Hungarian GP Jaguar preview

After Monaco, the Hungaroring - the venue for this weekend's Hungarian GP - is the slowest track on the F1 calendar. And like Monaco, it is tight and twisty, making overtaking difficult. Because of this it is one of Eddie Irvine favourite tracks.

Eddie Irvine:
"I must say I really enjoy driving at the Hungaroring. The constant changes of direction keep you on your toes and you get into a good flowing rhythm especially around the back section of the track. Overtaking isn't exactly easy, so you have to keep your concentration and not get frustrated and just try and pick the right moment to get by. Obviously a good qualifying position is vital here."

Irvine is quite optimistic for a strong performance in the race, as the R1 has proved to be most competitive on slow tracks this year, as his fine fourth place in Monaco showed. Also he went well at the Hungarian GP last year, finishing in third place. "Hopefully the fact that it is a high downforce circuit should suit the R1," he said. "Last year I missed out on pole by just a whisker. I'd like to think I can get somewhere near the front again this time around."

Johnny Herbert:
"I like the Hungaroring. It's a challenging track and is one of those that is very dirty when we start running on Friday but improves as you creep towards qualifying so you are always having to adjust the car to suit the track. It's a very tough track as well because it is normally very hot there and you have to work hard to get through all those corners. It's a bit like Monaco in that there is no time to rest during a lap. I have good memories of Hungary, the best being from 1997 when I finished third in the Sauber, ahead of Michael and Eddie in the Ferraris. Definitely one of my best races."

Jaguar Racing will again be using the uprated Cosworth engine, and team boss Neil Ressler is expecting the car to go well in the race. "Earlier this year, the R1 has been more competitive in high downforce trim and, as the Hungaroring is a high downforce track, we would expect to fare better there," he said. "We're working hard for improvements, looking forward to running the Cosworth Project 2 engine again this weekend and have high hopes for Hungary."