Hungarian GP: Driver Preview Quotes - Sauber

DRIVER PREVIEW QUOTES - SAUBER F1 TEAM

Marcus Ericsson - “Looking back to last year’s Hungarian Grand Prix, my memories are not too bad. I was able to score one point by finishing the race in the top ten. We had a decent pace in the race, and I hope we can achieve a similar result this season. It is good that we continue our tests with the new rear in order to proceed with our aero evaluation. It will be important to compare the data we collected from Silverstone to that we will gather in Budapest.”

Felipe Nasr - “The month of July is packed with race weekends – after the Austrian and British Grands Prix we head to the last two race weekends before the summer break: The Hungarian and German Grands Prix. Last year at the Hungaroring we were stronger than expected in the race – with P11 I was close to the points. Now I am looking forward to get a first taste of the Sauber C35-Ferrari with the new rear wing.”

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Hungarian GP: Driver Preview Quotes - Mercedes

DRIVER PREVIEW QUOTES - MERCEDES AMG PETRONAS FORMULA 1 TEAM

Lewis Hamilton - "It's a wonderful feeling, winning in front of your home crowd. I' m still buzzing from it now and looking forward to carrying those positive vibes into the next race weekend. Ever since the low of Barcelona I've been able to cultivate this really strong mental attitude and I'm really feeling that fire inside me right now. Of course, I have good days and bad days like everyone else. But whatever the case, I'm able to turn negatives into positives when it counts. I'm feeling fresh, feeling powerful and feeling confident heading to Hungary. It's a track that for some reason has always suited my style and I have incredible support there, so I can't wait to get to out on track. The past couple of years I haven' t had the smoothest weekends in Budapest, of course. But I know I'v e got the pace, so I'm gunning to turn that around this time."

Nico Rosberg - "Silverstone was a good weekend except for the loss of position following the Stewards' decision after the race. It was disappointing to lose a hard-fought and deserved second position in such a way – but we have accepted the decision and now I have to look forward with positivity.   I am leading the World Championship coming up to the halfway point of the season and there' s still a long way to go. The battle is on with Lewis and I'm feeling great in myself and great in the car, so bring it on! I can' t wait for the next battle between us in Budapest. It's a tough circuit that really tests you as a driver and a challenge I really enjoy, so I'm looking forward to an exciting and hopefully successful weekend!"

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Hungarian GP: Driver Preview Quotes - Renault

DRIVER PREVIEW QUOTES - RENAULT SPORT FORMULA 1 TEAM

Kevin Magnussen - “It’s certainly a twisty track and it’s a little bit difficult to overtake there, but it’s possible to have a good race there. I’ve had strong performances there in the past so I hope that will help this weekend. The race is very popular with fans and the support always helps. Budapest certainly is a city with a good vibe. It’s a beautiful with some lovely old buildings and some great restaurants. We don’t get enough time to explore the area during a race weekend unfortunately but I’m hoping to see a bit of it this time.

The Hungaroring is a cool track, I find myself saying that for every circuit we visit but I’m a racing driver and all tracks are cool in a Formula One car! It’s another race to look forward to and hopefully another race where we can push as hard as possible and hope for points. Yes you can overtake - Turn 1 being the obvious example - but it’s not easy so qualifying position is a bit more important than at other places. Last race’s result was certainly not what we’d hoped for so we’ll be working as hard as possible in Hungary with hopefully some learnings from the test that took place at Silverstone this week.”

Jolyon Palmer - “I really like Budapest as it’s been the scene for some of my best races. I won there in the GP2 Series. I like the city and I like the entire place. The track is different in nature to many of them in terms of having a lot of slow speed corners so it feels a bit like Monaco without the walls.

Obviously this will be my first Grand Prix there so there’s lots to think about. In particular, the circuit has been resurfaced so that’s an unknown - it might help us, it might not; we won’t know until we get there! New track surfaces are always a little bit of a venture into the unknown as you don’t know how much grip there will be, how the surface will evolve over the weekend and how the tyres will perform with the surface. Of course, a new surface doesn’t change the layout or make a significant difference to your approach to a particular circuit but nevertheless it does give an additional focus.

There’s not a particular section of the circuit which I’d pick out on its own, it’s more about how the entire circuit flows together and makes for an exciting lap. Once you brake for turn one you don’t get much respite until you’re back round again and on to the straight as all the corners flow together and come thick and fast. It’s fun to drive a lap, it’s good for racing, hopefully we can have some fun with the strategy and get a good result. I’ve had some great racing there especially in the first sector. Braking into turn one is the main overtaking opportunity but there is opportunity to fight back straight after that corner so you can have some superb battles.”

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Article Posted By: Amy Hawk
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Hungarian GP: Driver Preview Quotes - Red Bull

DRIVER PREVIEW QUOTES - RED BULL RACING FORMULA 1 TEAM

Max Verstappen - “Hungaroring is a great track and Budapest is a really cool city. Normally when we arrive it’s pretty warm which is nice. I always enjoy driving there because it’s a small track with a big car so it gives a bit of a go kart feeling, it’s also pretty tough due to all the turns, so you don’t really get a chance to rest and usually end up pretty sweaty in the heat. Sector 2 is my favourite part of the track, it’s all about hitting the apex of one corner right so you are in the right position for the next one. If you get it wrong it’s a big time penalty, so you need to be really focused.

There are some really good restaurants in Budapest, I have had some amazing meals there. The good food and the good atmosphere means I always really enjoy going there. I have been there a few times testing with 2.0 litre, with Formula Three and once with F1 so I’m really looking forward to it again.”

Daniel Ricciardo - "I think the track in Hungary is very fun and busy. The second sector is great because it’s corner after corner and there is not much time to rest and think so you can just get into a good rhythm and once you find that rhythm it feels really nice. I won pretty much every category there so I’ve always enjoyed it. It’s also always around the summertime so it’s normally nice and hot and you get a good summer feeling when you go there. Also you know that the holidays are around the corner. Apart from that, Budapest is a fun city. It has really good restaurants on offer and the people are always very friendly.”

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Article Posted By: Amy Hawk
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Wider Tyres for Faster Cars in 2017

WIDER TYRES FOR 2017

    It may still be Pirelli supplying them, but Formula 1 tyres in 2017 are going to be very different. We’ve yet to see tyres fitting next year’s specifications out on track, with those Pascal Wehrlein tested at Silverstone still the 2016 tyre size, but that will change when Pirelli’s testing plan starts in August.

    Next year’s tyres will be wider. Pirelli’s objective was to meet F1’s target of improving lap times by around four seconds a lap – no easy feat. The answer was to make the tyres twenty five percent wider, to increase the “contact patch” (the area in contact with the ground).

    The size won’t be the only change. The make up of each of the compounds will be changed, though Pirelli are still experimenting with the exact constructions.

    Wehrlein trailed potential compounds at the Silverstone test.

    “We were also able to get some data about potential 2017 compounds and constructions within a 2016 tyre size,” said Paul Hembery, Pirelli motorsport director. “This has given us a number of interesting areas to work on.”

    The experimental compounds will be in 2017 sizes next month, when Pirelli’s testing begins. Ferrari, Mercedes, and Red Bull will all take part in blind tests, working with a hybrid car that Pirelli expects next year’s machines to be like. The information collected will be given to all the teams, to ensure fairness.

    “We will be on the track for the first time in the first four days of August,” Hembery told F1.com. “Working with a hybrid car and not with an exact 2017 car. But that will give us a good guideline of how the tyres are performing. And that will give a lot of answers to a lot of questions. There is, of course, already a huge amount of work and indoor testing going on in our factory. I am hopeful that we will give the sport what it wants in 2017.”

    Pirelli are aiming to have the final version of the 2017 tyres ready by pre-season testing, but changes may have to be made if their guess work on what the new cars will look like doesn’t match up to the real thing.

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Article Written By: Bethonie Waring
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Sources: F1.com, Pirelli press release
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Hungarian GP: Circuit Preview

HUNGARIAN GRAND PRIX 2016 - CIRCUIT PREVIEW & 2015 STATS 

Name: Hungaroring

Location: Mogyorod (Budapest), Hungary

Opened: 1986

Length: 2.722 Miles

Capacity: 70,000

Runs: Clockwise

Turns: 16

Race Laps: 70

2015 STATS

Pole Position: Lewis Hamilton

1st Place: Sebastian Vettel

2nd Place: Daniil Kvyat

3rd Place: Daniel Ricciardo

Retirements: Nico Hulkenberg (Front Wing), Sergio Perez (Brakes), Kimi Raikkonen (Hybrid), Carlos Sainz (Fuel Pressure System), Will Stevens (Suspension)*

* - Qualified as Finished.

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Hungarian GP: Track Schedule

HUNGARIAN GRAND PRIX 2016 - TRACK SCHEDULE 

July 21st / Thursday

15:00 - Drivers Press Conference (Located in the Press Room)

17:00 - 19:00 - (3-Day-Ticket-Holders Only) - Pit-Lane Walk

July 22nd / Friday

08:45 - 09:45 - Paddock Club Pit-Lane Walk

10:00 - 11:30 - Free Practice #1

12:50 - 13:45 - Paddock Club Pit-Lane Walk

14:00 - 15:30 - Free Practice #2

16:00 - 17:00 - Press Conference (Located in the Press Room)

July 23rd / Saturday

08:30 - 09:15 - Team Pit-Stop Practice

08:30 - 09:35 - Paddock Club Pit-Lane Walk

11:00 - 12:00 - Free Practice #3

13:00 - 13:45 - Paddock Club Pit-Lane Walk

14:00 - 15:00 - Qualifying

July 24th / Sunday

12:15 - 13:05 - Paddock Club Pit-Lane Walk

12:30 - Drivers Track Parade

12:45 - 13:15 - Starting Grid Presentation

13:46 - National Anthem

14:00 - 16:00 - Race

(Times subject to change)

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In-Season Test 2 - (Silverstone) Day 2 / Re-Cap & Times

IN-SEASON TESTING / DAY 2 / RE-CAP & TIMES

    Kimi Raikkonen was on top of the timings after the second day of testing at Silverstone. The Ferrari driver set a time of 1:30.665 in the final day after Merecedes’ Esteban Ocon dominated the rest of the day.

    Young driver Ocon had been at the top of the timings after a quiet morning session, filling the Mercedes seat for a second day in a row. The French driver set his fastest time of the day – a 1:31.212 – in the morning, and it stayed the fastest time of the day until fifty minutes before the end of the day.

    Pierre Gasly was looking to prove himself in the Red Bull. The Frenchman has his eye on Daniil Kvyat’s Toro Rosso seat. Gasly was able to set the third fastest time, just over two tenths of a second slower than Ocon’s time.

    Also from the Red Bull paddock was Sergio Sette Camara, who was taking his first spin in a Formula One car. The Brazilian was running in the Toro Rosso car and was eighth in the standings when his first spin almost ended his running prematurely. The teenager lost the back end of the car on the pit straight before the lunch break, sending him into a spin. Sette Camara was able to regain control after half a spin and continued, eventually finishing the day with a time of 1:34.040.

    One young driver extremely keen to impress every chance he gets is Stoffel Vandoorne. Vandoorne returned to the seat of the McLaren after Fernando Alonso set the fastest time of the day yesterday. Vandoorne couldn’t match the Spaniard’s session topping time, ending the day fifth fastest and nearly half a second slower than Alonso.

    The slowest of the 2016 cars was Manor and Jordan King. King was on a programme to test specific aero updates, though, so his lack of pace wasn’t entirely his own fault.

 TIMES: 

1. Kimi Raikkonen – 1:30.665 / Ferrari-Ferrari / 103 Laps
2. Esteban Ocon - 1:31.212 / Mercedes-Mercedes (W07) / 139 Laps
3. Pierre Gasly 1:31.429 / Red Bull-TAG-HEUER / 103 Laps
4. Nikita Mazepin – 1:31.561 / Force India- Mercedes / 69 Laps
5. Stoffel Vandoorne - 1:31.764 / McLaren-Honda / 114 Laps
6. Valtteri Bottas – 1:32.423 / Williams-Mercedes / 98 Laps
7. Santino Ferrucci - 1:33.141 / Haas-Ferrari / 107 Laps
8. Jolyon Palmer – 1:33.308 / Renault-Renault / 98 Laps
9. Sergio Sette-Camara – 1:34.040 / Toro Rosso-Ferrari / 82 Laps
10. Jordan King – 1:35.060 / Manor-Mercedes / 64 Laps/ 64 Laps
10. Sergey Sirotkin - 1:36.575 / Renault-Renault / 48 Laps
11. Pascal Wehrlein - 1:36.182 / Mercedes-Mercedes (W05 - Pirelli Test) / 128 Laps

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In-Season Test 2 - (Silverstone) Day 2 / Line-Up

IN-SEASON TESTING / DAY 1 / LINE-UP

Mercedes-Mercedes: Esteban Ocon & Pascal Wehrlein (Pirelli)

Ferrari-Ferrari: Kimi Raikkonen

Red Bull-TAG-HEUER: Pierre Gasly

Williams-Mercedes: Valtteri Bottas

Force India-Mercedes: Nikita Mazepin

Toro Rosso-Ferrari: Sergio Sette-Camara

McLaren-Honda: Stoffel Vandoorne

Renault-Renault: Jolyon Palmer

Manor-Mercedes: Jordan King

Haas-Ferrucci: Santino Ferrucci

Sauber: **

** - Sauber has withdrawn from the second in-season test.

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In Season Test 2 - (Silverstone) Day 1 / Re-Cap & Times

   

IN-SEASON TESTING / DAY 1 / RE-CAP & TIMES

    Lots of familiar faces and a few not-so-familiar faces on Day 1 of the second and last in-season test for 2016. Sauber is the only team not attending the test as they chose to withdraw as they confirmed they have nothing new to test for their 2016 car. The day consisted of sunny conditions in the AM and continuous rain in the PM, but none the less, there was plenty of running completed.

    Mercedes is running two cars in this test including their current W07 with Esteban Ocon behind the wheel and Pascal Wehrlein in their 2014 car, the W05. Wehrlein is helping test the 2017 spec Pirelli tyres.

    Red Bull has chosen to use Pierre Gasly on both days and the team opted to run the Halo 2 during the session. Red Bull is one of two teams currently trying to appeal the Halo being used next year as a new form of added head protection. Gasly endured a wiring issue in the early morning of the session but was later able to get running again and completed a total of 50 laps for the team.

    Charles Leclerc got his taste of the Ferrari as the team chose to run him. Leclerc recently drove for Haas in FP1 during the recent British GP weekend and also leads the GP3 Drivers Championship.

    While Fernando Alonso, Carlos Sainz, Pascal Wehrlein and Rio Haryanto are all current F1 drivers, there were a handful of potential F1 drivers as well. Apart from Leclerc, Gasly and Ocon - also out on track were: Alex Lynn, Sergey Sirotkin, Santino Ferrucci and Nikita Mazepin.
   
    A red flag was called out in the later half of the session due to a large piece of wood falling from the lighting near the pit-lane straight. Once it was removed, the session was back underway.

TIMES:

1. Fernando Alonso - 1:31.290 / McLaren-Honda / 105 Laps

2. Esteban Ocon - 1:32.833 / Mercedes-Mercedes (W07) / 123 Laps
3. Alex Lynn - 1:34.433 / Williams-Mercedes / 54 Laps
4. Charles Leclerc - 1:34.466 / Ferrari-Ferrari / 19 Laps
5. Nikita Mazepin - 1:34.521 / Force India-Mercedes / 35 Laps
6. Carlos Sainz - 1:34.643 / Toro Rosso-Ferrari / 91 Laps
7. Santino Ferrucci - 1:34.866 / Haas-Ferrari / 55 Laps
8. Pascal Wehrlein - 1:34.982 / Mercedes-Mercedes (W05 - Pirelli Test) / 48 Laps
9. Rio Haryanto - 1:35.631 / Manor-Mercedes / 64 Laps
10. Sergey Sirotkin - 1:36.575 / Renault-Renault / 48 Laps
11. Pierre Gasly - 1:43.891 / Red Bull-TAG-HEUER / 50 Laps

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