Feature

2016 Hungarian Grand Prix - Quotes of the weekend

On a weekend where the race was more or less over within 30 seconds of the start, Lewis Hamilton not only had the winner’s trophy, he also had most of the best lines, while his team-mate came across like a barrister and Daniel Ricciardo got his smile back.

"Perez a bit of a **** today."

Daniil Kvyat’s having a bad year, but he’s in line to win the potty-mouth championship this season, in this instance giving the FOM beep machine a run for its money in FP2.


“I don’t think people need elevators! Could be a fun weekend but also one that you lose weight, bit of a workout!”

On being asked what changes he’d like to see when they rebuild the Hungaroring facilities and if he’d want lifts put in the control tower and other buildings, young fit Lewis Hamilton thought stairs were just fine. He’s clearly never seen the older journalists struggle up three flights of stairs before collapsing in a heap at their desks.


“The only thing I feel is hungry. I had a light lunch and now I’m hungry.”

Daniel Ricciardo was asked how he felt about Saturday’s Q1 lasting over an hour.


“Yes, so normally when you download from iTunes… I’m not sure what Max is using but obviously the music must have stopped. Weak wifi!”

Ricciardo again, when asked what it meant when Max Verstappen said over the radio in qualifying that he’d “lost sync.”


“I lost the car, so in the end it was my mistake and the session was quickly over for me.”

Careless of Marcus Ericsson to lose his car, after all, Sauber only had two of them in Hungary.


“Today is Friday, and I don't value Friday that much.”

That’s not very nice Mr. Vettel, what’s Friday ever done to you?


“Ohhhhh fantastic. Race from hell this is gunna be!"

A sarcastic Jenson Button on being told to stay out on track, moments after the team had told him to pit. It would turn out to be the tip of the iceberg as the Englishman vented his anger about getting a penalty for discussing a safety-related issue over the radio.


“I’m driving like a grandma.”

Max Verstappen’s assessment of his own driving, a few laps into the race. Given what we know of his family’s ability at the wheel, it’s possible Granny V could drive the wheels off half the field!


We were encouraging him to drive like his great grandmother.”

Christian Horner explains it wanted Verstappen to go even slower to protect his tyres and not follow his team-mate too closely. Who knows if grandmother references are allowed under the new radio regulations?


“You never really have very good ideas, do you, so I’ll leave you to your ideas. But, to the man in the orange suit! Ha!”

On the podium, German TV’s Kai Ebel, a man whose dress sense makes Boy George look soberly dressed, suggested Hamilton and Ricciardo could stage a boxing match in the paddock. Lewis wasn’t impressed.


“Can I respond? Thank you very much. Thank you for making that statement, so now I’m going to put my response.”

Nico Rosberg has clearly been watching too many courtroom dramas on TV and came over all lawyerly when Hamilton claimed the German hadn’t slowed enough for the yellow flags in qualifying. No wonder Rosberg was miffed, as it turns out it was Hamilton himself who’d shopped him to Race Director Charlie Whiting.  


"Well I need the loo, so something like 'Hold It'.”

We had seen him glug a big bottle of water in the green room behind the podium and when Hamilton was asked in the post-race conference what music summed up his mood, he found a quick response before pulling off his microphone and rushing for the toilet.

Technical analysis - Budapest

DRIVER RATINGS: Hungarian Grand Prix

REPORT: Hamilton holds off Rosberg to take championship lead

Breakfast with ... Marc Surer

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Eric Silbermann

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