Ahead to Hungary, championship still open

LONDON, England (CNN) -- This year's Formula 1 season is shaping up to be one of the most exciting in recent history. With seven races remaining, the drivers' championship is still wide open.

Four drivers -- Fernando Alonso, Lewis Hamilton, Felipe Massa and Kimi Raikkonen are all still in contention for the title.

McLaren's Lewis Hamilton still leads by a narrow two-point margin but his Spanish team-mate Fernando Alonso is fighting back.

The two-times world champion put in the fastest lap in Friday's second practice session at the Hungaroring which should put him in good stead for tomorrow's qualifying session for the Hungarian Grand Prix.

Hamilton's seemingly invincible rise took another pounding as he slid out on to the gravel trap while attempting to get round the Spyker of Sakon Yamamoto. His car was lifted from the track by a tractor but he was unable to continue.

Hamilton caused controversy in the European Grand Prix when his car was lifted back onto the track by a tractor after sliding into the gravel, allowing him to continue his race. The FIA, motor sport's governing body, has since ruled that cars may not be hoisted back into the race once they have left the track.

The Hungarian Grand Prix at the Hungaroring ring has been part of the F1 calendar since the 1986, when Hungary was still under Soviet control.

The 1986 race was the first Formula 1 race to be held behind the "Iron Curtain", in one of Bernie Ecclestone's characteristic PR coups.

The tight circuit's race history is a who's who of modern Formula 1 drivers. It has been home to three victories by Ayrton Senna and four by Michael Schumacher.

Nelson Piquet, Damon Hill, Jacques Villeneuve and Mika Hakkinen have all won twice at the Hungaroring. And, most recently, Jenson Button made his maiden F1 win at the circuit in 2006.

Two drivers will be making their debut races for new teams on Sunday -- Sebastian Vettel, who impressed at Indianapolis for BMW Sauber as a replacement for the injured Robert Kubica, has taken Scott Speed's place at Toro Rosso while Sakon Yamamoto returns to F1 with Spyker, where he replaces Christijan Albers.

Bookmakers currently have Fernando Alonso as favorite to win the race, with Lewis Hamilton and Kimi Raikkonen commanding equal odds and Felipe Massa as fourth favorite. E-mail to a friend