By Luke Marc Carlile-Stanton
August 4 2007

The 2007 Hungarian Grand Prix weekend is underway, and the action started on the Friday in the two free practice sessions. Toyota had a reasonable first day with both drivers consistently in the heart of the mid-field battle. Here is a brief-overview of the events from the first day of the 2007 Hungarian Grand Prix.

Free Practice one was set in sunny and hot conditions, typical of the weather at the Hungaroring when Formula 1 is in town (2006 excepted...)

Session One

Of the Toyota's Ralf was fastest in 10th on a 1.23.802s with Jarno not too far behind in 12th on a 1.24.318. Robert Kubica sprung a surprise in the BMW-Sauber to be fastest on a 1.22.390, however he did use the soft tire to set that lap.

Brazilian Felipe Massa was second for Ferrari ahead of team mate Kimi Raikkonen just ahead of the Mclaren duo of reigning World Champion Fernando Alonso and Lewis Hamilton. Nick Heidfeld in the second BMW-Sauber rounded out the top 6.

American Scott Speed got the sack after a high profile fall out with the Scuderia Toro Rosso team and was swiftly replaced. His replacement is German Sebastian Vettel, who raced in this years American Grand Prix in place of injured Robert Kubica for BMW-Sauber. He has been released from his BMW-Sauber testing contract and will complete this season and also race in 2008 for Toro Rosso. He ended the first session in a respectable 16th place on a 1.24.905.

Japanese star Sakon Yamamoto makes his debut for the Spyker team, who have found a permanent replacement for Christijan Albers. Unsurprisingly in his first drive in the car he was 22nd and last on a 1m.28.118.

Hungarian GP, free practice session one times

1.  KUBICA       BMW           1m22.390s
2.  MASSA        Ferrari       1m22.519s
3.  RAIKKONEN    Ferrari       1m22.540s
4.  ALONSO       Mclaren       1m22.585s
5.  HAMILTON     McLaren       1m22.654s
6.  HEIDFELD     BMW           1m22.891s
7.  ROSBERG      Williams      1m22.983s
8.  BUTTON       Honda         1m23.294s
9.  BARRICHELLO  Honda         1m23.601s
10. SCHUMACHER   Toyota        1m23.802s
11. DAVIDSON     Super Aguri   1m24.102s
12. TRULLI       Toyota        1m24.318s
13. WURZ         Williams      1m24.321s
14. COULTHARD    Red Bull      1m24.474s
15. KOVALAINEN   Renault       1m24.733s
16. VETTEL       Toro Rosso    1m24.905s
17. FISICHELLA   Renault       1m24.920s
18. LIUZZI       Toro Rosso    1m24.976s
19. SATO         Super Aguri   1m25.307s
20. WEBBER       Red Bull      1m25.584s
21. SUTIL        Spyker        1m26.332s
22. YAMAMOTO     Spyker        1m28.118s

Session Two

The second session took place in cooler temperatures to the first but still in the scorching Budapest heat.

This time it was Jarno who was the fastest of the Toyota's in 9th place on a 1.21.857 while Ralf ended up 11th on a 1.21.912.

Alonso was fastest this time around on a 1.20.919 just ahead of Finnish Renault star Heikki Kovalainen. The British media's new superstar Lewis Hamilton was third despite a spin at the end of the session trying to pace Sakon Yamamoto's Spyker.

Nico Rosberg's Williams, Nick Heidfeld's BMW-Sauber and Kimi Raikkonen in the Ferrari rounded out the top 6.

The new boys, Vettel and Yamamoto were 20th and 22nd respectively.

Hungarian GP, free practice session two times

1.  ALONSO       Mclaren       1m20.919s
2.  KOVALAINEN   Renault       1m21.283s
3.  HAMILTON     McLaren       1m21.338s
4.  ROSBERG      Williams      1m21.485s
5.  HEIDFELD     BMW           1m21.517s
6.  RAIKKONEN    Ferrari       1m21.589s
7.  MASSA        Ferrari       1m21.620s
8.  FISICHELLA   Renault       1m21.698s
9.  TRULLI       Toyota        1m21.857s
10. KUBICA       BMW           1m21.906s
11. SCHUMACHER   Toyota        1m21.912s
12. WURZ         Williams      1m21.987s
13. WEBBER       Red Bull      1m22.325s
14. COULTHARD    Red Bull      1m22.483s
15. DAVIDSON     Super Aguri   1m22.510s
16. BUTTON       Honda         1m22.550s
17. SATO         Super Aguri   1m22.556s
18. BARRICHELLO  Honda         1m22.727s
19. LIUZZI       Toro Rosso    1m23.136s
20. VETTEL       Toro Rosso    1m23.148s
21. SUTIL        Spyker        1m23.673s
22. YAMAMOTO     Spyker        1m26.307s