By Ollie Barstow
The summer break has come and gone for
Formula One and for title protagonists
Ferrari and
Renault, it could not have come at a better time, having come away from the previous round at Hungary with an ending neither could have expected - then again, they could not have predicted the plot either.
Indeed, many went to the least memorable of the
F1 circuits expecting to coast through a weekend like you would a light-hearted movie which, while worthy, was hardly expected to be an Oscar winning blockbuster.
But just like any film can be given a boost with a bit of publicity or a star turn by an actor or actress, the Hungarian Grand Prix turned into a thriller of a race, with more twists and turns than a Quentin Tarantino flick and a hero more deserving than Sly Stallone’s Rambo.
After all, who could predict a race with a billing that would see the two title favourites start from the mid-field, or that a deluge of rain would prove a coming of age for many drivers, or that the performance of a lifetime would come in the shape of
Jenson Button. Even better, like many a classic sporting film plot, he did it from the back foot, or more precisely, 14th on the grid.
The 2006 Hungarian Grand Prix was one of those particular races up there with Spa 1998 or Suzuka 2005 in terms of excitement, thrills and plenty of spills.
Indeed, a winner could not be decided until the chequered flag fell and with Great Britain having ended its victory drought in the wettest of conditions, hopes are high that Button has pulled the cork on his bottled up F1 career.
Still, a repeat performance at the next round in Turkey is rather more unlikely and with Alonso and Schumacher coming away from Hungary rather bemused, both will be determined to forget their failure to capitalise on one another’s problems and hit back on F1’s newest but already favourite circuits.
FIA F1 WORLD CHAMPIONSHIP NEWS:
Arguably the biggest news ahead of the Turkish Grand Prix is the announcement that
Mark Webber will be moving to
Red Bull Racing for 2007, the Australian joining
David Coulthard in a pairing that somewhat surprised those who thought the team would champion youth over experience.
