Hungarian GP: Williams preview

Hungary's Hot Topics

How will the new boy do in his debut race?
Will the Brawns manage to reassert themselves?
Will tyres continue to be an issue or will the warmer temperatures provide a fix?

Hungaroring in a nutshell

A permanent racetrack but almost as labyrinthine as Monaco. For that reason, a strong qualifying performance is essential. Overtaking has been eased since 2003, when the main straight was extended and the first corner re-profiled, but only slightly (not least because it is incredibly dusty off the racing line). Modern convention makes this a two-stop race like most others.

What the drivers say

Reflections on the German Grand Prix

Nico "We came home from Germany with another strong result with the fourth place. It was a bit of a difficult weekend before that though as we struggled with tyre temperatures as it was really quite cold at the Nurburgring. Still, it all came together for us in the end and I'm really happy as I made up a lot of places from my 15th grid position. It's good to see the team making steady progress with the car and I hope it continues, as it would be great to get on that podium soon."

Kazuki "It was a little bit disappointing and an unlucky weekend for me. The weather in qualifying was especially tricky. We showed though that the car is quite competitive though and we have enough speed to score points, so hopefully it will happen for us in Hungary."

What we've been up to between races

Kazuki "I've been keeping to my normal routine of visiting the factory to use the simulator and then lots of training since I came home from Germany. I was also on duty again at the weekend for the team's second trip to Moscow. Nico went last year and I know now why he loved it so much! To drive a Formula One car alongside such iconic landmarks like the Kremlin and Red Square was amazing and an experience I will never forget!"

Nico "The break between the races has gone back to the usual two weeks which is good as I prefer the rhythm. During that time, I've been to Sardinia with friends. It was a fantastic trip and they introduced me to sailing, which was a really nice new experience."

The Hungaroring -- from a technical perspective

Nico "The Hungaroring is a completely different type of track to the Nurburgring. It's quite slow and twisty, and is a maximum downforce circuit which should suit our car. It will definitely be hotter over there than it was in Germany so we can look forward to a bit of an easier weekend when it comes to set-up as we'll be able to get the tyres up to temperature. Traditionally, Williams has always gone well round Budapest and I hope that will be the case this year and we continue our strong form."

Kazuki "The Hungaroring is probably one of my favourites tracks on the calendar. It's going to be a tough race because of the temperatures in Hungary at this time of year, and just because of the nature of the circuit. It's a very slow track, a little bit like Monaco in that the corners are all slow and medium speed. Overtaking will therefore be difficult because there aren't many long straights, so qualifying will be really important. I think we will be competitive there."

Budapest: love it or hate it?

Nico "Budapest is a great city. It's filled with cool bars and restaurants, not that I can go out much, but its really vibrant and so one of the more enjoyable places we visit in the year."

Kazuki "I know Budapest is a beautiful city but I've never really explored it as I haven't ever had the time. I hope that this year I will have some time to look around, or go out in the evening to a restaurant for a good local meal. It's always nice when we go to such interesting cities like Budapest, it just makes the weekend more exciting."

-credit: williams