26/07/2005
NEWS STORY
The Lucky Strike BAR Honda teams heads east to Budapest for the Hungarian Grand Prix this weekend hoping to repeat the podium finish achieved in Germany. Although the last of the gruelling back-to-back races this month provides no opportunity for testing, the team is encouraged by the race speed of the BAR Honda 007 in last weekend's German Grand Prix and is confident that once again the team will be qualifying and fighting at the front of the grid.
Budapest, host to round 13 of the 2005 Formula One World Championship, is one of the most exciting cities on the F1 racing calendar. The combination of culture, breath taking architecture and vibrant nightlife make it a popular location for the teams. The Hunagaroring itself is a twisty layout, making it the second slowest track after Monaco's street circuit. Five of its corners are 100 km/h turns, with two others taken at just a little over 200km/h.
Jenson Button: "Our podium finish in the German Grand Prix has given everyone at the team a boost, so we head to Hungary in high spirits. The Hungaroring is a very twisty circuit and it's also pretty bumpy. It's not one of my favourites when it comes to the actual racing because it is so hard to overtake. It's also a tough race for the drivers physically because the temperatures are usually so hot. We can lose around two to two and a half kilos around there when the temperatures are high in the thirties. I did reasonably well in Hungary last year so I'm looking forward to going back, especially after the result we had in Hockenheim this weekend."
Takuma Sato: "The Hungaroring is a difficult circuit to overtake at so qualifying position is even more important. Even though I had a tough race in Hockenheim this weekend, I will start qualifying from a reasonable position which will help. The car is getting better all the time and performed well in German, so I am looking forward to getting to Hungary and I am determined to have a good race there."
Gil de Ferran: "We have now been quite competitive over the last three races, culminating in Jenson reaching the podium last weekend in Germany. Although Hungary is quite a different track, requiring maximum downforce with lots of slow turns, we are quite confident that we should again be fighting at the front. Personally, it is going to be my first time in Hungary, however it seems to be a very popular race with our team who clearly very much enjoy Budapest and all it has to offer. So not only I am looking forward to the race, but also being in the country for the first time."
Shuhei Nakamoto: "We'll be looking to build on Jenson's podium finish at Hockenheim with a points-scoring result from both drivers. We are pleased with the progress made so far with the engine, but know we have plenty of work still to do to keep closing the gap to the top two teams."