F1 Preview: 2016 Hungarian Grand Prix - MotorSportsTalk

The Hungarian Grand Prix may not be among Formula 1’s most glamorous or iconic events, yet it has become a mainstay on the calendar ever since it was first hosted in 1986.

Traditionally the last round before the summer break, this year the race was brought forward one week, leaving the F1 paddock with a trek from Budapest to Hockenheim in Germany before the vacation period begins.

The race is also the third of four packed into July, a month that has already seen the momentum in the title race swing emphatically in Lewis Hamilton’s favor.

Victories in Austria and Britain have seen Hamilton draw to within a single point of Mercedes teammate Nico Rosberg at the top of the drivers’ championship, stoking the fire in their battle ahead of this weekend’s race.

However, with Red Bull and Ferrari lurking dangerously behind, Mercedes knows it has a fight on its hands in Budapest.

Here is our full preview of the Hungarian Grand Prix.

2016 Hungarian Grand Prix – Talking Points

Party like it’s 2014

For all of Mercedes’ dominance during the hybrid era of F1, the Hungarian Grand Prix is the one trophy missing from its cabinet. Victories have been scored at the other 20 tracks on the 2016 calendar, but not the Hungaroring. This weekend is about completing the set.

Budapest was arguably where the public civility of the Hamilton-Rosberg relationship broke down in 2014. Hamilton refused to let Rosberg past, angering the German and leaving him to stew over the summer break before their on-track clash in Belgium. It was where the tide turned against him.

At a track where he has struggled before, Rosberg must fight back this weekend. He may say that the glass is half-full, but losing the title lead ahead of the summer break may leave him in a similar boat to 2014, stewing over the summer.

Opportunity knocks for Red Bull, Ferrari

The tight and twisting nature of the Hungaroring makes it a circuit where the strength of the Mercedes W07 Hybrid car is minimized, bringing Red Bull and Ferrari into the fray as contenders.

Max Verstappen won in Spain and has two second-place finishes under his belt in the past three weeks, making him a definite candidate for victory, while teammate Daniel Ricciardo famously won here in 2014.

Ferrari’s win drought in 2016 has caused concern at Maranello, with Hungary arguably offering its best chance to end that this year. Failure for either Sebastian Vettel or Kimi Raikkonen (both former winners in Budapest) to reach the top step of the podium may lead to a more serious inquest.

Six drivers all hungry and capable of victory. Sunday’s race should be a thriller.

Radio Ga Ga

The fall-out from Nico Rosberg’s radio debacle at Silverstone two weeks ago looks set to continue, with the FIA reportedly changing the rules regarding communications once again.

Teams will now be able to tell drivers to come into the pits if they have a critical problem, where they will be exempt of the radio restrictions.

To balance this out, the penalty for breaching the regulations is now more severe, potentially even as harsh as disqualification from the race.

Keep an ear on the radio channels this weekend. The boundaries may be pushed, but crossed at the teams’ own risk.

Track limits set for greater policing

Track limits proved to be a talking point over the British Grand Prix weekend as a number of drivers had their lap times deleted for running wide and supposedly gaining an advantage in qualifying.

The Hungaroring is set to offer a similar debate this weekend, but with new electronic devices in place to police it and improved curbing on corners, cases may be more cut and dry.

Keep an eye out for track limit breaches at Turns 1, 2, 3 and 4 – it could make or break a few qualifying runs.

2016 Hungarian Grand Prix – Facts and Figures

Track: Hungaroring
Corners: 14
Lap Record: Michael Schumacher 1:19.071 (2004)
Tire Compounds: Medium/Soft/Super-Soft
2015 Winner: Sebastian Vettel (Ferrari)
2015 Pole Position: Lewis Hamilton (Mercedes) 1:22.020
2015 Fastest Lap: Daniel Ricciardo (Red Bull) 1:24.821
DRS Zones: Main Straight (T14 to T1); T1 to T2

2016 Hungarian Grand Prix – TV Times

Free Practice 1: NBC Sports App 4am ET 7/22
Free Practice 2: NBC Sports App 8am ET 7/22 (encore on NBCSN, 11pm ET)
Free Practice 3: NBC Sports App 5am ET 7/23
Qualifying: CNBC 8am ET 7/23
Race: NBCSN 7am ET 7/24

Follow @LukeSmithF1

Vicki Golden has earned a career worthy of a thousand stories and 805 Beer tells at least one of them, as “Inverted Perspective” premiered March 30 on the company’s website and YouTube channel.

Golden did more to break the glass ceiling in SuperMotocross than she ever thought possible. She knows this because riders have never felt the need to explain any of her accomplishments with the disclaimer, “for a girl”.

At this point in Golden’s career, she’s been the first woman to finish top 10 in AMA Arenacross Lites, the first woman to qualify in the Fast 40 in Monster Energy AMA Supercross and the first woman to compete in freestyle Moto X competition, earning a bronze medal by doing so.

Her love for moto came from childhood while she watched her dad and brother ride. By seven she was on her bike and making waves throughout Southern California.

Golden, 30, is still madly in love with the sport and has no plans on moving away but her career is already one to talk about. 805 Beer’s film series wanted to do exactly that.

“I’m taken aback by it all,” Golden told NBC Sports about the documentary. “It’s just crazy to see your story, it’s one thing to live your life and battle everything that comes about but it’s another to just sit there and talk about it.”

805 approached Golden about the feature by asking, “Do you even realize that what you do, and your story is special?”

Golden took the question as a blank canvas to map out the highs and lows of her career and life.

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The title “Inverted Perspective” came from a brainstorming session with Dominick Russo and it highlights Golden’s outlook on the sport of SuperMotocross and her life in general.

“My whole life, my whole career was thinking differently and looking at things that shouldn’t be done and aren’t there, while being able to make a place for myself, where no one thought there should be a place,” Golden said. “It’s inspiring someone to think in different ways. It sums up my life.”

*Vicki Golden is not “fast for a girl”; she’s just fast. – 805 Beer*

While Golden is no stranger to the spotlight, this was the first time she’s been fully involved with the storytelling and creation of a feature about herself.

“It’s not like a full new experience,” Golden said. “Obviously, you get your standard questions about your upbringing and accomplishments, but I’ve never really put into perspective things that happened in my past with my dad and putting that to light. Also, certain other things that maybe got overlooked in previous interviews or films. I wanted to touch on these and Dom wanted to create a story. It’s just cool to see it come to light, it’s a nearly impossible thing to tell somebody’s life story in 40 minutes.”

Golden’s father was left paralyzed after an ATV accident, robbing him the opportunity to ride again. This happened a few months before the father-daughter duo was set to compete in the Loretta Lynn’s Amateur Nationals when Vicki was 12. While she might have been unable to grasp the severity at the time, it’s something she carries with her. Golden continues to ride in his honor.

Years later, an accident in 2018 nearly sidelined the then 25-year-old Vicki when a freestyle accident almost resulted in the amputation of her lower leg.

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Golden 805 Beer — *Vicki Golden has ridden a variety of disciplines in SuperMotocross, which gives her a unique perspective. – 805 Beer*

“Inverted Perspective” highlights her father’s diligence in helping Vicki continue with her career and the kindness and strength he carried while fighting his own battle.

“My dad was the entire reason that I started riding in the first place,” Golden said. “So, to honor his memory and to honor what we went through and how hard he pushed to keep our dream alive and keep everything going – in that sense then, it was really special to be able to honor him and talk about him.”

The 40-minute feature was filmed entirely in black and white, a stark contrast from the oversaturated world of motocross where the brighter the suit the easier it is for fans to find their rider and follow him in the race. By filming in monochrome Russo and Golden had the chance to focus on the race and track from a different perspective.

“It was cool to be able to film it differently,” Golden said. “It created a challenge in the sense of what was going to be more visually impactful for the film.

“I couldn’t be here without the companies that back me but at the same time, it’s not like the logos or colors disappeared, it’s just different lights shed on different spots. It’s just a cool way to do it and to take color away and still be impactful. When you think of black and white, you think of old school, the OG way of doing things.”

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