The Hungaroring has been a regular fixture on the calendar since 1986 when it became the first Formula One event to take place in Eastern Europe, and the beautiful city of Budapest is always a favourite stop on the Formula One calendar. Like Monaco this is a maximum downforce circuit with lots of corners and short straights. It calls for the use of Bridgestone’s very soft compound tyres, which were last used in Montreal.

“I have had some good races [at the Hungaroring],” comments Rubens Barrichello, “winning once in 2002 and then a couple more podium finishes as well. I’m looking forward to it as it’s a track I quite enjoy. I hope we can fight for a good result.”

Track conditions are always very dusty as the circuit sees little action during the rest of the year. This leaves the track surface short of grip, particularly offline, but also combines with the August heat to increase tyre wear.

”The Hungaroring provides a mixture of high and low speed turns and so mechanical grip is very important,” asserts Senior Technical Director Shuhei Nakamoto. “We hope to be in a position to score a point or two.”