Hungarian Grand Prix: Notes for the Stage

Pirelli

Mario IsolaPirelli: “Overtaking at the Hungaroring has not been easy in the past, but this year’s new cars and new tires allow drivers to push a lot harder. We’ve already seen some great races with a lot of overtaking, I hope it’s the same in Hungary.

The Hungaroring is a narrow winding path where riders often ride in groups. It is usually very hot on weekends in Hungary, but it has rained for the past two years, so don’t jump to conclusions. We have already seen some surprises at the Hungaroring, this year there could be even more.”

Red Bull Racing

Max Verstappen: “Hungary has a very special track and I really enjoy it because it looks like a go-kart track, especially the very technical second sector. I’m curious how the weather will affect us this weekend. It’s hard to predict how we’ll perform because the track isn’t the best fit for our car, but I want to get a good result and I’ll do everything I can to make the team win.

I’m looking forward to the summer break and I hope the team will have enough time to rest to start the second half of the season strong.”

Sergio Perez: “The weekend in France was disappointing – I didn’t have the pace I needed and I didn’t feel completely comfortable in the car. Together with the team we work hard to understand exactly what went wrong.

Too bad I missed the stage. The virtual safety car mode turned on at the most inopportune moment for us, and then problems with the shutdown prevented me from starting again.

We will do our best to get a good result in the last race before the summer break and get back to the level we consistently show this season.”

Ferrari

InterviewStory by: Diego Yoverno

Mercedes AMG Petronas

Toto Wolff: “It was nice to earn a lot of points in France and get the most out of the race, but we know there is still a lot of work to do. The one lap behind the leaders remains and we have more problems at the beginning of the segments.

It is necessary to increase the speed of the machine, but at the same time maintain the culture, mindset and team spirit that encourage hard work at the grassroots. I’m sure we’ll make it. Reliability was back to a high standard and Lewis and George showed strong form and both climbed onto the podium.

Now we turn all our attention to the Hungarian stage, where a completely different type of track awaits us – narrow, twisty and bumpy – the opposite of the one we just played on. It’s hard to predict what we’ll look like as our expectations this year haven’t always matched reality when it comes to whether or not the track will fit the W13 car.

In any case, we will do our best and look forward to meeting the friendly fans in Budapest. In addition, the upcoming Grand Prix will be the 250th for our title partner – Petronas. Superb performance.”

McLaren

Lando Norris: “Hungary, come on! We are waiting for the last race before the summer holidays – we will give everything and go to rest.

Hungary has a difficult track, where overtaking is almost impossible, but there is a good chance of earning points. In France we achieved the best possible result and studied all the data to get more out of the car in the next leg.

There is a lot of work ahead of us, we are in a tough battle with Alpine, but we are leaving with good humor and a positive attitude towards the summer holidays for the second part of the season. ”

Daniel Riccardo: “I’m looking forward to a trip to Hungary! I have a good history of performing at this track, where I have won in the past. I hope this time to go on holiday in a good mood.

I am not very happy with the result in France, but we have learned a lot and we will take some successful moments with us this weekend to optimize the car. Let’s go out on track, have fun and see if we can get points again with two cars.”

Andreas Seidli, Team Principal: “The last race before the summer holidays presents some interesting challenges for the drivers. The Hungaroring is a technical, narrow and winding track where it is not easy to overtake. It is important to find the optimal settings during training to be in good shape for qualifying. It is necessary to maintain maximum concentration and not to forget about reliability.

The updated car performed well in France, where both drivers could earn points, but we still have a lot to optimize to continue the battle against Alpine for fourth place in the Constructors’ Championship.”

alpine

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Alfa Romeo

Frederic Vasseur, Team Principal: “This weekend is the end of the first half of the season, so we can take stock. The season is exciting with ups and downs, but our goal for the coming weekend remains the same: to get a good result and earn points that we have missed in previous races.

In France we had more problems than expected. As similar weather is expected in Hungary, it’s critical to understand what exactly didn’t work for us and prepare for the weekend ahead. I’m sure we’ll get back up to speed and head into a summer break with a good result.”

Valtteri Bottas: “The double races offer an opportunity to recover from a difficult weekend in France, where everything was against it. I’ve always enjoyed competing in the Hungaroring, I’ve been on the podium twice and now I’m looking forward to getting back on the track.

The Hungarian fans are passionate and friendly – it would be great to please them with a good show before the summer holidays. The team has been working hard over the past few days to find a solution to the problems that plagued us last weekend. We hope that the new products will allow us to compete for points in the middle group of teams.”

Guanyu Zhou: “The first half of my debut season is coming to an end. I can say with confidence that I have learned a lot in recent months since the first race in Bahrain. We had good results, but I want more.

The race at the Paul Ricard circuit turned out to be difficult – again the team has not earned any points, so I’m happy to be back behind the wheel. I’ve played at the Hungaroring in the past and now I’m looking forward to the weekend ahead.

As usual there will be a difficult fight, but I hope that our efforts will allow us to show high speed and we will return to the positions we should be in.”

Hare F1

Interview: Gunther Steiner | Kevin Magnussen | Mick Schumacher

AlphaTauri

Pierre Gasly: “Speaking about the positive results of the weekend at the Paul Ricard circuit, I liked the communication with the fans and the support of the French public. As for the track situation, on Friday the novelties provided high speed, but on Saturday and Sunday we couldn’t get the most out of it, so the team left France with no points earned.

We need more time – there is clearly a limit to what can be done in a few days. However, I know that our technicians will study all the information gathered and we will try to change something in Friday practice at the Hungaroring, where we are waiting for another hot weekend.

In general I perform well in Hungary. In the last three races I finished sixth, sixth and fifth and last year I also showed the best lap. I like the track configuration – twisty and technical with only a few straights. In a way, the track is unique and you really have to find the rhythm in it.

The Hungaroring is one of my favorite tracks in terms of driving pleasure. Overtaking in Hungary is difficult, so qualifying is very important. After the race we will have a summer break – it will be great to go on holiday and show a good result. This is not only good for me, but also for the team.

At this track, the car has to be tuned for high downforce – the same level as in Monaco. New items should help us with this. We will do everything we can to achieve the speed we think we have.

The Hungaroring has a great atmosphere, there are always a lot of fans in the stands and in the evening they are waiting for us at the entrance of the hotel. I wonder what kind of show we will be able to put on the new generation machines on a fairly narrow track. I hope we do well.”

Yuki Tsunoda: “The weekend in France was very important for the team as we brought updates that should bring more downforce. During Friday practice we saw signs of progress and in qualifying I reached the final, which I was happy with. However, Esteban Ocon ruined my race by bumping into me. I tried to drive on, but the car was too badly damaged, so I had to get out. As a result, I was unable to judge the updated car by race distance.

The Hungaroring is much slower than Paul Ricard, so the contrast will be great, but we will be able to understand the novelties better. Last year I was lucky in Hungary – in a difficult qualifying I only showed 16th time, but on Sunday a blockage in the first lap helped me finish sixth.

The Hungaroring is fun to fly, but you have to find the rhythm of turns. The rider has no time to catch his breath, because there are no long straights on the track. Overtaking has always been difficult in Hungary, so getting stuck behind another car can ruin your race.

I wonder if the overtaking situation will change for the better this year thanks to the new cars. Nevertheless, it remains important to show a good result in qualifying. I want to do it right – the summer holidays will be even more fun if you can score points before it starts.”

Aston Martin

Sebastian Vettel: “The race in Hungary traditionally takes place before the summer break, so it is important to show a good result before closing the base.

Hungary has a difficult and short circuit, known for its slow speed, but with a few fast corners that require special attention. Last year we had a good race in Hungary. I think the track suits our car’s strengths, so I’m looking forward to a positive weekend.”

Lance Walk: “It would be nice to end a difficult first half of the season with a good result. Hungaroring is a great track with interesting curves, so I enjoy piloting. In many ways the track resembles a go-kart track – the bends do not forgive mistakes and flow into each other.

We have already shown that we have increased the race pace and we want to maintain that momentum after the summer break in the second half of the season.”

Williams

Alex Albon: “I’m looking forward to Hungary, where we will ride on an interesting circuit with many corners, where qualifying is especially important. After a positive weekend in France, I’m looking forward to seeing the potential of the new car in Hungary.

In the weekend there is a chance of rain and that could play a role, but last year the team used a good strategy and managed to score points. I hope we can do something similar this time.”

Nicholas Latific: “I’m really looking forward to returning to Hungary! I fondly remember last year’s race when we scored points with two cars. We looked really good at the Hungaroring, I hope it will be the same this time.

This weekend I will perform for the second time on a renewed car. We use the experience gained over the past week to optimize settings and achieve more.

The forecast for Saturday promises unpredictable weather, I hope we can use this factor and have a good weekend.”