the battle between Hamilton and Verstappen. Verstappen (not yet ready to call him Max) for the best defense first time, Lewis for the best catch up and overtake.

Most Surprising: ~ Russell's qualifying pace (i had to look twice)
Least Surprising: Ferrari under performing
Funniest moment: Carlos on the radio
Excuse of the weekend: Wasn't that aware of any but an observation; Vettel is more relaxed when he is not expected to challenge Lewis, he seems quite happy to pass that batten to Verstappen and fade out of the limelight himself, justifying his performance by beating Charles.

Special Mention: Russell, he must be relieved to get off the back row. Lewis for thanking the team individually at the end. He can be excused his gaffes when he takes time to thank his team and the fans, more so than any other driver, but then he knows they have given him the best, year in year out.

Race Rating: 8.5 but Ferrari, Bottas and Gasley should be ashamed of themselves.

cosicave said:

Best Driver: Verstappen and Hamilton, (almost) equally. What LH achieved was far more difficult than he made it look. That said, he was helped by a master-stroke of strategy; one which he himself questioned, initially. Threatening Verstappen in bursts, then backing off and repeating, kept the pressure on also preserved tyre-life to the point where the second stop could be attempted. Verstappen a very close second. Both were virtually flawless.
Worst Driver: Gasly. Although occasionally pretty quick, he does not seem cut out for F1 at the top level.
Luckiest Driver: I suppose this has to be Leclerc for what happened in qualifying.

Interrupted. Apologies. Hope to finish this with an edit later on.

Unluckiest Driver:
Best Rookie/New Driver:

Best Team:
Surprise Team:
Worst Team:
Best Strategy:
Worst Strategy:

Best Overtake/Defence (Racecraft):

Most Surprising:
Least Surprising:
Funniest moment:
Excuse of the weekend:

Special Mention:

Race Rating: ?/10

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Someone must have shouted 'Drinks!'

Suspicious Cosi says Gasly is not cut out for F1. Doesn't finish his Answers as something interrupts him. Gasly gets the boot. Cosi carries on.

cosicave said:

As usual, Bando, this is pure coincidence!

When half-listening to Eddie Jordan, I've learned to become selective.
I've also highlighted Albon's racecraft in this thread and before, and consistently criticised that of Gasly. The Red Bull / Toro Rosso switch was a no-brainer at this exact point of the season (i.e. the summer break). Please see my assessment in German Grand Prix Awards thread, for instance.

Yes, I make no secret of liking the way Albon goes about his business and know he (unlike some?) has the courage and belief to go head to head against Verstappen. Of course, whether he has the ability to match is another matter, and only time will tell - but it has been obvious (surely?) for all to see - that Gasly had neither…

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The mid season switch is/was a no brainer. I am sure Honda helped in encouraging a change. I think Albon is young enough and has shown enough talent that I suspect Redbull will do a good job of mentoring him. Albon is probably having one amazing summer rest, he is going to be motivated and thinking Christmas just came early. Write the rest of the season off for him though as he adjusts to a new team and the car. I guess he is not allowed to use the simulator but I suspect he already has and that helped the decision. Born on the 23rd, drives car number 23 and he is 23 years of age...guess we know his lucky number! I would even guess he was in the simulator on the 23rd July!!!

Justjazz said:

The mid season switch is/was a no brainer. I am sure Honda helped in encouraging a change. I think Albon is young enough and has shown enough talent that I suspect Redbull will do a good job of mentoring him. Albon is probably having one amazing summer rest, he is going to be motivated and thinking Christmas just came early. Write the rest of the season off for him though as he adjusts to a new team and the car. I guess he is not allowed to use the simulator but I suspect he already has and that helped the decision. Born on the 23rd, drives car number 23 and he is 23 years of age...guess we know his lucky number! I would even guess he was in the simulator on the 23rd July!!!

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Would Albon's part-Asian heritage also appeal to Honda now that they are being successful this year? The ability to market their success closer to home could be a consideration?

Justjazz said:

The mid season switch is/was a no brainer. I am sure Honda helped in encouraging a change. I think Albon is young enough and has shown enough talent that I suspect Redbull will do a good job of mentoring him. Albon is probably having one amazing summer rest, he is going to be motivated and thinking Christmas just came early. Write the rest of the season off for him though as he adjusts to a new team and the car. I guess he is not allowed to use the simulator but I suspect he already has and that helped the decision. Born on the 23rd, drives car number 23 and he is 23 years of age...guess we know his lucky number! I would even guess he was in the simulator on the 23rd July!!!

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so 4 years to WDC?
off down the bookies with my £1, gotta get good odds for that.

Big Ern said:

so 4 years to WDC?
off down the bookies with my £1, gotta get good odds for that.

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Good point, would they give better odds that it is linked to his lucky number? Got to be worth a quid.

Justjazz said:

The mid season switch is/was a no brainer. I am sure Honda helped in encouraging a change. I think Albon is young enough and has shown enough talent that I suspect Redbull will do a good job of mentoring him. Albon is probably having one amazing summer rest, he is going to be motivated and thinking Christmas just came early. Write the rest of the season off for him though as he adjusts to a new team and the car. I guess he is not allowed to use the simulator but I suspect he already has and that helped the decision. Born on the 23rd, drives car number 23 and he is 23 years of age...guess we know his lucky number! I would even guess he was in the simulator on the 23rd July!!!

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Another coincidence

33 (Verstappen) - 10 (Gasly) = 23 (Albon)

El_Bando said:

Another coincidence

33 (Verstappen) - 10 (Gasly) = 23 (Albon)

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That's a good'un!

I predict he will win his first race in Italy next year, that will be his 23rd race for Red Bull, or maybe his first podium with them.

Justjazz said:

That's a good'un!

I predict he will win his first race in Italy next year, that will be his 23rd race for Red Bull, or maybe his first podium with them.

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by 23 seconds, or 23 laps?

Justjazz said:

That's a good'un!

I predict he will win his first race in Italy next year, that will be his 23rd race for Red Bull, or maybe his first podium with them.

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Possibly running in 2nd but given the multi 23 call to let Max past.