Formula 1: Ferrari’s Sebastian Vettel sets track record in final Hungary practice

Ferrari’s Formula One championship leader Sebastian Vettel smashed the absolute track record in final practice for the Hungarian Grand Prix on Saturday while title rival Lewis Hamilton remained off the pace. The German, who leads Mercedes driver Hamilton by a single point ahead of the last race before the August break, lapped the Hungaroring in one minute 17.017 seconds on supersoft tyres.

The four-times world champion’s time was 0.475 quicker than second placed team mate Kimi Raikkonen. Now-retired Brazilian Rubens Barrichello set the previous track record of 1:18.436 with Ferrari in 2004.

Triple world champion Hamilton, who is hoping to equal Michael Schumacher’s all-time record of 68 pole positions later on Saturday, appeared to have his work cut out at a track where he was won five times before. The Briton’s time, on the slower soft tyres, was 1.417 seconds off Vettel’s and he was only fifth fastest.

Finnish team mate Valtteri Bottas was quicker, 0.897 slower than Vettel but still the quickest of Ferrari’s rivals. Dutch teenager Max Verstappen was fourth on the timesheets for Red Bull. Australian Daniel Ricciardo, who was fastest in both Friday sessions, pulled over at the half hour mark with a suspected hydraulics problem. Everything turned off,” …read more