FORMULA 1 - 2016

[MIKA27]

APPLE LINKED WITH F1 RIGHTS BUYOUT

Apple, the iconic American multinational technology company, has been linked with buying Formula 1’s commercial rights.

Potential buyers of the majority stake in the sport currently owned by CVC have been the subject of speculation for some time, but it is the first time Apple, the famous Steve Jobs-founded creator of the iPhone, has been mentioned.

The rumour began to do the rounds this week after the report of an F1 blogger, but the technology media world reacted with scepticism.

‘Apple Insider’ said the blogger was “unable to nail down details, or indeed procure any concrete information beyond hearsay”.

Business Insider added that “There’s no solid evidence to support these rumours at this stage”, adding that buying F1 would be “unusual” for Apple to pay billions for a company in the sporting realm.

But it is suggested that owning F1 would help its so-called ‘Apple Car’ project, whilst control of a global sport like F1 might give Apple a boost with its Apple TV service.

Publications contacted both Apple and the Formula One Group, and neither responded.

[MIKA27]

Pit stop error won't happen again after process change - Renault

Renault have blamed "human error" for Jolyon Palmer's second pit stop at the British Grand Prix, which saw him leave with just three wheels on his car, and the team insist it won't happen again following a change to their pit stop process.

During the Briton's second stop, he was given the green light to leave despite the fact only three wheels had been fitted to his car. He was handed a ten-second penalty for an "unsafe release" which, combined with the time lost being pushed back to his pit box, cost him more than a minute.

"It was human error," explained team principal Frederic Vasseur. "As a team pit stops are conducted and practiced repeatedly but there is no pit crew that never makes mistakes.

"When you think about it, it's is truly remarkable that it is possible to jack up a car, change four wheels and lower the car to depart in around two seconds.
"We are working all the time to make our stops quicker and we understand what went wrong in that isolated instance. We have changed the process to ensure the same mistake can't happen again."

Vasseur also confirmed that an investigation into why Palmer's engine caught fire during the following in-season test is ongoing, but they believe a hydraulic leak may be the cause.

"[It] looks to be the result of a hydraulic leak and we're naturally investigating what happened," he explained. "The fortunate thing is that the fire happened on the final in-lap of the day so we were able to complete all we could for that day. "

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Alonso brushes off ‘fault’ comments

Fernando Alonso says McLaren-Honda will hopefully give Flavio Briatore "some satisfaction next year" after his manager questioned the decision to join the team.

Briatore reportedly told an Italian radio station that it was "a little my fault" that Alonso had joined McLaren as he "thought Honda would be competitive before now."

The Spaniard has brushed off the comments.

"I don't know why he said that," Alonso told Sky Sports F1. "He was one of the people who persuaded me to join the project.

"But hopefully we can give him some satisfaction next year.

"He's definitely sad for the performance that the team shows after convincing him as well of joining the project."

He once again insisted that he does not regret leaving Ferrari.

"There are no regrets," he added. "When you finish something in one place it's time to leave it, that's my feeling about leaving Ferrari.

"I think I did my best there and was the perfect time to finish on a high."

The double World Champion is determined to do his best with McLaren-Honda and assist the team in turning their fortunes around.

Although there has been definite progress this season, Alonso says he won't be taking a break over the summer holiday as he wants to keep driving the process.

"I want to win everything I want to do in life. I count the days to the next grand prix and the next opportunity," he added.

"No doubt there are frustrations. I am on top of everyone to make sure they are not relaxed and they don't take too many holidays because I don't take holidays."

[MIKA27]

Steiner: It's Brutal in F1’s midfield

Guenther Steiner admits life is not easy in Formula 1’s midfield as Haas have fallen to eighth in the championship.

The American outfit made an incredible start to their Formula 1 career with Romain Grosjean scoring in three of the first four grands prix.

That, though, was followed by four races outside the points before he claimed seventh place in Austria.

After 10 grands prix, Haas have dropped to eighth in the standings with 28 points, four behind McLaren.

And although Steiner concedes points would be easier to come by if Haas could break into Q3, he admits that is not an easy challenge.

“I would say it is brutal in the midfield, which is where we are in the standings,” Steiner told F1i.com.

“We just need to keep putting in a lot of work and making sure the cars are as prepared as possible, the tyres are in the range they need to be, the drivers are hitting their marks perfectly, and that we go out on the racetrack at the right time.

“It ends up being a lot of ingredients that we have to get together, but I think getting to Q3 is achievable. We just need to work on all of the above points.”

Steiner, however, reckons whatever happens Haas can be proud of what they have achieved to date.

“We probably wouldn’t have thought that we would have 28 points so far in our first season, but we still do wish that we were a little higher up in the standings.

“We are very close to the teams in front of us and hope that we can keep competing and moving up in the standings.

“I am very proud of us, though. We are doing well for our first season and the team has been working hard to be where we are.”

[MIKA27]

Bottas ‘wants to commit’ to Williams

Valtteri Bottas’ manager says the driver “wants to commit” to Williams as he has unfinished business with the team.

Although the Finn has been linked to Ferrari in recent times, both years the Scuderia opted to extend Kimi Raikkonen’s stay.

With that door firmly shut for another season, manager Didier Coton says his driver is looking to extend his time with Williams.

“Valtteri has been very adamant about his commitment towards Williams since the beginning of this season, especially because of the change in the regulations for next year, and the trust he has in them,” Coton told Autosport.

“There is a bit of an unfinished story between those two, and he wants to commit as much as he can to the team.

“He is in F1 to win, the team, of course, has the same objective, and both are working hard to achieve it.

“Williams is a great team, with a lot of potential.

“They have demonstrated in the past two years what they can do, and there is more to come.

“And if I look at Valtteri’s commitment towards the team, the team should be happy to have him.”

Coton, who is taking a back-seat role in Bottas’ latest contract talks after the 26-year-old said he wanted to be more hands on, added that there is no rush for the parties to sign on the dotted line.

“He has taken a lead on that, and he knows we are behind him at all times,” he said. “There is no rush [in terms of 2017 negotiations]. It’s not for me to predict.”

[MIKA27]

Highlights from Force India's fan zone at Silverstone Woodlands

Nico Hulkenberg and Sergio Perez join Sky Sport pundits and F1 legends Damon Hill and Johnny Herbert on the stage of the SFI Fan Zone at Silverstone Woodlands.

 

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Haas hoping to have its fill in Budapest

Starved at Silverstone, the Haas team is hoping to turn up the heat in search of more F1 points on its first visit to the Hungarian Grand Prix. 

As the travelling circus swaps the ultrafast and flowing Silverstone for the slowest permanent circuit in F1 at the Hungaroring, Haas team principal Gunther Steiner admits that, after the US squad's unexpected start to life in the top flight, not scoring points hurts more than usual. 

“We probably wouldn't have thought that we would have 28 points so far in our first season, but we still do wish that we were a little higher up in the standings,” he said of Haas' eighth place in the constructors' table, “I am very proud of us, though. We are doing well for our first season and the team has been working hard to be where we are. 

“We are very close to the teams in front of us and hope that we can keep competing and moving up in the standings, moving up, of course, and getting more points. As long as the team is able to gain more experience and prepare for a better year next year, I am happy.” 

While the British Grand Prix might not have been its best race to date – with Romain Grosjean retiring and Esteban Gutierrez finishing a distant 16th – Silverstone did give Haas its best Friday of the season, with more than 670km logged between its three drivers, as GP3 frontrunner Charles Leclerc made his debut. The collective effort led to another productive practice session on Saturday, and resulted in a qualifying performance that led Grosjean and Gutiérrez to believe Sunday would yield their first double-points finish of the year. Sadly, a downpour just before the start meant that the sound strategy crafted from two days of running went down the drain. 

“Everyone has bad days, and we had one at Silverstone,” Steiner admitted, “The team realised that and got past it so they could focus on what lies ahead. But we did have a good Friday and Saturday at Silverstone, where we accomplished a lot, and as a new team, that helps. We're going into Hungary as prepared and confident as we have to all of the other races this year. 

“We are by no means perfect, but we are striving to be better, which we are doing well right now, and Silverstone was an example of that. With time and experience, we have been able to learn and get better in everything we do. If we have a problem, we are able to fix it quicker because of what we've learned at the past events. The performance that we had on Friday not only gave us the data we needed, but it also gave the team confidence. With more time, the more we can continue to improve.” 

Having had one eye on eating into the four-point margin between itself and seventh-place McLaren, Haas was left starving at Silverstone, but its rival also failed to advance its tally so the target remains the same at next weekend's Hungarian race, at a circuit where qualifying can be crucial, but where strategy has also been known to the turn expected results on their head. 

“I would say it is brutal in the midfield, which is where we are in the standings,” Steiner acknowledged, “We just need to keep putting in a lot of work and making sure the cars are as prepared as possible, the tyres are in the range they need to be, the drivers are hitting their marks perfectly, and that we go out on the racetrack at the right time [in qualifying]. It ends up being a lot of ingredients that we have to get together, but I think getting to Q3 is achievable. 

“Things get heated when logistics have a downfall, like at Silverstone when we had the power go down on all our systems in the pit perch or a safety car is used, but the strategy is to try and prepare in advance for the chance that these types of things will happen. 

“The main thing is how we react to a change in our strategy, and the change in the degradation of our tyres and everyone else's tyres. It gets quite tense sometimes, but it's also what makes racing challenging and fun, at least in my eyes. Having situations that aren't expected gives teams the chance to get an edge on other teams. It's a part of racing, and it makes it more interesting for the fans.”
 

[OZCUBAN]

1 hour ago, MIKA27 said:

APPLE LINKED WITH F1 RIGHTS BUYOUT

Apple, the iconic American multinational technology company, has been linked with buying Formula 1’s commercial rights.

Potential buyers of the majority stake in the sport currently owned by CVC have been the subject of speculation for some time, but it is the first time Apple, the famous Steve Jobs-founded creator of the iPhone, has been mentioned.

The rumour began to do the rounds this week after the report of an F1 blogger, but the technology media world reacted with scepticism.

‘Apple Insider’ said the blogger was “unable to nail down details, or indeed procure any concrete information beyond hearsay”.

Business Insider added that “There’s no solid evidence to support these rumours at this stage”, adding that buying F1 would be “unusual” for Apple to pay billions for a company in the sporting realm.

But it is suggested that owning F1 would help its so-called ‘Apple Car’ project, whilst control of a global sport like F1 might give Apple a boost with its Apple TV service.

Publications contacted both Apple and the Formula One Group, and neither responded.

ICar........world championship

[skalls]

3 hours ago, OZCUBAN said:

ICar........world championship

Isn't this formula E?

[MIKA27]

ALONSO: JENSON IS FAST AND EXPERIENCED

Formula 1 veteran Jenson Button is a key member of the McLaren-Honda project, according to his current teammate Fernando Alonso.

It is no secret that the Anglo-Japanese collaboration is considering replacing Button with McLaren youngster Stoffel Vandoorne for 2017, with the young Belgian warning that other teams are expressing interest in him.

But 2009 world champion Button, 36, has looked impressive at McLaren since Alonso joined the team last year, even scoring more points than the Spaniard in 2015.

“Last year it was difficult to have many races when we had the same conditions,” Alonso argued, “because we always had some engine problems.

“I think we used 11 or 12 engines in the season. This year is a bit fairer, and yes, he is fast,” Alonso, who is staying at the team for 2017, told UOL Esporte.

“He has experience and I think we are very good at working together in terms of helping Honda, especially on the power unit side with the experience Jenson had with Mercedes in 2014 and myself with Ferrari. So I think we both have a lot of input to give,” Alonso added.

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ECCLESTONE: WE ARE TRYING TO SWAP MONZA FOR IMOLA

The future of the historic Italian Grand Prix at Monza continues to hang in the balance.

Ansa, an Italian news agency, quoted F1 supremo Bernie Ecclestone as having said sustained efforts to ensure the race is on the 2017 calendar are yet to bear fruit.

“We are trying to solve the problem of Monza, but it is very difficult because it is a political problem,” the 85-year-old reportedly said whilst on holiday in Croatia.

“We are working to transfer the Italian Grand Prix to Imola, but if we do not succeed, we will have to say ‘goodbye’ to F1 in Italy,” Ecclestone added.

When faced with Ecclestone’s comments, Italian automobile club chief Angelo Sticchi Damiani played down suggestions Monza’s chances are now definitely over.

“In the last few hours, we have finally solved all of the problems between the territorial entities,” he is quoted by La Gazzetta dello Sport.

“We found an agreement and are preparing a binding offer to be sent to FOM within the first days of the week, probably Tuesday. At this point, there are no more political problems,” Sticchi Damiani added.

Meanwhile Formula Imola president Uberto Selvatico Estense told media, “Bernie knows that we are available. He sent us a proposal that we signed and sent back to him.”

“We will be very happy to have F1 back in Imola. Our main effort is to achieve this kind of result. It just depends on Angelo Sticchi Damiani. I think it’s a political issue.”

“We have an agreement with Bernie, and we only need the approval of the national sporting authority. If in the future there is not an Italian GP, it is only the problem of Mr Sticchi Damiani, who didn’t allow this agreement.”

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MERCEDES PREVIEW THE HUNGARIAN GRAND PRIX

The 2016 Formula One World Championship season continues this weekend with Round 11, the Hungarian Grand Prix, from Budapest

Lewis Hamilton: “It’s a wonderful feeling, winning in front of your home crowd. I’m still buzzing from it now and looking forward to carrying those positive vibes into the next race weekend. Ever since the low of Barcelona I’ve been able to cultivate this really strong mental attitude and I’m really feeling that fire inside me right now. Of course, I have good days and bad days like everyone else. But whatever the case, I’m able to turn negatives into positives when it counts. I’m feeling fresh, feeling powerful and feeling confident heading to Hungary. It’s a track that for some reason has always suited my style and I have incredible support there, so I can’t wait to get to out on track. The past couple of years I haven’t had the smoothest weekends in Budapest, of course. But I know I’ve got the pace, so I’m gunning to turn that around this time.”

Nico Rosberg: “Silverstone was a good weekend except for the loss of position following the Stewards’ decision after the race. It was disappointing to lose a hard-fought and deserved second position in such a way – but we have accepted the decision and now I have to look forward with positivity. I am leading the World Championship coming up to the halfway point of the season and there’s still a long way to go. The battle is on with Lewis and I’m feeling great in myself and great in the car, so bring it on! I can’t wait for the next battle between us in Budapest. It’s a tough circuit that really tests you as a driver and a challenge I really enjoy, so I’m looking forward to an exciting and hopefully successful weekend!”

Toto Wolff, Head of Mercedes-Benz Motorsport: “It was a special day, bringing home a 1-2 finish in front of our friends and colleagues from Brackley and Brixworth. Now, we face a very different challenge in Budapest. This circuit has not been kind to us over the past two years and it plays to the strengths of our rivals. The Red Bull, for example, is a car that functions well where high drag isn’t penalised as much as at other types of circuit. So, in wet conditions and at low-speed circuits such as the Hungaroring, they are a major threat. We will need to be flawless to come out on top at this track. We are also now entering a time where things are complicated even more by some big decisions to be made. Every week we must analyse how much resource we move across to the 2017 project – but that’s a tricky balance. Some teams will have stopped 2016 development very early – as early as February maybe, once the current cars hit the circuit. That does give them an advantage, as the learning curve is very steep at the beginning. If you are a few weeks behind you can find yourselves much further back in the end. We may be halfway through the battle for this year – but the hard work is only just beginning.”

Paddy Lowe, Executive Director (Technical): “Since the Formula One summer shutdown was introduced in 2009, Hungary has traditionally been the last race before the break. With Germany now filling that slot, it feels strange to be going to Budapest without preparing for a well-earned rest afterwards! It’s the only race we haven’t won in the V6 Hybrid Formula One era and the Hungaroring is a tough venue to crack, with only 13 of the 30 Grands Prix to be held at this circuit having been won by the pole sitter – despite it being one of the toughest tracks on the calendar for overtaking. It’s tough on both cars and drivers, with ambient temperatures often reaching well into the 30s Celsius. The layout is low-speed, so we will run as much downforce as possible – similar to Monaco. With the SuperSoft compound available – a tyre one step softer than the softest compound allocated last year – we expect to see some very quick qualifying times. Budapest itself is one of the most beautiful cities we go to with a fantastic racetrack to boot. It’s great for the spectators, as it has a natural amphitheatre layout allowing good views over large sections of the circuit from the stands. We have enthusiastic fans coming from across Europe for this race, so it’s one we always enjoy. We’ll do our best to put on a good show – hopefully without the chaos of last year, however!”

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FORCE INDIA PREVIEW THE HUNGARIAN GRAND PRIX

Force India preview the Hungarian Grand Prix, Round 11 of the 2016 Formula 1 world championship, at Hungaroring near Budapest.

Q&A with Vijay Mallya

Vijay Mallya reflects on a strong Silverstone showing and hopes for more points in Budapest.

VJM: “I thoroughly enjoyed the Silverstone weekend. The atmosphere was fantastic and it was great to see a full house on Sunday. The enthusiasm from the British crowd showed Formula One at its best. Meeting fans in the campsites was great fun and I’m pleased they were treated to an entertaining race.
“I’m very proud of our performance at Silverstone. 14 points represents our best ever score from a British Grand Prix and it means we are closing down the gap to fourth place in the championship. I take real encouragement from our pace across the whole weekend, especially during the race. With half the season to go, there’s no reason why we can’t score good points at every race. If we want to fight for fourth, that’s what we need to do.
“Budapest last year was a pretty challenging weekend for the team and a race we prefer to forget. So things can only get better this year. The twisty layout of the Hungaroring is the complete opposite of Silverstone so it will be interesting to see how we perform there. We’ve worked hard to improve the car through low and medium-speed corners so I think we should be in good shape this weekend.”

Nico Hulkenberg: “Getting back in the points in Silverstone was a good result, although I think I could have scored even more points had some circumstances like the VSC played out differently. However, the car performed well and we beat some fast cars on merit, which is very encouraging for Hungary and the rest of the season.

“The race in Budapest is generally pretty cool. I am a big fan of this city: it’s beautiful, with lots of historic buildings and there’s a good vibe around town. There are many fans who somehow manage to find out where you’re staying and they’ll be waiting at the hotel every morning and evening. It’s pretty good fun.

“For the last few years, Hungary used to be the last round before the summer break and there was always a big party on the Sunday night, after the race – an end of term celebration. This time we still have a race after Budapest, but I still think there will be a party in town.

“The Hungaroring is not somewhere I raced a lot in my junior formulas. Outside of F1, I only raced there in GP2 in 2009 – I won the feature race and it was a pretty good weekend for me. It’s an old school track: narrow and very twisty. There is no chance to relax or lose concentration as all the corners come one after the other and you risk losing momentum with any mistake. It’s a challenging track to get right and it usually produces some fun races.”

Sergio Perez: “We have been strong in the last few races, but after some very fast tracks like Austria and Silverstone we head to the Hungaroring, which is the complete opposite to them.

“The weekend in Budapest is one I find very enjoyable: there’s a nice atmosphere in the paddock and everyone’s a fan of this beautiful city. Unfortunately, this year the race is not the final one before the summer break: in the past we usually had a big celebration on Sunday night and the mood there was always great, regardless of whether your result was good or bad. I have a lot of great memories from those parties! I hope there is still one this year as it’s a great way to release a lot of the tension after the race.

“I really like Hungary and its interesting culture. The locals really love Formula One too and there’s always a big crowd in the grandstands. It’s a track with few overtaking opportunities so qualifying is important. It’s probably the second most important race for track position after Monaco. I think it will be a challenging weekend, but we know we can be competitive on every track. I haven’t had a lot of luck there in the past, so I hope for better fortunes this year.”

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MCLAREN PREVIEW THE HUNGARIAN GRAND PRIX

The Hungaroring was the first circuit in the world to be built specifically for Formula 1. Situated 20km (12 miles) north east of Budapest, the track was constructed in just nine months ahead of the inaugural race in 1986. Only six tracks on this year’s F1 calendar have staged more races than the Hungaroring.

What makes it unique: The number of slow corners. Twelve of the 14 corners are taken at less than 200km/h (124mph), which places an emphasis on mechanical grip and has earned the track the nickname of ‘Monaco, without the walls’.

Grip levels: Poor. The track is rarely used, which means the surface is very dirty early in the weekend. The racing line cleans up relatively quickly once practice gets underway, but the asphalt remains slippery off-line throughout the weekend.

Run-off: There’s ample run-off at Turn One, where the cars exceed 300km/h (186mph) on the approach to the corner, but the barriers are relatively close elsewhere due to the slow speeds. The smallest of mistakes can be punished by contact with the tyre wall.

Watch out for: Turn Four, the fastest corner on the lap. The uphill approach means the drivers can’t see the exit and the surface drops away near the apex kerb. Precision is crucial in order to be quick.

Fernando Alonso: “The Hungaroring is a great little circuit, and has quite unique characteristics that not many other tracks share. It’s a bit like a street circuit in the way it’s configured, even though it’s purpose-built, and it requires absolute precision and concentration to get the most out of every lap.
“Since you need good balance and downforce, the best way to get a good lap time is to really attack the corners – a bit like in karting – so from that point of view it’s a really fun circuit to drive. Although it’s not a traditional ‘power’ circuit like many others, it doesn’t feel like a slow circuit either; I hope we can find a good set-up early on in the weekend so we can really make the most of our car and hopefully have some fun.”

“Silverstone was definitely a challenge for us, but we knew that from the beginning and we still took a lot of positives away from the weekend. Reliability-wise, we’re getting stronger, and the test just after the grand prix was definitely a little boost for the whole team. We completed a full programme, got a lot of mileage done, and learned a lot which will help with our development, so hopefully we can put some of this knowledge to good use in Hungary.
“There’s no such thing as perfect in this sport, but the important thing will be to execute a trouble-free weekend in all areas. If we manage to get the best out of every session, and have some clean, drama-free running, hopefully we can find some good pace in the car and maximise the potential of what we have underneath us – and score some valuable points.”

Jenson Button: “This circuit is quite different from the last few we’ve been to, so I’m looking forward to heading back to Hungary next weekend. It’s less dependent on power, and much more dependent on traction, cornering speeds and agility, and it’s a really enjoyable challenge. You get a great feeling when you hook up a good lap there.

“The focus is much more on aero, so we’ll run pretty high downforce and try to make the most of our car’s good traction under braking. Hopefully it’ll mean we can keep up with the chasing pack and maybe even make up a bit of ground, too. Although we struggled with our pace in Silverstone, the Hungaroring is a different kettle of fish, so I’m keen to see how we perform there.”

“Both Fernando and I won our first grand prix in Hungary, and it’s always a special feeling going back. It’s been 10 years since that first victory – although it doesn’t feel that long – so the Hungaroring is a place that holds great memories. Budapest is a really cool city and we stay more centrally than at many other grands prix, so we get to see quite a bit of the surrounding area, and it makes for a great atmosphere and a real buzz about the place.

“In the past couple of years Hungary has been fairly good to us and provided a bit of a boost before the summer break after a relentless few weeks of back-to-back racing, so I’m hoping for more of the same this time around. It suits our car more than some of the other circuits, but of course there are no guarantees, so we’ll be putting in the hard work on Friday to make sure we have the best possible set-up for the demands of this quirky track.”

Eric Boullier, McLaren-Honda Racing Director: “We head to the Hungaroring off the back of a positive couple of days testing at Silverstone. The grand prix weekend was certainly a challenge, but knowing the characteristics of the circuit as we do, we were prepared for a difficult race, although it’s still disappointing not to have finished in the points.

“The test, however, was encouraging, and we definitely maximised the track time to collate some valuable data which our engineers in the UK and Japan are putting to good use on the development of the MP4-31. Not all will apply directly to the race in Hungary, of course, but we certainly hope that we can align the strengths of our package with the unique nature of the Hungaroring circuit.

“Over the past few races, we’ve endured some bad luck, made a few small mistakes, and suffered some reliability niggles. But, if we can enjoy a smooth weekend, I’m hopeful we can fulfil the potential that our package has shown at various points throughout the season so far, on both sides of the garage, and secure a result that, statistically, we know we’re capable of on this type of circuit.”

Yusuke Hasegawa, Honda R&D Co Ltd Head of F1 Project & Executive Chief Engineer: “With an old-school style racing circuit and the shimmering summer sun, the Hungarian Grand Prix is a special place for Honda. I can still remember when Jenson won his first Grand Prix with us in 2006 and the incredible atmosphere within the team and fans.

“Though the Hungaroring is not a power-oriented circuit, it still requires precise energy management throughout every lap of the race. It’s also a circuit where overtaking is extremely difficult, so it’ll be important for us to get the qualifying lap correct. Our target again is to reach Q3 and be in a good place to score more points, for which we have two skilled drivers that we have complete trust in to drive brilliantly through the gruelling 70-lap race.”

[MIKA27]

RENAULT PREVIEW THE HUNGARIAN GRAND PRIX

Renault team drivers and managers preview the Hungarian Grand Prix, Round 11 of the 2016 Formula 1 World Championship, at Hungaroring near Budapest.

Foreword by Cyril Abiteboul, managing director

The results we see on track at the moment don’t do justice to the amount of work and progress that is going on behind the scenes at Enstone and Viry. We are steadily building the team and recruiting more people and our rate of development is high. We saw this during the Silverstone test when we trialled some new aero and suspension parts that we hope will bring some added performance to the car.

Our focus, however, remains our mid and long-term goals and we continue to put a lot of effort into this. That’s not to say that 2016 isn’t important as a significant amount of resources are still going into racing this year. The results are not necessarily impressive, but we are learning lessons all the time that will serve us well in the future.

We look forward to Budapest, but know that the challenge will be big. Slow, twisty circuits don’t necessarily suit us well, but – as I said before – every lesson learnt, however harsh, gives us information for the future.

Fred Vasseur

Hungry for results. Renault Sport Formula One Team’s Team Principal Fred Vasseur knows what he wants heading to Budapest.

What’s the outlook looking to Hungary?
We made some good progress at the Silverstone test and we have two drivers who are highly motivated to deliver after an ultimately frustrating previous Grand Prix so there’s nothing to say we can’t do a good job.

Where is the team’s focus?
We have updates still to come for this season but it’s true that much of our development focus is on 2017. We had plenty of parts to bring performance to this year’s car at the Silverstone test and if it wasn’t for the weather we would have been running a lot more evaluations there. This year is all about developing the team, maintaining focus and getting all the details in place to be able to deliver once we have achieved the stronger performance that we’re all working towards. We are still fighting for every position on track at every race we attend. The positive thing is that even though the results are not coming at the moment, the team is still positive. Everyone is working hard and wanting to get to where we can deliver results. It is a team of racers both at Enstone and Viry. We will get where we need to be.

What was learnt at the test?
The British weather certainly wasn’t beneficial that’s for sure! Sergey Sirotkin did a good job in the car for us again even though he faced the majority of the rain at Silverstone. We were able to get more laps with Jolyon and even though we didn’t complete all the programmes and assessments we wanted we still got a good knowledge base from the test.

What happened with the car right at the end of the test?
The car caught fire. This looks to be the result of a hydraulic leak and we’re naturally investigating what happened. The fortunate thing is that the fire happened on the final in-lap of the day so we were able to complete all we could for that day. There was no issue for Jo and the fire was soon extinguished.

What were the lessons learnt at the British Grand Prix?
We didn’t have a good weekend in many regards. The pace was not fantastic and we had a few incidents during the race too. Our reliability was not where we wanted it to be and there was a mistake in a pit stop which proved damaging to our strategy too. We know the areas where we need to improve.

What happened in that Silverstone pit stop?
It was human error. As a team pit stops are conducted and practiced repeatedly but there is no pit crew that never makes mistakes. When you think about it, it’s is truly remarkable that it is possible to jack up a car, change four wheels and lower the car to depart in around two seconds. We are working all the time to make our stops quicker and we understand what went wrong in that isolated instance. We have changed the process to ensure the same mistake can’t happen again.

What’s the strategy for Esteban’s development?
Esteban drove for us in FP1 in Silverstone then he was kept busy by AMG Mercedes for two days of testing at Silverstone so we’ll be checking what he’s allowed to tell us about that experience! The plan is for him to drive again in FP1 in Hungary as part of his season-long programme.

Kevin Magnussen

Keeping cool. Kevin Magnussen reckons the Hungaroring is a cool track and his target is points.

What are your thoughts of the Hungaroring and Budapest?
It’s certainly a twisty track and it’s a little bit difficult to overtake there but it’s possible to have a good race there. I’ve had strong performances there in the past so I hope that will help this weekend. The race is very popular with fans and the support always helps. Budapest certainly is a city with a good vibe. It’s a beautiful with some lovely old buildings and some great restaurants. We don’t get enough time to explore the area during a race weekend unfortunately but I’m hoping to see a bit of it this time.

What is it about the track you like?
The Hungaroring is a cool track, I find myself saying that for every circuit we visit but I’m a racing driver and all tracks are cool in a Formula 1 car! It’s another race to look forward to and hopefully another race where we can push as hard as possible and hope for points.

Given the tight and twisty nature, how important is qualifying?
It’s very important. Yes you can overtake – turn one being the obvious example – but it’s not easy so qualifying position is a bit more important than at other places.

We should see better summery temperatures in land-locked Hungary than we had at Silverstone…
It was quite cool and very windy at Silverstone so any improvement weather-wise would be great! Whatever the weather though, we’ll approach the race weekend the same way, work hard and adapt to the circumstances. Last race’s result was certainly not what we’d hoped for so we’ll be working as hard as possible in Hungary with hopefully some learnings from the test that took place at Silverstone this week.

Jolyon Palmer

Hot to trot. Although delivering a char-grilled R.S.16 back to the garage at the end of the Silverstone test wasn’t quite the intended plan, Jolyon Palmer is in a positive mood heading to one of his favourite tracks of the season at the Hungarian Grand Prix.

What are your thoughts heading to Hungary?
I really like Budapest as it’s been the scene for some of my best races. I won there in the GP2 Series. I like the city and I like the entire place. The track is different in nature to many of them in terms of having a lot of slow speed corners so it feels a bit like Monaco without the walls.

What are the challenges heading there this season?
Obviously this will be my first Grand Prix there so there’s lots to think about. In particular, the circuit has been resurfaced so that’s an unknown – it might help us, it might not; we won’t know until we get there! New track surfaces are always a little bit of a venture into the unknown as you don’t know how much grip there will be, how the surface will evolve over the weekend and how the tyres will perform with the surface. Of course, a new surface doesn’t change the layout or make a significant difference to your approach to a particular circuit but nevertheless it does give an additional focus.

Are there any particular parts of the track which bring a smile to your face?
There’s not a particular section of the circuit which I’d pick out on its own, it’s more about how the entire circuit flows together and makes for an exciting lap. Once you brake for turn one you don’t get much respite until you’re back round again and on to the straight as all the corners flow together and come thick and fast. It’s fun to drive a lap, it’s good for racing, hopefully we can have some fun with the strategy and get a good result.

It’s tight and twisty but are there opportunities to overtake?
I’ve had some great racing there especially in the first sector. Braking into turn one is the main overtaking opportunity but there is opportunity to fight back straight after that corner so you can have some superb battles.

Your team-mate is always your best measure in motor racing; how do you think you’re measuring up against Kevin this season?
Obviously he’s got a bit more experience than me and he’s had a few of seasons working with a top team so he’s a good yardstick. It’s true he’s been just ahead of me in qualifying at many races but when you look at the actual lap times it’s so very close, we’re talking just a tenth or hundredths. Somehow it falls just so very slightly on Kev’s side. The races are often just as close and we’re often fighting for the same piece of track. This shows that we’re both generally getting the most out of the car for any given circumstance so this is beneficial for the team. I would be lying if I said I didn’t want to be the one who’s a tenth or so quicker in qualifying; maybe we can make that happen in Budapest.

How was testing at Silverstone? It got pretty hot at the end…
We did get through a good programme on Wednesday even if we were continually looking at the clouds and hoping they didn’t unleash their loads. We were looking at different aero parts and configurations as well as doing suspension comparisons. It’s not the most exciting work in the world and you’re aiming for comparable data rather than trying to set the world alight with the fastest lap of the day. Although we didn’t set the world alight with our lap time we did manage to set the car itself alight which certainly wasn’t part of the plan. It looks like it was a hydraulic leak but fortunately it was all under control pretty quickly. It happened on our final in-lap of the test so it didn’t affect our day’s programme however it did give the crew at the track and back at Enstone quite a bit of unexpected work to do afterwards!

Rémi Taffin

We can work as a team to maximise what we have got.

‘The work we have done so far has paid off and now based on our latest spec we are really just looking at the smaller details such as improving the PU in certain conditions.’

How did you feel the British Grand Prix went for the team?
It obviously wasn’t a classic performance but we didn’t have any particular worries. The power unit worked fine and we didn’t have any major reliability issues. It’s now the fourth race where we have used the new units and everything has worked well. We have now got to the point where we are working on the smaller issues to improve the wider picture and give extra performance through driveability or additional power. Having a reliable and generally driveable PU was one of our major targets this year and now that has been achieved we can work on the bigger picture, together with Enstone. We’re learning as a team all the time about operating car and every lesson learnt helps for the future.

Did you test anything specific in the Silverstone test?
The race weekend in Silverstone showed that we could still improve driveability in the wet. We experienced every type of condition over the three days, from heavy rain to a drying track, so we were able to see how the power unit performed in every circumstance. We identified that we could make minor improvements to the driveability in the slippery conditions so we have been concentrating on this in Silverstone. In actual fact we had perfect conditions to get this work done so when we go to another wet event – which will probably be the next race by the way we are going this year! – we will be fully prepared.

What challenges does Hungary present for the team?
We know that slower tracks with lots of tight corners aren’t where our strengths lie. In general the car didn’t perform well over the kerbs and in the slower turns, but with the extensive work we achieved at Silverstone, Budapest should benefit from new parts and a better understanding of the car. On top of that, Budapest also has short straights between the corners so this could turn into our direction. We hence look forward to Budapest to maximise what we have got.

The same power unit is used in the Red Bull, does this give an indication of the performance potential of the engine now?
It’s obviously encouraging to see that the power unit is now capable of fighting on track at the front and going for pole positions. It shows the work we have done has paid off but we know we still need to increase the power output and this is where our focus lies as we know how to achieve that.

Circuit notes

• The Hungaroring is not considered a power sensitive track since one lap is taken at just 55% full throttle. The average speed is just over 180kph during qualifying, with each corner taken from second to fourth gear.
• The turbo is highly solicited in Hungary. The driver is constantly on and off the power and having a turbo that can kick in instantly with accurate power will greatly reduce lap time by improving driveability. Sector two is critical for turbo response since the corners are mid to low speed, with rapid braking events. Delivering power when needed is important to overall lap time reduction.
• The heavy braking zones will provide the K with the opportunity to recover energy. The main energy recovery points for the MGU-K will be the first corner, where the cars will brake from almost 300kph to under 100kph, and almost the entirety of sector two. Turns six and seven in particular (the chicane) feature another heavy braking zone that gives further opportunity.
• The MGU-H is really put through its paces in Budapest, possibly more than at any other circuit so far this year since the small bursts of power between the corners are intense.
• Ambient temperatures are expected to be hot, with the mercury well over the 30°C mark. Advanced cooling and heat dissipation strategies are to prevent overheating.

Tyre choice

• White – medium: Bikaver – an older blend of wine, very robust.
• Yellow – soft: Balatonboglár: a dry, light, fruity blend that lasts well on the palate.
• Red – supersoft: The Tokaj of the bunch. Sweet and full of flavour.

Memory Lane

The 1992 Hungarian GP holds a special place in Renault’s motorsport history as the race saw Nigel Mansell secure the company’s first ever World Championship. Williams, Renault and Mansell’s dominance was absolute as he won the first five races and finished second in Monaco. Further wins in France, Britain and Germany made the title a formality. Mansell came to Hungary needing to finish second. On lap 39 Mansell was in position, but close to the end of the race Mansell felt a handling problem. Suspecting a puncture, on the following lap he came into the pits for tyres, and dropped to sixth place. It took retirements ahead of him, collisions and a dose of good luck but the Briton eventually crossed the line some 40s behind winner Senna, taking his – and Renault’s – first world title.

Quirky facts

• The Rubik’s cube was invented by a Hungarian engineer, Ernő Rubik. Mr. Rubik originally named the toy as Magic Cube. Milán Baticz holds the record at Guinness, as he solved 4786 Rubik’s cube within 24 hours. Other notable Hungarian inventions include the ballpoint pen, designed by László Bíró.
• Budapest has more thermal springs than any other capital city in the world. 70 million litres of thermal water rises to the surface daily.
• The funicular that takes you up to the Buda Castle from Clasrk Adam Square is more than 140 years old, and it was the second in Europe. The funicular has two cabins, called Margit and Gellért.
• After London, Budapest has the oldest underground train system in Europe. The line opened in 1896 in the year when Hungary celebrated its 1000th anniversary, hence the name Millenium Underground. It’s still in use as subway M1 and it connects the city center with City Park.
• Hungary is one of the oldest countries in Europe. It was founded in 896, before France and Germany became separate entities, and before the unification of Anglo-Saxon kingdoms.

[MIKA27]

RED BULL DRIVERS PREVIEW THE HUNGARIAN GRAND PRIX

Red Bull drivers preview the Hungarian Grand Prix, Round 11 of the 2016 Formula 1 World Championship, at Hungaroring near Budapest.

Max Verstappen: “Hungaroring is a great track and Budapest is a really cool city. Normally when we arrive it’s pretty warm which is nice. I always enjoy driving there because it’s a small track with a big car so it gives a bit of a go kart feeling, it’s also pretty tough due to all the turns, so you don’t really get a chance to rest and usually end up pretty sweaty in the heat. Sector 2 is my favourite part of the track, it’s all about hitting the apex of one corner right so you are in the right position for the next one. If you get it wrong it’s a big time penalty, so you need to be really focused.

“There are some really good restaurants in Budapest, I have had some amazing meals there. The good food and the good atmosphere means I always really enjoy going there. I have been there a few times testing with 2.0 litre, with Formula 3 and once with F1 so I’m really looking forward to it again.

“After Hungary we head to Germany, another back to back race so we will be ready for the summer break after that.”

Daniel Ricciardo: “I think the track in Hungary is very fun and busy. The second sector is great because it’s corner after corner and there is not much time to rest and think so you can just get into a good rhythm and once you find that rhythm it feels really nice. I won pretty much every category there so I’ve always enjoyed it.

“It’s also always around the summertime so it’s normally nice and hot and you get a good summer feeling when you go there. Also you know that the holidays are around the corner. Apart from that, Budapest is a fun city. It has really good restaurants on offer and the people are always very friendly.

“Then it’s straight on to Germany. I think the Hockenheimring is actually a pretty fun track. I like entering the stadium section. Also the fans are huge motorsport fans, which is always pretty awesome. There are some cool little towns around the track which offer some traditional German food and after my week in Austria I can’t wait to enjoy my second round of Schnitzels.”

[MIKA27]

HAAS PREVIEW THE HUNGARIAN GRAND PRIX

After racing at the ultrafast and flowing Silverstone Circuit for the British Grand Prix, the FIA Formula One World Championship heads to the slowest permanent circuit in Formula One – the Hungaroring for the July 24 Hungarian Grand Prix in Budapest.

Slow, however, doesn’t mean easy. Despite an average speed of 190 kph (118 mph), which is 35 kph (22 mph) slower than the average speed around Silverstone, the Hungaroring requires precision and preservation. The 4.381-kilometer (2.722-mile), 14-turn track has few straights. Likened by many to being a full-sized karting circuit, the Hungaroring is a physical track, demanding a lot from the drivers who, in turn, demand a lot from their tires.

Hot weather is a hallmark of the Hungarian Grand Prix and combined with the technical nature of the Hungaroring, drivers are tested throughout the 70-lap race. There is seemingly constant and drastic steering wheel input and no reprieve from the ever-present heat since only a scant amount of air is able to flow through the car. Bearing the brunt of this hostile environment, however, are the tires. A high level of traction, a lot of braking and significant lateral energy demands push the tires to their limits, meaning tire management is a crucial component of a team’s race strategy.

For those not qualifying up front – where the Hungarian Grand Prix has been won from the first two rows 28 times in its 30-year history – savvy strategy is a must to advance through the field. The epic drives of Nigel Mansell (12th to first in the 1989 Hungarian Grand Prix) and Jenson Button (14th to first in the 2006 Hungarian Grand Prix) prove that despite the lack of overtaking opportunities, tenacity and tire management can ring up points at the Hungaroring.

Success on Sunday begins in free practice on Friday. This is where the track is understood and the working ranges of the tires become known, allowing teams to fine tune their racecars to meet the demands of the day. The more track time, the more data that gets collected and the more likely a point-paying strategy will be formulated.

At Silverstone, Haas F1 Team had its best Friday to date with 671.574 kilometers (417.297 miles) logged between its drivers – Romain Grosjean, Esteban Gutiérrez and Charles Leclerc, the latter of whom drove in the weekend’s opening practice session and is slated to do the same in Hungary. The collective effort led to another productive practice session on Saturday, which resulted in a qualifying performance that led Grosjean and Gutiérrez to believe Sunday would yield their first double-points finish of the year. But a downpour just before the start of the British Grand Prix drowned those hopes.

With the race starting behind the safety car, a sound strategy crafted from two days of strong running went down the drain. Also going down was the power in the team’s pit perch, preventing the engineers from exactly knowing where their drivers were on the track and where they stood in relation to others. This led to a miscommunication that kept Gutiérrez on the track a lap past a planned pit stop on lap 16, which stuck him behind slower cars for 23 laps, allowing the rest of the field to open up a sizeable gap that couldn’t be overcome. Gutiérrez finished 16th while Grosjean suffered a DNF (Did Not Finish) when his transmission broke on lap 18.

After having an eye on eating into the point margin between itself and seventh-place McLaren in the constructor standings, Haas F1 Team was left starving at Silverstone. Knowing the progress it made and the strength the team showed on Friday and Saturday at Silverstone, Haas F1 Team is hungry for its next point-paying opportunity, and it comes at the Hungarian Grand Prix.

Guenther Steiner, Team Principal

The practice and qualifying sessions leading into Silverstone went very smoothly for Haas F1 Team, giving everyone confidence of a good performance in the race. But between the downpour just before the beginning of the race affecting strategy and Grosjean’s retirement due to a broken transmission, the race was a letdown. How does the team shake off that kind of disappointment and move on to the next race?
“Everyone has bad days, and we had one at Silverstone. The team realized that and got past it so they could focus on what lies ahead. But we did have a good Friday and Saturday at Silverstone where we accomplished a lot, and as a new team, that helps. We’re going into Hungary as prepared and confident as we have to all of the other races this year.”

At Silverstone, Haas F1 Team achieved its highest FP1-FP2 mileage count to date – 671.574 kilometers (417.297 miles). Talk about the progress made to be able to reach that kind of milestone and how beneficial it was for the team’s qualifying preparation.
“With time and experience, we have been able to learn and get better in everything we do. If we have a problem, we are able to fix it quicker because of what we’ve learned at the past events. The performance that we had on Friday not only gave us the data we needed, but it also gave the team confidence. With more time, the more we can continue to improve.”

We go from Silverstone – one of the fastest and most flowing circuits in Formula One – to the Hungaroring, which is one of the slowest circuits and also very technical. Do drivers need a few laps to forget about what they felt in the car at Silverstone or are they able to just jump into the car and immediately get up to speed, despite the Hungaroring’s drastically different layout?
“I think it is difficult to adapt and see where the limits are after being at such a fast track, but then after a couple laps they remember the track and are able to adjust quickly. It does take a couple laps, though, for them to build their confidence and have a feel again for a certain track.”

The Hungarian Grand Prix marks the halfway point of the Formula One calendar. If someone told you last year that Haas F1 Team would have 28 points and be eighth in the constructor standings halfway through its debut season, would you have believed them?
“We probably wouldn’t have thought that we would have 28 points so far in our first season, but we still do wish that we were a little higher up in the standings. We are very close to the teams in front of us and hope that we can keep competing and moving up in the standings. I am very proud of us, though. We are doing well for our first season and the team has been working hard to be where we are.”

What would you like to achieve during the second half of the season?
“Moving up, of course, and getting more points. As long as the team is able to gain more experience and prepare for a better year next year, I am happy.”

The competition between the midfield teams is incredibly tight, and this is most noticeable in qualifying when teams are trying to advance from Q2 to Q3. How tight is the margin to advance to Q3, and how important is a good round of practice on Friday to having a good qualifying performance on Saturday?
“I would say it is brutal in the midfield, which is where we are in the standings. We just need to keep putting in a lot of work and making sure the cars are as prepared as possible, the tires are in the range they need to be, the drivers are hitting their marks perfectly, and that we go out on the racetrack at the right time. It ends up being a lot of ingredients that we have to get together, but I think getting to Q3 is achievable. We just need to work on all of the above points.”

During a race weekend, how much of each practice session is spent working on race setup and how much is spent working on a qualifying setup?
“We do a qualifying run and work on long runs in the same session, usually. We don’t try and dedicate one session to one in particular because the setup can change rather quickly. I would say our time is spent 50/50 in qualifying and race setup between FP1 and FP3. We may spend a little more time on the long runs where we’re tuning the car and changing the setup as needed, but in FP3 we usually do a qualifying run on a new set of tires to get the best gauge of what we need to do in a couple of hours when qualifying starts.”

With the Hungaroring being tight and technical, qualifying is important. But getting to the front can be achieved through tire strategy. Last year’s race was won by Sebastian Vettel on a two-stop strategy, while Daniel Ricciardo won in 2014 on a three-stop strategy as rain played a factor at the beginning of the race. If you’re not starting up front, what shapes your strategy to try and get to the front by the end of the race?
“Getting to the front has a lot to do with where you qualify. If you are in the top-10, you cannot choose what tire you start on, but if you’re outside of the top-10, you can choose your tires for the start of the race. The strategy is based on which tires the teams should use, and this information is gathered while we are in FP1 through FP3. Those sessions shape our strategy for the race on Sunday.”

How do you take advantage of local yellows, safety cars and other variables that disrupt your original strategy but perhaps provide new opportunities to gain positions?
“It gets heated when logistics have a downfall, like at Silverstone when we had the power go down on all our systems in the pit perch, or a safety car is used, which also happened at Silverstone. But the strategy is to try and prepare in advance for the chance that these types of things will happen. The main thing is how we react to a change in our strategy, and the change in the degradation of our tires and everyone else’s tires. It gets quite tense sometimes, but it’s also what makes racing challenging and fun, at least in my eyes. Having situations that aren’t expected gives teams the chance to get an edge on other teams. It’s a part of racing, and it makes it more interesting for the fans.”

Budapest is typically hot, and hot weather has seemed to help your cause in finding the proper working range of the tires. Is this the case, or do you feel that after the successful practice and qualifying sessions at Silverstone where the weather was relatively cool that you have a better handle on how the tires perform regardless of the weather?
“I do think we have a better handle on how the tires work in cooler weather. In my opinion, everybody is pretty close to understanding the tires. We are by no means perfect, but we are striving to be better, which we are doing well right now, and Silverstone was an example of that.”

Romain Grosjean

The practice and qualifying sessions leading into Silverstone went very smoothly for Haas F1 Team, giving everyone confidence of a good performance in the race. But between the downpour just before the beginning of the race affecting strategy and your retirement due to a broken transmission, the race was a letdown. How do you shake off that kind of disappointment and move on to the next race?
“Well, qualifying was good. Before we had to retire, the pace wasn’t great in the race. I was struggling on the intermediate tire. That’s something we need to work on. We lost a lot of ground at the beginning of the race. On slicks, I’m sure things would have been better. Ultimately, that’s racing. It’s all part of the game. We’ve got two more races before the summer break, so we’ve got a chance to come back and do more in the next one.”

We go from Silverstone – one of the fastest and most flowing circuits in Formula One – to the Hungaroring, which is one of the slowest circuits and also very technical. Does it take a few laps to forget about what you felt in the car at Silverstone, or are you able to just jump into the car and immediately get up to speed, despite the Hungaroring’s drastically different layout?
“You do get back in the car and find the pace straight away. I’ve been competing in Formula One for a few seasons and I know all the circuits and all the characteristics of each layout. It’s not a big deal. I jump in the car and find my rhythm. From there, you can start a good weekend.”

In four career Formula One starts at the Hungaroring you’ve finished in the top-10 three times, with a best finish of third in your first race there in 2012. What makes it such a good track for you?
“It’s difficult to explain. I’ve always had a good feeling in Hungary. I’ve always liked the track. They’ve resurfaced it this year, so we’ll see how it goes. It used to be very bumpy. It’s a low-speed circuit. How the car handles is important. I’ve been lucky to have had cars that have performed well there over the years.”

You’re constantly turning the wheel at the Hungaroring, and with the slow speeds, very little air flows into the car. Combined with the normally high temperatures experienced in Budapest, how physically demanding is the Hungarian Grand Prix?
“It can get very hot in Budapest. It’s not an easy race, but on the other hand, there’s not many high-speed corners on the track, so it’s more about keeping your focus and concentration all through the race. Regardless, we’re always keeping fit to prepare ourselves.”

How difficult is it to overtake at the Hungaroring and where are the overtaking opportunities?
“It’s very difficult to overtake at the Hungaroring. To be fair, I made one of the best overtakes of my life there in 2013, outside of turn four, on Felipe Massa. I got a drive-through penalty for that one for having four wheels off the track. That didn’t matter to me as it was one of my most beautiful overtaking moves ever.”

A lot of grip, a lot of braking and a lot of high-energy demands all conspire against tires at the Hungaroring. How do you manage the tires and get the most out of them?
“It’s going to be our number one priority to get the tire to work for us and analyze the degradation, which can be high on some compounds. If we get the grip, we’ll get the lap time. Then we can do more pit stops and have more fun.”

What is your favorite part of the Hungaroring?
“I like sector two, the flowing section of the track, which is quite nice.”

Describe a lap around the Hungaroring.
“Straight line to start before big braking into the first hairpin. Turn two is a very tricky corner – a long left-hand side corner going downhill. It’s important to stay on the left from the exit for the throttle application to turn three. You want to be flat, and then high-speed turn four. Turn five is very bumpy – a long right-hand side corner, then you get to the chicane. After that there are some flowing corners which are really cool. Then you get to the last three corners. You need to brake big into the 90-degree, right-hand side turn, then the last two turns are the key. You finish with a long left corner, and then a very long right turn, where you really want to get going to get the lap done.”

Esteban Gutierrez

The practice and qualifying sessions leading into Silverstone went very smoothly for Haas F1 Team, giving everyone confidence of a good performance in the race. But with the downpour just before the beginning of the race affecting strategy, the race was a letdown. How do you shake off that kind of disappointment and move on to the next race?
“We are optimistic that we are making good progress and having more consistency, and this has been shown in the good qualifying sessions and through the weekend showing consistent, good pace. Unfortunately, during the race there was 10 degrees less in track temperature, which affected the tire performance and is a point that we need to improve. It was definitely not the race we expected, but we have to keep our optimism very high for the following two races, especially for Budapest.”

We go from Silverstone – one of the fastest and most flowing circuits in Formula One – to the Hungaroring, which is one of the slowest circuits and also very technical. Does it take a few laps to forget about what you felt in the car at Silverstone, or are you able to just jump into the car and immediately get up to speed, despite the Hungaroring’s drastically different layout?
“You get used to it. Budapest is a track where the temperatures are usually very hot and the main characteristic of the tire is that they get overheated very easily. But I know the car and I am confident in driving the car, so with any kind of conditions or track characteristics you just get used to it very quickly.”

The Hungaroring seems akin to a full-size karting track. You began your career in karting. Is that an apt analogy?
“The Hungaroring for me is a special track. It’s the first track I tested in Europe back at the end of 2007 when I tested Formula BMW, so it brings me great memories every time I come back there. I have achieved great results, so mainly from that point of view, I’m happy to be back. It is a slow track, but it has also quick corners and a very interesting layout.”

You’re constantly turning the wheel at the Hungaroring, and with the slow speeds, very little air flows into the car. Combined with the normally high temperatures experienced in Budapest, how physically demanding is the Hungarian Grand Prix?
“It’s quite physically demanding because of the fact you have not many chances to have a pause from the driving. You have to be focused all the time because all the corners make it very demanding – mentally and physically. But I like that challenge. It’s a nice track and I really look forward to the experience.”

How difficult is it to overtake at the Hungaroring and where are the overtaking opportunities?
“I would say turn one is the best opportunity. You come down from the long straight and you have the DRS on, so yeah, it’s approaching turn one. Also the exit of turn one approaching turn two. Those are the two main overtaking opportunities.”

A lot of grip, a lot of braking and a lot of high-energy demands all conspire against tires at the Hungaroring. How do you manage the tires and get the most out of them?
“That’s a characteristic of the Hungaroring. The tires degrade very quickly, so it’s even more important in qualifying to be spot on the first lap and get the maximum out of the new tires. You don’t have a second chance on this track to put a good lap time on the tires.”

What is your favorite part of the Hungaroring?
“I would say the last corner, which I enjoy a lot, and sector two where you have the chicane and a good series of corners, which makes it very interesting. You cannot miss one apex because if you miss one apex, all of the following corners are affected and quite long. There is also a very nice, fast corner – turn 11. I love it.”

Describe a lap around the Hungaroring.
“You come down full speed into turn one, the biggest braking of all the circuits. The exit of turn one is a hairpin, and you come down to turn two, which is a very long corner – downhill off-banking – so it’s pretty challenging on entry. You exit to go down to turn three, preparing the line from turn two and more straight down to turn five, which is a high-speed corner to the left. Taking a lot of the curb and the apex makes it very nice. Then turn six – a long corner to the right, a little bit of uphill, which then approaches turn seven and eight, which is a very interesting chicane. It’s very slow, but interesting because you can use all the curb on the apex and exit. You come out of that corner with the tires overheated and approaching the next sequence of corners which is eight, nine and 10. It becomes very challenging because you need to keep the temperature on the tires low and you’re trying to make the corners in the best way, sometimes sliding the car, pushing on the limit. You approach turn 11, which is a high-speed corner. You enter into the corner with a little bit of trickiness coming from the high temperatures of the tires. The exit of turn 11 there is a bit more straight. You come down to turn 12, which is a 90-degree corner, and usually you can use the curb to maximize the track. Then you come down to turn 13, a very long corner and uphill before approaching the last corner, which is one of my favorite ones.”

[MIKA27]

Red Bull a 'major threat' to Mercedes in Hungary warns Toto Wolff

Mercedes head to the Hungarian Grand Prix in high spirits after winning the British Grand Prix, but it's a race which has been a bit of an achilles heel for the Mercedes outfit recently, having not won at the circuit since the introduction of the V6 power units.

The nature of the circuit, which relies heavily on good aero and traction rather than outright power, therefore favours those with a strong chassis.
Mercedes chief Toto Wolff is therefore wary of the threat Red Bull in particular will pose around the Hungaroring.

"We face a very different challenge in Budapest," commented Wolff. "This circuit has not been kind to us over the past two years and it plays to the strengths of our rivals.

"The Red Bull, for example, is a car that functions well where high drag isn’t penalised as much as at other types of circuit. So, in wet conditions and at low-speed circuits such as the Hungaroring, they are a major threat.

"We will need to be flawless to come out on top at this track."

A record fifth win for Hamilton?

Lewis Hamilton is looking to become the most successful driver at the circuit this weekend with a fifth win - currently he's tied with Michael Schumacher on four - and believes the momentum of Silverstone will help him do just that.

"It’s a wonderful feeling, winning in front of your home crowd," he said. "I’m still buzzing from it now and looking forward to carrying those positive vibes into the next race weekend.

"I’m feeling fresh, feeling powerful and feeling confident heading to Hungary. It’s a track that for some reason has always suited my style and I have incredible support there, so I can’t wait to get to out on track.

"The past couple of years I haven’t had the smoothest weekends in Budapest, of course. But I know I’ve got the pace, so I’m gunning to turn that around this time."

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Video: Three generations of McLaren drivers go-karting

Who will win? A battle between three generations of McLaren driver. The past, the present and the future?

Mika Hakkinen, David Coulthard, Fernando Alonso, Jenson Button and Stoffel Vandoorne go head-to-head in go-karts.

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Resurfaced Hungaroring could deliver record lap times

The Hungaroring's lap record could be in sight and even beaten this weekend thanks to a new track surface laid earlier this year which has smoothened out some of the bumps whilst also contributing to a grippier surface.

According to Formula 1 tyre supplier Pirelli following an inspection, the changes, which also include new kerbs, "should culminate in faster lap times" this weekend.

The current lap record of 1:18.436 set by Rubens Barrichello in 2004 is several seconds quicker than Lewis Hamilton's pole lap from last year, a 1:22.020.
However with the 2016 cars already proving to be much quicker than last year's cars, combined with the new surface and kerbs, it's expected they will easily dip below the 1:20 mark and possibly into the 1:18 bracket if conditions prove ideal.

"The track has been completely resurfaced, and we saw in Austria that this had quite a profound influence as well: we will need to see if this is case in Hungary too, so free practice will be very important," commented Pirelli's Paul Hembery.

"The track has been entirely resurfaced and the circuit infrastructure upgraded this year," added Pirelli. "There is also some new kerbing and run-off areas while the effect of the resurfacing has additionally been to smooth out some of the bumps. This should culminate in faster lap times."

The first series to race on the newly resurfaced track was the World Touring Car Championship, with Jose Maria Lopez recording a pole time of 1:46.109, more than two seconds quicker than Yvan Muller's 1:48.848 from last year.

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Ferrari targets Brawn as part of new action plan

Ross Brawn has emerged as one of the key targets for Ferrari as the Italian outfit weighs up a staffing overhaul on the back of its disappointing campaign.

Following a series of meetings last week hosted by Ferrari president Sergio Marchionne and team principal Maurizio Arrivabene to evaluate what changes need to be made, it has emerged that the team is now contemplating a new approach.

With Marchionne having spoken directly to engineers to get a better idea on what the long-term potential of the SF16-H car is, moves are now being made to put its plan in to action.

 

Consultancy role

One idea that has gained some traction is to recruit the services of Brawn on a consultancy basis, to help provide guidance on improvements without him actually needing to take on a full-time position.

It is understood that an initial approach from Ferrari has been rejected by Brawn, though, who has deliberately stayed away from F1 since he left the Mercedes team at the end of 2013.

Brawn has no desire to travel to 21 races, nor throw himself back in with the kind of commitment that is now needed to be successful in F1.

However, Ferrari still wants Brawn to become some form of advisor to Marchionne and Arrivabene on technical matters, and provide input on where he believes changes at Maranello need to be made.

It is unclear how such a position would fit in with current technical director James Allison.

Fresh push

It has emerged that a fresh effort is now being made by Ferrari to try to convince Brawn that there is a role within the team that would suit him.

Brawn was an architect of the huge success that Ferrari enjoyed in the early 2000's with Michael Schumacher, when he worked alongside Jean Todt and Rory Byrne.

He also enjoyed title success with Benetton and Brawn GP, plus laid the foundations for the success that Mercedes has enjoyed in recent seasons.

However, since stepping down at Mercedes he has enjoyed time away from F1 and has expressed little interest in coming back.

In a recent interview with Sky, he said that there was a reluctance to return to F1 action.

"My nature when I was involved was 24/7 and I'm not sure I want a 24/7 anymore," he told the broadcaster.

"Never say never about any of those sort of things, but I'm quite content doing what I'm doing and nothing has come along that I would be motivated and interested in."

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Lewis Hamilton suggests double engine change to Mercedes

Lewis Hamilton has suggested to Mercedes he takes a double penalty at a grand prix to build a pool of engines to get him through the 2016 Formula 1 season.

Hamilton reached his maximum tally of five turbochargers and MGU-Hs when his Mercedes was given a fresh power unit for the Austrian Grand Prix, making a 10-place grid penalty later in the year almost inevitable.

Drivers who have incurred multiple penalties simply drop to the back of the grid after the mid-2015 rules tweak, so Mercedes could choose to hand Hamilton two fresh power units at the same time to create a pool of components to see him to the end of the year.

The downside is taking two engines at once would deny Hamilton the potential for future upgrades and reliability improvements that team-mate and title rival Nico Rosberg would receive.

Mercedes is unlikely to take a firm decision over a double engine change before the summer break.

"That's a solution I've come up with myself," said Hamilton of the 'component pool' plan.

"That would definitely be something that could be done.

"I'm definitely going to be taking another engine. It's a question of when I take it."

If there is a choice to be made, rather than Mercedes' hand being forced by a failure, then Hamilton would prefer a circuit where there is a greater chance of overtaking.

"The strategists will be looking at all the races and saying 'This is a track where it is easier to overtake'," added Hamilton.

"Ultimately it's my decision because I'm the one who actually knows where I'll be able to do the best job from last place.

"So I have to be strategic in how I decide that, but yeah, it would be nice to get a few engines in the pool at the same time.

"I hope at some stage I'm able to get some fresh ones, but the one I'm driving right now, hopefully that will hold together for as long as possible."

Suggested to Hamilton Spa and Monza would be good choices, he replied: "They are not the one in my mind, but they are good ones."

Mercedes motorsport boss Toto Wolff is hoping the plan of taking two power units at once will not be required, even though he recognises penalties are likely.

"There are various plays as to how things could go. It's not a given we will have to take a penalty, but the probability is pretty high," said Wolff.

"The initial plan was to make it through the season with four, now it's five.

"If we need a sixth it will be because we will have been unfortunate in the last couple of races, but then I think that will be enough."

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ALLISON DEPARTURE MAY LEAD TO BRAWN RETURN TO FERRARI

James Allison looks set to split with Ferrari, according to the authoritative Italian sports daily La Gazzetta dello Sport, with speculation emerging in Italy that Ross Brawn may be waiting in the wings to return to the team he led with such success more than a decade ago.

Although team boss Maurizio Arrivabene angrily denied the reports when they first arose some weeks ago, correspondent Luigi Perna now reports that there is truth to the rumblings from behind the scenes at Maranello.

It follows president Sergio Marchionne’s missed pre-season target of early victories in 2016, even though Ferrari insists the world championship is still not lost.

But La Gazzetta claims that Marchionne, who is also the Fiat Chrysler CEO, has decided to take more control of Ferrari, including an active say on the main management decisions.

The report said a physical and figurative distance has grown in the relationship between Ferrari and its technical director Allison, particularly after the Briton tragically lost his wife to illness earlier this year.

Adding fuel to the reports is the fact that under Allison’s watch the Ferrari SF16-H F has not been the challenger the team was hoping for, although it started the season reasonably strong it has not evolved into a competitive car capable of challenging Mercedes, and already appears to be lagging behind Red Bull.

Meanwhile Allison has been travelling regularly between Maranello and the UK, where his grieving children live, sparking speculation he could return to Renault.

“The question is who will fill his place?” correspondent Perna wonders.

“The name of Ross Brawn is circulating, having been repeatedly associated with the Cavallino,” he added, referring to Ferrari’s former technical chief who is currently retired.

But Perna said: “In fact, Brawn recently declined offers to return to F1 and would not be willing for such a demanding role. Not to mention that F1 has changed in the several years he has been outside of the sport.”

La Gazzetta said an internal promotion for someone like Simone Resta is more likely, or the poaching of James Key from Toro Rosso.

But the report suggested it is crucial that Ferrari gets its management in order, as while Sebastian Vettel is committed for 2017, the German is seeking certain assurances before signing another contract.

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ROSBERG: I GET GREAT SATISFACTION BEATING LEWIS

Nico Rosberg opened up in a wide ranging interview with the Guardian, as the 2016 Formula 1 world championship enters the crucial second half, with only a single point separating him from his Mercedes teammate, nemesis and once a friend – Lewis Hamilton – in the championship battle.

Questioned about his apparent calm under duress, Rosberg responded, “No, no, I’m not amazingly calm. I’m just as human as everyone else. Sometimes people forget that when watching fast cars on TV. I also get nervous and I see the glass half-empty and I have self-doubt in the most difficult moments.”

After losing the title battle last year at the USA Grand Prix, Rosberg went on to win the final three races of the season, then took victories in the first four races of this season.

“Momentum does play a role,” acknowledged the 31 year old. “We’ve seen it with Lewis and I from 2014. We’ve always gone in waves. It’s strange but it must be time for his wave to be ending now. But, yeah, it’s difficult to have a race like Silverstone. Second place – I could have lived with that but to lose points and finish third? That’s tough.”

As for his F1 title ambitions Rosberg explained, “I’ve been very successful [in F1] and I hope to get more success. My dream is to win the world championship and I’m fighting for that. I’m giving it everything. This is a special period. It’s almost unique in F1 history – to have such a [dominant] car for such a long period. Every race I can be on pole if I do well – and I can win. It’s unreal.”

Rosberg and Hamilton are graced with the best car and team on the grid, they are way ahead of their rivals in the points standings, thus the battle is between the two of them for the crown. It will either be Hamilton’s fourth world title or Rosberg’s first.

“I don’t think of it that way. It’s just a great opportunity. Of course it helps for motivation when you’re fighting for wins. If we were 12th and 13th it’s not the same. Fighting for the title is incredibly intensive. The learning curve is steep initially. I’ve learned a lot and made massive progress. The actual driving doesn’t change much but it’s such a difficult situation because you’re racing together and, at the same time, against each other. That’s a unique challenge.”

The Mercedes duo, who have been rivals since their karting days, have collided on a couple of occasions this year. In Spain they retired on the opening lap due to the coming together, in Austria they were lucky to escape without huge consequences (such as instant DNF for both) when they collided on the final lap of the race.

“It’s very difficult to find the right line,” said Rosberg of the incidents, “I have a duty for the team and for them it’s so important to win the constructors’ title but where is the line to my ego and what I want? It’s always difficult. But this is my racing family.”

After the fracas in Austria, Mercedes chief Toto Wolff considered team orders to prevent his drivers colliding. Indeed the ‘rules of engagement’ were altered with dire consequences for the perpetrator/s should the same happen again in the future.

Although Rosberg said he would abide by team orders should they arise, but he admitted, “Team orders is definitely the last thing I want so I hope it stays in this direction.”

Hamilton is highly regarded as one of the very best of the current generation of F1 drivers, thus beating him is a special prospect for Rosberg, “Beating Lewis… he’s one of the sweetest opponents. He’s one of those opponents where you get the greatest satisfaction from beating him because he’s world champion.”

Asked by the Guardian if he disliked Hamilton, Rosberg revealed, “I have huge respect for him but, well, we’re not best friends at the moment. That’s the difficulty between us now. We’re just both so competitive and that makes it difficult to be friends because the competition is so extreme.”

Truth is they were once friends when they battled in the obscurity of karting in their teens.

“It was the same back then,” recalled Rosberg. “How many pizzas could we eat? Who could run fastest from the lift to the hotel room? It would be competition all the way but there was not the surrounding influence with a team, the media and money. That makes it difficult now.”

Much has been made of Hamilton’s humble beginnings, as opposed to Rosberg’s affluent childhood, which he shrugs it off as a media made myth, “I’ve always wanted to achieve things on my own – and I hated buying jeans with my dad’s money. I’d buy the minimum for whatever was necessary.

“My mum grew up after the war in Germany and she used to take cigarettes from the floor and smoke the last bit left by American soldiers. They had nothing. She grew up like that. And my dad is very money-conscious – strangely enough.”

As for Keke, his father the 1982 F1 World Champion, Rosberg revealed, “He gets intensely involved and emotional – a bit on the pessimistic side which makes it difficult. For parents the most important thing is to guide your kids and then let go. I’m thankful because my parents did that very well. In racing it’s been good for me, he has taken a step back and let me make my mistakes and find my way.”

In the wake of his high profile clashes with Hamilton, Rosberg faced the boo bigade on the podium Silverstone, an issue he was keen to discuss.

“Let’s talk about the British fans, Silverstone and the difficulties I’ve had. It’s amazing because the British fans love motor racing more than anything. I saw that after the race when I went on stage. It was 100% support.”

“There was the individual outspoken dislike towards me. It hurts. The stupid thing is that even when there are 100 people supporting and only two disliking you, you hear those two. That’s human nature – which sucks.”

Final question to Rosberg was: what do you love about Formula One? “It’s competition. It’s the battle. And it’s the winning. The winning is awesome.”

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VERSTAPPEN: OUR GOAL IS TO BEAT FERRARI

Dutch teenager Max Verstappen has played down his chances of taking on Mercedes’ might for the 2016 world championship.

Despite driving for Toro Rosso for the first four races of 2016, the 18-year-old has just 10 fewer points than Red Bull teammate Daniel Ricciardo.

At the weekend, he collected the prestigious Lorenzo Bandini trophy in Italy but played down his hopes of bridging the 78 point deficit to Nico Rosberg’s lead.

“I lost a lot of points in the first few races but I think at the moment the Mercedes are just too strong,” he told Mediaset news agency.

“Too many things would have to happen for me to fight for the world championship. But from third to sixth place is very close and I’m focused on being in the best position possible,” Verstappen added.

He is also quoted El Confidencial as saying: “Our main goal is to keep reducing the gap to Mercedes, and we can overtake Ferrari in the constructors’ championship. Those are our main goals.”

Verstappen thinks it is a very real target for Red Bull to now establish itself as a consistently stronger force than Ferrari.

“I’m sorry to say it here [in Italy],” Max was quoted as saying by Marca sports newspaper, “but while we started the championship behind Ferrari, we are ahead of them and now the target is to reach Mercedes.”