Hungarian GP Sauber preview

Pedro Diniz:
I like this track, which is situated just outside one of the most beautiful cities in Europe, Budapest. In a way the circuit is similar to Monaco. It is faster, with some tough corners that make the race very hard physically. I had a very good test in Valencia last week, and hope that I can score my first points of the season.

Mika Salo:
The Hungaroring is a slow-speed circuit, all second and third gear corners. It requires high downforce and it is bumpy, so you need a good set-up. That can be difficult to achieve, because it is often hot there, and the track is very dirty on the first day. It is almost impossible to overtake there, too, so you need good top speed on the start/finish straight. This is the closest I get to a home GP, with so many Finns and fans spectating.

Willy Rampf (Technical Director):
The Hungaroring makes its own specific demands. It is similar to Monte Carlo insofar as it requires very high downforce. But it is also quite bumpy and the drivers use the kerbs a lot, which means that mechanical set-up is also very important. The ambient temperature in Budapest is usually quite high too, so cooling is a big issue. Typically at the Hungaroring the times are very slow on Friday. This is because the track does not see so much action, and is therefore absolutely green because there is no rubber down. It has a low grip level. The characteristics of the track are further similar to Monaco in that we use the same tyre compounds there, Bridgestone`s soft and extra soft rubber. Because of the soft compounds, as the race develops a lot of debris gets thrown off line. It is already hard to overtake there because of the design of the circuit, but if you stray off the one racing line in an attempt to pass your tyres get really dirty. It then takes a couple of laps to clean them up again.