Current leaders of the Constructors’ Championship, Vodafone McLaren Mercedes are beginning preparations for their race in Hungary. The team currently has 138 points, a comfortable 27 ahead of the nearest competitor.
This however, does not mean that the race in Hungary can be taken lightly. Despite being a low speed track it is amongst the most demanding and gruesome tracks. The track has complicated twists and turns with very little opportunity for a driver to overtake. Turn one provides the best chance, but the others are bumpy or have tight cambers.
High downforce is a recipe to success here as the priority is to go fast, despite the technical turns of the circuit. No wonder performance is more dependant on cornering rather than achieving high speeds.
A good starting position on this track can put the driver into a very secure position. Only turn one offers a good overtaking opportunity, so a good performance in the qualifying rounds is the key on this track.
The team looks good and confident as it gears up to face this track. Fernando Alonso got his career’s first F1 victory on this track to become the youngest driver in history to win a World Championship Grand Prix. After his victory in Germany, the Spaniard does look upbeat about this race. Alonso says:
It was great to take the win in Germany and I hope to achieve the same result in Hungary. I have some good memories from this track, as I took my first Formula 1 victory in Hungary; however, last year was not so good! It was a challenging race, with the time penalty that meant I started in 15th, making it up to take the lead and then dropping out. Despite this, the track will always be special to me.
I usually enjoy the race so am looking forward to racing there this year with Vodafone McLaren Mercedes. It is a very slow track but also tough physically because of the conditions, which are usually very hot. Also, because of all the corners, it is constant fighting with the steering wheel and you have to have great traction for the exit phase of the corners, which is where we can find the speed. A stable front end is also very important so the car feels completely under control in the slow, long corners and you can really push the car despite the slower speeds. The MP4-22 has performed well at this type of track so far this season, so I am feeling positive for the race.
Fernando’s teammate Lewis Hamilton is two points ahead of Fernando, who has 68 points. Lewis has appeared on this track just once, in the 2006 GP2 race. This however does not seem to dampen him. The team management is also very optimistic about the race and they are looking forward to win and extend their lead in the championship. Tyres play an important role in this track, as constant cornering causes tyres to wear out. The team seams to be all prepared for tyre degradation and they come to the track with Bridgestone’s Potenza.
[Credit : Daimler Chrysler]
