Disappointed Davidson Admits to Mistake

Briton Anthony Davidson was disappointed to be unable to finish his first Formula One race after making a driving error that forced him into retirement.

The Minardi driver, standing in for Malaysian Alex Yoong in Hungary and again in two weeks' time in Belgium, was running in 17th position at Sunday's Hungarian Grand Prix when he lost control of his car and slid off the track and into the gravel trap on lap 59.

Davidson, who delighted his team boss Paul Stoddart on Saturday when he qualified just over half a second slower than his highly rated teammate Mark Webber, admitted he was disappointed following his mistake.

"It was definitely a lot harder than it looks on the television, and the first stint of the race went by so fast, I couldn't believe it," said Davidson. "It took a bit of time to get into a rhythm, but once I did, I was able to push harder and harder, until I found the limit.

"This weekend was always going to be a learning experience for me, and I'm pleased with my performance today, but disappointed not to have finished the race. It was my mistake, as I got onto a slightly dusty part of the track while trying to allow overtaking room, and the back end of the car just snapped away.

"On the positive side, the pit stops were fun, and I now understand what it feels like to be in a Formula One race. I'm really looking forward to Spa, where the cars should be just awesome."

Australian Webber, who is expected to move to the Jaguar team next season, finished in 16th and final position.