Hungarian GP qualifying: Rosberg on pole for Mercedes – Hamilton out of qualifying after car fire

Hungarian GP qualifying: Rosberg (pictured) on pole for Mercedes

Lewis Hamilton seems to have had most of the unreliability problems that have hit Mercedes this year, but a fire in his car before he even set a time in qualifying for the 2014 Hungarian Grand Prix today in Budapest was a cruel blow to his title chances. Hamilton managed to limp his stricken car in to the pits as flames licked round the back after what appears to have been a fuel leak, but that means Hamilton will start from the back of the grid tomorrow, making it incredibly difficult to get even close to Rosberg who finished qualifying on pole.

Behind Rosberg, Sebastian Vettel managed to put the Red Bull in second, with Williams’ Botas in third during a final qualifying that saw rain drench the first corner, nearly claiming Rosberg and sending McLaren’s Magnussen in to the tyre barrier and out of Q3.

Behind Rosberg, Vettel and Bottas we have Daniel Ricciardo for Red Bull in fourth, Fernando Alonso in the Ferrari in fifth, Felipe Massa’s Williams in sixth, Jenson Button’s McLaren in seventh, Jean-Eric Vergne’s Toro Rosso in eighth, and Nico Hulkenberg’s Fore India in ninth (Magnussen starts in tenth after his off).

Missing from the shoot-out was Kimi Raikkonen after Ferrari made a terrible call in Q1 by not sending him out for a second run after he set a time, a time that proved not enough to go forward to Q2. Raikkonen starts in 17th.

Tomorrow’s race should be fun with Raikkonen starting from 17th and Hamilton from the back of the grid, but unlike Hockenheim, where overtaking is possible, the Hungaroring is a different kettle of fish – tight and twisty -and it seems likely the best Raikkonen and Hamilton will be able to manage will be a top five finish – if that.

By Cars UK