It’s going to be a tight squeeze in
Hungary once again. The Hungaroring on the outskirts of Budapest is a
twisty circuit, throwing up a similar challenge to Monaco in terms of
demanding maximum downforce and razor-sharp concentration. Overtaking
is tricky, and the Grand Prix has frequently panned out as a procession
through the dusty Hungarian plain. The rain-sodden event of 2006, by
contrast, entered the F1 annals as a nailbiting thriller.
Ahead of the 11th of this season’s 18 races, the BMW Sauber F1 Team
remains in second place in the Constructors’ Championship. Robert
Kubica and Nick Heidfeld will be heading for Budapest fuelled with
ambition. In the past both have demonstrated how well the track suits
them. After Heidfeld relished the attendance of numerous fans in
Hockenheim, it is now Kubica’s turn to welcome the hordes of “pilgrims”
who will be flocking to the Hungarian capital from nearby Poland.
Nick Heidfeld:
“I’ve always coped very well on the Hungaroring. The track suits
me, and in the short history of our team I took a podium place there in
2006 and 2007. In 2006 it was the first podium for our team at the end
of an unbelievably wet race. In 2007 I started second and finished
third again. I also have a lot of positive memories of the Hungaroring
going back to previous occasions. In 1999 I took an early Formula 3000
title there and was able to celebrate. The city is beautiful. I just
love the historic buildings and its setting on the river. Budapest has
lots of charm, especially when the weather is really summery.
“If it’s dry the circuit gets very dusty particularly at the start
of the weekend. Racing there is exhausting because there aren’t any
long straights where you can sit back and relax a little bit. I’m
looking forward to the Hungarian Grand Prix and hope we will perform as
strongly again as we have done in the last two years.”
Robert Kubica:
“For sure we can expect a lot of Polish fans in Budapest. The
Hungarian Grand Prix is the closest race to my home country, so in some
way it is my home race. The Hungaroring is the track where I had my
first Formula One race in 2006. As a driver you always have a special
relationship with the track where you had your first Grand Prix.
However, it is not for these reasons alone that I like this track. For
most of the lap you have some steering angle, which means you rarely
get a break, and this is made worse by the fact the straights are very
short. The Hungaroring is a difficult track, but then Formula One is
about challenges.”
Mario Theissen, BMW Motorsport Director:
“In the last two years, the Hungarian Grand Prix was a very
exciting affair for us. In 2006 the weather turned the race into a
cliffhanger, and in 2007 an offensive strategy really put us on our
mettle but rewarded us with a podium place. For 2008 the goal is to
make it onto the Budapest podium for the third consecutive time. Our
pledge is to get both cars firmly into the top ten qualifiers and take
home another decent points haul from the race.
“The Hungaroring makes huge demands on the cars’ aerodynamics and
brakes. At 58 per cent, the full-throttle percentage is at the lower
end. However, temperatures could become critical for the powertrain.
It’s generally hot in Budapest in August, and the heat tends to build
up in the dust bowl of the circuit. Plus the low average speed does its
bit to drive cooling systems to the limits.”
Willy Rampf, Technical Director:
“After Monaco, the Hungaroring is the track with the lowest average
speed. Especially in the middle section of the track, it’s just one
turn after another, and the start-finish straight is relatively short.
That calls for maximum downforce. Overtaking is very difficult, and you
have to take that into consideration in your race strategy. The track
accumulates fresh sand every day, so grip levels are accordingly low,
which can lead to understeer. In Hungary we use the softest tyre
compounds. When it comes to the car’s set-up, you have to focus
primarily on the middle section, which consists of a variety of corner
combinations and the very tight final turns before the start-finish
straight, which require good traction. The track layout and frequent
high air temperatures mean the cars have to drive with maximum
cooling.”
Facts and figures:
Circuit/Date: Hungaroring/3rd August 2008
Start time (local/UTC): 14.00 hrs/12.00 hrs
Lap/Race distance: 4.381 km/306.458 km (70 laps)
Corners: 8 right-hand and 6 left-hand corners
Winner 2007: Lewis Hamilton, Vodafone McLaren Mercedes, 1 hr 35:52.991 min
Pole position 2007: Lewis Hamilton, Vodafone McLaren Mercedes, 1:19.781 min
Fastest lap 2007: Kimi Räikkönen, Scuderia Ferrari Marlboro, 1:20.047 min
Data 2006 (race):
Full-throttle percentage: 58%
Top speed: 291 km/h
Longest stretch at full throttle: 11 sec / 750 m
Gear changes per lap: 50
Tyre wear: medium to high
Brake wear: high
Downforce level: very high
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