Williams well-prepared for slow speed Hungaroring
Before the start of the four-week summer break, the Williams Formula One team still has one challenge to go: the Hungarian Grand Prix. Both Pastor Maldonado and Bruno Senna are looking forward to the weekend at the Hungaroring.
Mark Gillan, Chief Operations Engineer: "Logistics of the back to back races are always a bit more difficult with less turnaround between the events and therefore less time to react to any issues. The competition is so tight at the moment that one must ensure that you extract the maximum performance from the car - there is no room for errors. Pirelli bring the same compounds as used in the previous race, namely the medium and soft tyres. The circuit layout leads to very low average speeds, with only Monaco and Singapore being lower. This low efficiency metric means that you run the maximum downforce configuration. Teams also have to deal with the potentially high ambient temperatures which necessitate larger cooling ducts."
Pastor Maldonado: "The track in Hungary is really slow speed and so we will need to adapt our set-up for this sort of circuit but we have shown so far this season that our car has good pace at different sorts of tracks. I have won here before so the track has good memories for me and the fans create a good atmosphere so I am looking forward to the weekend."
Bruno Senna: "The Hungaroring is one of the most challenging tracks we visit all year. Technically it’s a real test and it’s quite a slow lap so reminds me in some respects of Monaco. It’s also demanding physically because the temperature is often high and you have to do a lot of work behind the steering wheel so can get tired quickly. I have done well here in the past, particularly in GP2 in 2008, so I’m looking forward to this weekend."
Rémi Taffin, Head of Renault Sport F1 Track Operations: "The Hungaroring has the second lowest average speed of the year, after Monaco. The high number of corners and lack of straights means one lap is taken at just over 180kph, therefore requiring extremely good low speed torque response. Cooling also becomes critical due to the lack of opportunity for the engine to ‘breathe’ and the high ambient temperatures, plus the high level of dirt and grit from the dusty surrounding fields that can be ingested into the inlets and radiators."
Paul Hembery, Pirelli Motorsport Director: "We are bringing the P Zero White medium and P Zero Yellow soft compounds to the Hungaroring, which should be ideally suited to the circuit. The track layout is very twisty and compact, but ambient temperatures are regularly very high – so it’s a question of finding the right balance between tyre performance and durability. The grip levels tend to be low, particularly at the beginning of the weekend before the circuit has had the chance to evolve, but the asphalt generally remains slippery."
