On Sunday, July 29, 2012, Formula 1 drivers raced in the Hungarian Grand Prix at the Hungaroring. This race was the 11th race of the 20 race season. Going into the race it was Lewis Hamilton who had claimed the pole position. It was the third time in the season that Hamilton had claimed the pole position and he was no doubt hoping that this would be his second victory of the season.
Luckily for Hamilton and his fans, he managed to put forth a dominating performance by leading all but eight laps of the 69 lap race. Fortunately, one of those 61 laps was the last lap. Hamilton is now fourth in the standings but is behind the leader, Fernando Alonso, by almost 50 points. Though he does now have an outside chance at the championship, it looks like Hamilton would need a miracle to get it.
In the 2011 and 2010 seasons, there were a number of races where Sebastian Vettel dominated. He, in fact, dominated the seasons and easily took the championships with several races left. In the offseason, prior to the 2012 season beginning, Formula 1 head Bernie Eccelstone indicated that he did not like it when one driver was so dominant because it took away from fan enjoyment. This year, Vettel has so far struggled compared to last year. Though he is still in third place overall in the standings, he is not winning races or making it to the podium as he was last year.
Races aren't always as interesting when one driver is totally dominating. It takes some of the suspense and some of the excitement out of the race. Though there were a lot of exciting moments, sometimes there was a feeling that no one would be able to beat Hamilton. That is ok for a race or two but it does get tired if one driver is dominating a whole season, as Vettel did last year. Luckily, so far Hamilton has not been dominating the series, which makes this race a great victory for the driver and his fans. If Hamilton can continue having a great season, the hunt for the championship may be a more interesting one.
Kristin Watt has been a fan of motorsports since she was a young girl and she watched NASCAR races with her mother. That love of NASCAR quickly evolved into a great enjoyment of many different motorsports including everything from local dirt track action to the prestigious 24 Hours of Le Mans to the adrenaline rush of the extreme motocross events. She has been following motorsports for many years.
