A disappointing race for you at the Nurburgring...
Giancarlo Fisichella: We were all quite down on Sunday evening, but since then a lot of work has been done to understand where we went wrong, and to avoid repeating our mistakes. It is in the past now, we have learned what we could from the weekend, and we are now fully-focused on the race ahead. We need to carry on moving forward...
Are you pleased to be back in Budapest this year?
GF: I have always enjoyed this race, I like the track and I have been competitive here in the past. I crashed out of the race last year after making a mistake, but the conditions were very difficult indeed. We are expecting much hotter temperatures this year, which will be a very different challenge!
What is the atmosphere like during the race weekend?
GF: It is always a fun race. We get a big crowd, probably because the race is held during the summer holidays. There is a relaxed atmosphere and lots of spectators in the stands.
How will you plan to approach the weekend?
GF: As at every race, our first meeting will be on Thursday to discuss the technical programme for practice. Friday is the day for race preparation, doing the basic set-up work and then comparing the two types of tyre available during the weekend. Then after the meeting, we will walk the track with our engineers, corner by corner, to see any changes and discuss driving lines. We have well-established working methods.
In terms of the technical preparations, what will you be concentrating on?
GF: Hungary is quite a selective circuit, and the very high temperatures often make things a bit more complicated, especially for the drivers and also the powertrain. To be quick here, you need an effective high downforce set-up, good grip and good traction out of the slow corners. We will be working on those areas as soon as we start running on Friday morning.
Heikki, although we don't test in Hungary, you already know the circuit from GP2. Do you enjoy it?
Heikki Kovalainen: Yes, it's a fun track to drive. I found out in GP2 how difficult it is to overtake here, and it means that like in Monaco, it is absolutely essential to qualify well for this race. If we can do that, then we will be in a position to run an aggressive race and try to score more points.
Nurburgring was a tough race, do you expect a better result in Hungary?
HK: We will certainly be aiming for that! We did three days of running in Jerez last week to prepare for the hot conditions we expect in Hungary and Turkey, and I think everybody is determined to have a strong race this weekend. There are some more new parts on the car for this race, so I am looking forward to starting our work on Friday.
The races here are often described as being quite boring, but all the drivers seem to enjoy the track. Why?
HK: It is a very demanding track physically for the drivers, because it can be very hot and there are no straights on which you can recover. The corners follow quickly one after the other, the track surface is quite bumpy and you have to maintain concentration over 70 laps. We all enjoy tackling challenges like that, feeling the car on the limit and trying to push a little bit more to go even faster... I think it's a circuit where the drivers can make a real difference, and that probably explains why we all enjoy it!
What areas of the car set-up will you focus on as you prepare for the race?
HK: There are not really any high-speed corners in Hungary. That means our main focus will be on the mechanical balance, and getting the car working on the high downforce levels to make sure we are quick in the slower corners. You also need good braking stability, and good change of direction through the sequence of corners after turn 5. Strong traction is important but this is an area in which the R27 is usually strong. We will need to work hard to get the car working well, but I think we will be able to achieve a good result this weekend. We will certainly be pushing to the maximum!
