Hamilton completes Hungary practice sweep

BUDAPEST, Hungary - Lewis Hamilton was fastest in final practice for the 2014 Hungarian GP on Saturday (July 26) to complete the Mercedes Formula 1 driver's sweep of the three sessions before qualifying.

Hamilton, 14 points behind championship-leading team mate Nico Rosberg after 10 races but favourite for Sunday (July 27), lapped the Hungaroring circuit with a best time of 1min24.048.

For the third session in a row, Rosberg was second on the time sheets, this time 0.047sec slower

FAVOURITE TO WIN

Hamilton won the previous two races Hungary and has won four times in total, more than any other current driver - a record he shares with Michael Schumacher.

Hamilton, who suffered brake disc failure in qualifying at the 2014 German Grand Prix but raced from 20th through to third, will be hoping to carry the momentum through to reel in Rosberg before the August break.

Red Bull's quadruple F1 champion Sebastian Vettel was third fastest, 0.407sec off the pace, with Australian team mate Daniel Ricciardo fourth on another hot but cloudy day in Budapest.

Valtteri Bottas, on the podium in the previous three races, was fifth for Williams ahead of Ferrari's Fernando Alonso and Kimi Raikkonen.

2014 Hungarian GP practice times

Third practice:
1 Lewis Hamilton (Britain) Mercedes 1min24.048
2 Nico Rosberg (Germany) Mercedes 1min24.095
3 Sebastian Vettel (Germany) Red Bull 1min24.455
4 Daniel Ricciardo (Australia) Red Bull 1min24.678
5 Valtteri Bottas (Finland) Williams 1min24.685
6 Fernando Alonso (Spain) Ferrari 1min24.769
7 Kimi Raikkonen (Finland) Ferrari 1min24.818
8 Kevin Magnussen (Denmark) McLaren 1min24.867
9 Jean-Eric Vergne (France) Toro Rosso 1min25.162
10 Daniil Kvyat (Russia) Toro Rosso 1min25.170
11 Felipe Massa (Brazil) Williams 1min25.231
12 Jenson Button (Britain) McLaren 1min25.468
13 Pastor Maldonado (Venezuela) Lotus 1min25.829
14 Romain Grosjean (France) Lotus - Renault 1min25.859
15 Adrian Sutil (Germany) Sauber 1min25.934
16 Esteban Gutierrez (Mexico) Sauber 1min26.023
17 Nico Huelkenberg (Germany) Force India 1min26.035
18 Sergio Perez (Mexico) Force India 1min26.142
19 Kamui Kobayashi (Japan) Caterham 1min27.560
20 Max Chilton (Britain) Marussia 1min28.083
21 Marcus Ericsson (Sweden) Caterham 1min28.605
22 Jules Bianchi (France) Marussia 1min28.821

Second practice
1 Lewis Hamilton (Britain) Mercedes 1min24.482 
2 Nico Rosberg (Germany) Mercedes 1min24.720 
3 Sebastian Vettel (Germany) Red Bull 1min25.111 
4 Fernando Alonso (Spain) Ferrari 1min25.437 
5 Kevin Magnussen (Denmark) McLaren 1min25.580 
6 Kimi Raikkonen (Finland) Ferrari 1min25.730 
7 Daniel Ricciardo (Australia) Red Bull 1min25.983 
8 Valtteri Bottas (Finland) Williams 1min25.999 
9 Jenson Button (Britain) McLaren 1min26.234 
10 Felipe Massa (Brazil) Williams 1min26.402 
11 Daniil Kvyat (Russia) Toro Rosso 1min26.689 
12 Jean-Eric Vergne (France) Toro Rosso 1min26.703 
13 Nico Huelkenberg (Germany) Force India 1min26.789 
14 Adrian Sutil (Germany) Sauber 1min26.919 
15 Sergio Perez (Mexico) Force India 1min27.013 
16 Pastor Maldonado (Venezuela) Lotus  1min27.019 
17 Romain Grosjean (France) Lotus  1min27.021 
18 Esteban Gutierrez (Mexico) Sauber 1min27.480 
19 Kamui Kobayashi (Japan) Caterham 1min28.370 
20 Jules Bianchi (France) Marussia 1min28.469 
21 Max Chilton (Britain) Marussia 1min28.586 
22 Marcus Ericsson (Sweden) Caterham 1min29.036

First practice
1 Lewis Hamilton (Britain) Mercedes 1min25.814
2 Nico Rosberg (Germany) Mercedes 1min25.997
3 Kimi Raikkonen (Finland) Ferrari 1min26.421
4 Fernando Alonso (Spain) Ferrari 1min26.872
5 Sebastian Vettel (Germany) Red Bull 1min27.220
6 Kevin Magnussen (Denmark) McLaren 1min27.357
7 Jean-Eric Vergne (France) Toro Rosso 1min27.683
8 Daniel Ricciardo (Australia) Red Bull 1min27.782
9 Jenson Button (Britain) McLaren 1min27.804
10 Felipe Massa (Brazil) Williams1min27.960
11 Esteban Gutierrez (Mexico) Sauber 1min27.967
12 Nico Hulkenberg (Germany) Force India 1min28.101
13 Daniil Kvyat (Russia) Toro Rosso 1min28.208
14 Pastor Maldonado (Venezuela) Lotus 1min28.266
15 Valtteri Bottas (Finland) Williams1min28.330
16 Sergio Perez (Mexico) Force India 1min28.376
17 Romain Grosjean (France) Lotus 1min28.593
18 Adrian Sutil (Germany) Sauber 1min29.025
19 Kamui Kobayashi (Japan) Caterham 1min30.363
20 Marcus Ericsson (Sweden) Caterham 1min30.892
21 Max Chilton (Britain) Marussia 1min31.004
22 Jules Bianchi (France) Marussia 1min31.248

Stay with Wheels24 for the 2014 Hungarian GP this weekend.