As the Formula One fraternity prepare for a three-week summer break, Sunday's Hungarian Grand Prix only demonstrated further what an unpredictable season this has been.
Just as McLaren-Mercedes looked as if they were going to dominate for a third successive race, Ferrari showed they have the pace to hold their own.
Yes, it was a McLaren driver who won the race in the shape of Heikki Kovalainen, but it was undeniably Ferrari and Felipe Massa who were the stars of the show until an engine failure ended their race with just three laps to go.
After overtaking both Kovalainen and Lewis Hamilton at the start, the Brazilian then drove superbly as he edged away from the McLaren duo.
Having won the previous two races and taken a commanding pole position on Saturday, you would not have blamed Hamilton for believing he only had to turn up on race day at the Hungaroring to claim the victory.
But the Briton had no answer to Massa. He had been beaten fair and squarely before a blown engine wrecked his race, leaving Hamilton to finish fifth and be grateful for four points.
In warm temperatures Ferrari do appear to thrive. They are able to use their Bridgestone tyres best when the track conditions are hot, and undeniably Massa was a class apart from the McLarens.
But despite being beaten on pace, it was Kovalainen's race and the Finn deserved some good fortune after a frustrating season where he has had plenty of bad luck.
Massa's misfortune means Hamilton now leads the Brazilian by eight points in the title race, with world champion Kimi Raikkonen only five adrift after finishing third behind the Toyota of Timo Glock.
It is now seven races since Raikkonen last won and apart from France the Finn has rarely looked like returning to the top of the podium. A poor qualifying performance cost him here as it was only late in the event that he found clear air, where he showed he did have a strong pace in his Ferrari.
The next round in Valencia on Aug 24 is going to be a step into the unknown with it being a new track. But on the evidence of Budapest, another thrilling duel between the two top teams will be in the offing.
@Email:gcaygill@thenational.ae
Timeline
2012-2015
The company offers payments/bribes to win key contracts in the Middle East
May 2017
The UK SFO officially opens investigation into Petrofac’s use of agents, corruption, and potential bribery to secure contracts
September 2021
Petrofac pleads guilty to seven counts of failing to prevent bribery under the UK Bribery Act
October 2021
Court fines Petrofac £77 million for bribery. Former executive receives a two-year suspended sentence
December 2024
Petrofac enters into comprehensive restructuring to strengthen the financial position of the group
May 2025
The High Court of England and Wales approves the company’s restructuring plan
July 2025
The Court of Appeal issues a judgment challenging parts of the restructuring plan
August 2025
Petrofac issues a business update to execute the restructuring and confirms it will appeal the Court of Appeal decision
October 2025
Petrofac loses a major TenneT offshore wind contract worth €13 billion. Holding company files for administration in the UK. Petrofac delisted from the London Stock Exchange
November 2025
180 Petrofac employees laid off in the UAE
What is blockchain?
Blockchain is a form of distributed ledger technology, a digital system in which data is recorded across multiple places at the same time. Unlike traditional databases, DLTs have no central administrator or centralised data storage. They are transparent because the data is visible and, because they are automatically replicated and impossible to be tampered with, they are secure.
The main difference between blockchain and other forms of DLT is the way data is stored as ‘blocks’ – new transactions are added to the existing ‘chain’ of past transactions, hence the name ‘blockchain’. It is impossible to delete or modify information on the chain due to the replication of blocks across various locations.
Blockchain is mostly associated with cryptocurrency Bitcoin. Due to the inability to tamper with transactions, advocates say this makes the currency more secure and safer than traditional systems. It is maintained by a network of people referred to as ‘miners’, who receive rewards for solving complex mathematical equations that enable transactions to go through.
However, one of the major problems that has come to light has been the presence of illicit material buried in the Bitcoin blockchain, linking it to the dark web.
Other blockchain platforms can offer things like smart contracts, which are automatically implemented when specific conditions from all interested parties are reached, cutting the time involved and the risk of mistakes. Another use could be storing medical records, as patients can be confident their information cannot be changed. The technology can also be used in supply chains, voting and has the potential to used for storing property records.
UAE currency: the story behind the money in your pockets
