Grapevine: Rankings: Retirement costs Hamilton
Lewis Hamilton was the big loser in the Castrol Rankings this week after a disastrous Hungarian Grand Prix
Not only did a gearbox failure put the McLaren driver out of the Hungaroring race and the lead of the Formula 1 World Championship; It also cost him his second place in the Rankings.
Hamilton's misfortune was in contrast to that of Sebastien Loeb and Mark Webber.
Loeb may not have won the latest round of the World Rally Championship in Finland, but he did finish third, and that was enough to move the series leader into second place in the Castrol Rankings.
Webber too, gained a spot as he climbed to third courtesy of a charging drive to win in Hungary.
Those events ensured that Sebastian Vettel, who finished third in Hungary, hung on to his number one spot in the Castrol Rankings for a 19th consecutive week. He has a significant advantage over Loeb.
In a week of big changes in the Castrol Rankings top 10, Fernando Alonso's runner-up spot in Hungary promoted him two places to seventh while Mikko Hirvonen's early exit from Rally Finland caused him to lose four places and drop to 11th.
As well as Alonso, IndyCar racers Scott Dixon (9) and Ryan Briscoe (10) were beneficiaries of Hirvonen's fall as both made up ground.
Finnish Rally winner Jari-Matti Latvala (22) was the biggest gainer in the top 50 as he moved up 14 spots. His jump ensured that Greg Biffle (25) failed to gain any ground, despite winning the NASCAR Sprint Cup race at Pocono.
Sprint Cup leader Kevin Harvick (15) did move up, three places in fact, with a solid fourth place at Pocono, while Juan Pablo Montoya (28) dropped three spots.
Pastor Maldonado (80) continued his charge up the Castrol Rankings with another GP2 win at the Hungaroring that gained him seven places. Giacomo Ricci (180) claimed his first series win and moved up 27 spots.
To see the full Castrol Rankings, go to www.castroldriverrankings.com
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