Hungarian Grand Prix: Teams and Drivers Preview – Part II
Renault
Championship Position: 5
Points: 96
Robert Kubica said that it is a very difficult track to set the car up for because there are long corners that require very good front grip, but on the other hand, it also requires good rear stability. It is also difficult for setting-up because of the bumps and because there are many different kinds of corners and one has to concentrate on all areas of the set-up and car balance. The track is very demanding physically and mentally because there are so many corners and only one straight, and even that is not so long. A driver does not really have time to get back his energy and relax and he is always concentrating. Kubica thinks that it would be a more suitable track for their car and does not believe that the team can hope to repeat the kind of pace they showed in Monaco earlier this season. Teammate, Vitaly Petrov is happy about his last performance and wants to repeat it in Hungary. He has said that his aim will be to qualify as best as he can.
Force India
Championship Position: 6
Points: 47
After a poor performance in Hockenheim, Force India is once again hopeful for a good result in Budapest. Adrian Sutil said that the Hungaroring is actually a difficult track, with a lot of corners that require focus as one leads into the next without any recovery time. He likes driving here despite low average speed. Qualifying, he said, is very important, and despite their recent form in this area, Sutil is confident about making it into the top 10. Sutil revealed that Force India would also try new parts, including a new blown diffuser on the Friday. He further said that he didn’t have much success in Hungary in the past but now he has a competitive car, a strong position in the championship and everything to push for. Vitantonio Luizzi said that the race is like kart racing and he likes it. He is aiming for points finish for both the cars. Team Chairman Vijay Mallya said that the blown diffuser will given them a huge advantage and from Hungary onward, they will have at least one car finish into points every race. He said that though Hungary is not an ideal race for their car, they will be able to hold on.
Williams-Cosworth
Championship Position: 7
Points: 31
Rubens Barrichello says that the key to success in Hungary is good qualifying as later on in the race there is not much a driver can do at such a narrow and slow track. He said that the track surface is very bumpy and circuit requires a very different set-up. Rubens is confident that Williams-Cosworth has the speed to earn some points and believes that the good momentum will carried into Hungaroring. Hulkenberg said that Williams is competitive in qualifying as compared to its immediate rivals including Sauber, Renault and Mercedes. Hulkenberg also believes that qualifying is important and is hopeful that the two drivers will qualify in top ten once again. He has been racing at this circuit in GP2 and is not bothered by the heat levels. Technical Director Sam Michael said that the slow traction-limiting corners of Budapest will suit their car and hence he is expecting a good performance. The team is currently working to improve their starts set-up. During the practice sessions, the team will be testing new aero parts in Hungary, which they failed to test in Germany due to bad weather conditions.
BMW Sauber
Championship Position: 8
Points: 15
Hungaroring is Pedro de la Rosa’s favourite track since the Spaniard achieved his only podium in Hungary. He described the track as the permanent version of the Monaco street circuit and said maximum downforce and a good car in slow corners is needed, while efficiency is less important. According to him, the track is very hard on the drivers, especially when it is hot which has quite often been the case at the race weekends. He said that it is not the best track for their car, but they have improved it a lot for slow corners and have also proved that they can finish in points. Kobayashi said that he found the track nice and exciting despite the fact that its narrow and winding corners will not favour BMW Sauber. He said their performance depends on qualifying. Technical Director James Key said low and medium speed corners require high downforce and good mechanical grip. The car needs to be stable through high-speed chicanes and high kerbs. He said that the last corner is very tricky and cause graining on the tyres. Besides these challenges, it is extremely important to constantly monitor the cooling systems.
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