19/07/2016
NEWS STORY
When making a mid-summer trip to the Hungaroring you can expect to endure temperatures in the mid-30s. For a driver in the cockpit of a Formula One car, this can be in excess of 60 degrees. Combining these conditions with the demanding barrage of corner after corner with very few straights for rest and you have the kind of situation Valtteri Bottas and Felipe Massa will have to endure during the Hungarian Grand Prix. Although moderately slow in Formula One terms with an average speed over one lap of 120mph, the slippery track conditions result in the circuit being a challenge the drivers relish.
Pat Symonds: Although the Hungaroring is a lower speed circuit than we have visited recently, it is a still a circuit where our car can perform well, and indeed Valtteri was running fifth last year before a collision dropped him out of the points. We are bringing a new floor to this race as part of our continued development, but the real focus will be on the expected high temperatures and the completely resurfaced track which will be very demanding on the tyres. We'd expect to see a mixture of two and three stop strategies in the race, with final decisions resting on the exact nature of the new asphalt.
Valtteri Bottas: The Hungaroring is probably the most intense track compared to the other events it falls around during in the season. It's much tighter with many slow speed corners and a very technical track to drive, so definitely not the easiest. Budapest falls in the summertime and normally it's very hot. It's nicknamed the Finnish Grand Prix because there can be tens of thousands of Finns at the race. I always really appreciate seeing the Finnish flag and feeling that support.
Felipe Massa: Hungary is a track where I personally have a lot of history with the accident I had. As a consequence, I have the most amazing fans there who support me a lot. They follow me everywhere I go and always have gifts for me. It's an amazing place to go back to and spend time with them. As a track, it's somewhere you need to have very good downforce with the short straights and number of corners. It's quite difficult on the tyres as well, so if you have good downforce, that will really work well for you at this track. All in all, it's a fantastic race in a nice town that I enjoy.