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HUNGARIAN GRAND PRIX PREVIEW

HUNGARIAN GRAND PRIX 24/25/26 JULY 2015 HUNGARIAN GRAND PRIX 2015 PREVIEW RACE 10

FEDERICO FEDERICOGASTALDI

Lotus F1 Team Deputy Team Principal Federico Gastaldi focuses on what the team wants ahead of the GASTALDIsummer shutdown. What are your thoughts heading to ? What are your reflections on the British Grand to the same tune. There are more things we can At the halfway mark in the season, where do Myself and the team are all looking forward to Prix? do to help promote events and I would say to all you think the team has done well, and where is what is sure to be a fantastic event. Every year The race for us was unfortunate as both our the promoters ‘don’t be afraid to ask!’. We will there room for improvement? Budapest and deliver and that’s thanks cars were eliminated very early. Looking at the do whatever we can to help make all events a In terms of performance, when you look at where to some great forward thinking from Bernie weekend as a whole, we weren’t able to show fantastic success. we were last year it’s clear we’ve taken a big step Ecclestone many years ago, the enthusiasm the pace we’ve seen at most venues this season. forward. When you look at where we were two of our much-missed friend Thomas Frank and Budapest should highlight if this was just a What do you have to say to ’s or three years ago, it’s clear we have potential now the drive of my good friend Tamas Rohonyi. characteristic of the circuit or if our comments that drivers are being turned into for further improvement. With the car we can Budapest is such a beautiful city and the event is rivals have stolen a march on us. As an event, robots by teams? make some progress in the areas of speed and a mainstay on the calendar. Silverstone was fantastic and we must praise the I understand what Emerson’s saying but I know reliability, but that is always the case; you always organisers and thank all the fans for their support that we as a team don’t do anything proactive want the car to be faster and to never break down and enthusiasm. It was certainly a good riposte to What makes the Hungarian Grand Prix such a to stop our drivers from saying what they think. or have any issue. In the commercial domain popular event? all the harbingers of doom for our sport. The drivers themselves are free to decide to say we’ve been developing our relationship with It’s a great race in a great place. The circuit offers what they think, but they are talking in a very Microsoft and this is highlighted by how we’re drivers its own distinct challenge with the twisty What more can the F1 teams do to help the different world from when Emerson was a driver. promoting their Lumia brand. There’s more to Hungaroring and the races that result are usually Grand Prix promoters? Now if you say anything even slightly out of the come too. some of the better ones during the course of I think the sport is going through something of a normal it’s repeated, misreported, analysed any given season. We’ve seen drivers like Ayrton re-evaluation at the moment and this can be seen and regurgitated across all forms of media and I You were recently in Mexico for the third Senna, , , as a good thing as it stops us from becoming think many drivers have taken a wise approach to annual FIA Sport Conference, FIA MotorEx , and settled in our ways. Speaking as someone who this; the less controversial you say, the less time Mexico, what did you learn? thrill and excite the emotions of the thousands of has been a Grand Prix promoter as well as you have to spend answering questions about It was a great event and it was refreshing to hear spectators over the years, bringing real magic to someone who is now intimately involved with a it! This is part of the reason why drivers have so many proactive ideas and discussions for Budapest and to Formula 1. The fans are all very team I have a good grasp on the two different evolved into sounding like politicians when asked . It was also great to experience some enthusiastic and the city itself is wonderful with perspectives. I think as a sport we should always many questions. They want to drive, not spend of the enthusiasm and expectation in Mexico for many treasures. be working to promote ourselves as best we can hours discussing their opinions on whether Kim this year’s Grand Prix; it’s going to be a fantastic and this should mean closer working between Kardashian should appear on the front of Rolling event. the teams and events to ensure we are dancing Stone magazine.

THE FANS ARE ALL VERY ENTHUSIASTIC AND THE CITY ITSELF IS WONDERFUL HUNGARIAN GRAND PRIX 2015 PREVIEW RACE 10 FEDERICO GASTALDI HUNGARIAN GRAND PRIX 2015 PREVIEW RACE 10

ROMAIN ROMAINGROSJEAN

At a circuit where he’s been on the podium before, reckons that points at the GROSJEANHungaroring should be ripe for the picking. What are your thoughts on Budapest? which was tough at the time… Nevertheless, Your was rather short; so it won’t play to the strength of our car I love Budapest and I love the Hungaroring. it is hard to overtake at the Hungaroring talk us through it. through the speed traps, but we’ve worked It’s a place where I really look forward to making qualifying very, very important and It certainly was a rather short race for me! pretty well in the low speed stuff. The tyre visiting every year. It is usually sunny and equally so the race strategy. Basically the start was okay and it was allocation of the soft and medium compound hot and is just before the summer break so the usual crowded circuit coming into the is certainly quite a conservative one, you give all the energy you have before you What’s the key to a good result in corner and Daniel Riccardo had been, shall but we should be able to go quite well. I go on holiday. It is an exciting Grand Prix Budapest? we say, a little optimistic with his car’s think if we start the weekend well we could every year. Qualifying, pure and simple. It’s a tight and braking ability on cold tyres. I was able to have quite a strong race and bag some more twisty track so you really do need a good avoid him with the front of my car, but he juicy points ahead of the summer break. What is it about the Hungaroring that you qualifying result. We showed in 2012 that hit the rear of my car which tipped me into particularly like? being on the front row certainly helps and a spin. Unfortunately this collected Pastor It’s a great track and one that’s suited us in 2013’s P3 wasn’t too bad either. and the team’s race was over there and the past. It was great to be on the podium then. There’s not much you can do when that there in 2012. I can remember feeling What other memories do you have of happens, but you feel a lot of disappointment frustrated that year as we did have a chance the track? as there’s your race gone, and for the team to be fighting for the win, but that didn’t work I scored my first GP2 Series pole position to have both cars out before the end of the out because of traffic. I like the circuit and there in 2008. In 2011 I won and finished first lap is gutting. its style of up and downs and twisty corners. third, which was a pretty strong weekend. In I like the feeling you get when driving on the terms of driving, it’s not the most physically Do you think Budapest offers a good track and the grip you get from it. I’ve been challenging in terms of high speed corners, opportunity for you and the team? very quick in qualifying pretty much every but the heat you experience in the cockpit We’ve gone well there in the past and it’s time there. It’s also the venue of one of my can be quite an issue. It can also be a a track I like. The E23 works well and we best overtaking ever in my Formula 1 career difficult circuit early in the weekend as the seem to be able to extract pretty good in 2013, even though I was penalised for track is not used very much, meaning it’s performance from it at most tracks we visit. being a few small centimetres over the line, quite slippery when you first go out. The Hungaroring is not a high speed circuit

74 RACES 9 PODIUMS POINTS WE’VE GONE WELL THERE IN THE PAST AND IT’S A TRACK I LIKE HUNGARIAN GRAND PRIX 2015 PREVIEW RACE 10 ROMAIN GROSJEAN HUNGARIAN GRAND PRIX 2015 PREVIEW RACE 10

PASTOR PASTORMALDONADO

Pastor Maldonado looks forward to one of his favourite races MALDONADOof the year in Hungary. Are you looking forward to Budapest? Your Silverstone race was rather short… The Hungarian Grand Prix represents the halfway mark in The Hungarian Grand Prix is one of the best of the season. It was a great race at Silverstone; I know this as I was sat the season and it’s the final race before the summer break; We are very close to the city of Budapest which is a place in the motorhome watching it! For sure, this was not how I what would your half term report card say and what are that I like very much. There is a big community of fans at the wanted to spend my race; I wanted to be sat in my car racing. your targets for the second half of the season? race weekend and the people are very friendly. On track it It’s such a satisfying feeling when you’re racing in mixed My target is the same as for all the races at the start of the can be very challenging. The weather is usually very hot there conditions like we saw for the British Grand Prix. It’s also year; to score as many points as possible and finish the race meaning that it is very demanding from a physical point of such an unsatisfying feeling when you realise your race is in the best position I can. I think my first half report card view. It is one of the races that I enjoy best because of these over so early. would say good things for effort, but the results didn’t come. demands and I really like the challenge that it presents. Certainly I believe we’ll get better finishes in the second half What happened? of the season. What are your thoughts on the Hungaroring? My car was hit by Romain’s as he had been tipped into a spin It is a very demanding circuit for drivers as it is often very hot by Daniel Riccardo. I actually thought my car was okay except and there are limited overtaking opportunities. It has quite for a puncture so I tried to get back to the pits to change tyres. a slow speed layout and we’ve looked quite good with the Unfortunately, what I could feel from the back of my car was E23 in low speed corners so it will be interesting to see how not a puncture, it was oil leaking and making the tyre lose quick we are here. Qualifying is so important at this track traction. As soon as Mark, my engineer, come over the radio because of the small number of overtaking opportunities, to tell me to switch the car off I knew it was game over. but I’ve qualified well there in the past so hopefully I can deliver a strong performance. I have won in Budapest in other What do you do after a short race like that? categories so the track has good memories for me. The fans Your first thought once you’ve seen that everyone is okay create a good atmosphere and it’s always nice to race at a and you realise your race is over is ‘how do I get back to the track where there is a good feeling like this. I am looking garage?’ I spoke to the guys in the garage when I did get back, forward to the weekend. then there wasn’t really much you can say in the debrief. After that I watched the race with guests and personnel in our motorhome. As a racer you never want to be watching the race live on TV as you should be in it, but it was a good race to watch nevertheless!

84 RACES 1 WIN POINTS IT IS A VERY DEMANDING CIRCUIT FOR DRIVERS HUNGARIAN GRAND PRIX 2015 PREVIEW RACE 10 HUNGARIAN GRAND PRIX 2015 PREVIEW RACE 10

NICK NICKCHESTER

Technical Director Nick Chester looks to the challenge CHESTERof the short and sweet Hungaroring. What are the challenges of the Hungaroring? chance to show what we were capable of What differences are there likely to be at the What does the summer shutdown mean for It’s an interesting circuit with predominantly in the race as both drivers were blameless race starts? the team? low and medium speed corners meaning victims in the first lap incident. Certainly It will be interesting to see if there is much After Budapest we do have the two-week we need a good front-end from the car with points for both cars were in the offing. difference from Belgium onwards. Until now shutdown at the factory, when no work can strong turn-in. Traction is another area we the team has been able to advise the drivers occur. This means a break and recharge of look to maximise from the set-up. Talking of What’s the emotion in the garage when you see as to start procedures related to the clutch the batteries of all the people who work at set-up, it is another venue which can present both cars eliminated so early in the race? bite point, but that won’t be allowed from Enstone, which is well needed at this time a challenge. You need high downforce and It’s gutting. So much work goes into the Spa onwards so there’s some scope for a bit of the year. It also highlights that the season we’re using the medium and soft tyres at preparation for a Grand Prix; getting the more variance at the starts of races than we has passed the halfway mark with only two what is likely to a hot track which means cars ready, building the garages, travelling see currently. European races left so it’s time for a strong our engineers will be kept busy getting the to the event so to see that all evaporate push to collect as many points possible in car fine-tuned to exploit its performance within 30 seconds of the race start is very Looking to 2016, what difference does a 21 the second half of the year to secure the potential. disheartening. But that’s racing; you get on race calendar make? best championship position possible. with it. Next year’s calendar has a reasonable Silverstone was something of a short race; shaking-up of the schedule; not only is it what did the team learn? What’s the current activity at Enstone? a 21-race calendar, but also the season Our race was very short with both our We had a reasonable amount of remedial doesn’t start until April and there are a drivers retiring on the first lap. Silverstone work for both cars following the British number of other differences too. Certainly, can be quite a windy track and this makes Grand Prix. The damage was confined to it represents the biggest change to the it difficult to set-up the car, which was bodywork, floor, front wing and also an oil schedule that we’ve seen for a while, with something we suffered from this year. We line on Pastor’s car. The cars looked worse the Malaysian race now scheduled for also struggled a bit with both compounds of than they actually were, but nevertheless it’s after Singapore, and Russia taking place in tyres to get a good balance. This meant been quite a busy time at the factory. We’ve May. Add to that the addition of Baku and we didn’t qualify where we wanted to be, got a number of developments for this year’s that makes plenty to consider in terms of however we weren’t a million miles away car to come along as well as having people logistics, especially with the seven back-to- and there was still good potential for the working on concepts for 2016. back races. race itself. Unfortunately, we never had the

WE’VE GOT A NUMBER OF DEVELOPMENTS FOR THIS YEAR’S CAR TO COME ALONG HUNGARIAN GRAND PRIX 2015 PREVIEW RACE 10 NICK CHESTER HUNGARIAN GRAND PRIX 2015 PREVIEW RACE 10

T1 DRS FUEL EFFECT T1 Heavy braking from almost 300kph on the 3 140 2.4 main straight to under 100kph at the first turn creates the most likely overtaking 8 330 0.1 5 225 1.3 6 200 3.3 T5 opportunity on the circuit. 0.37 TRACKT2 The track runs quite noticeably downhill 6 210 3.4 DATA SEC /10KG into T2. With high potential for drivers to 2 T4 out-brake themselves here, they will need T6 to keep their wits about them. 3 109 1.8 (2014 average: 0.34sec/10kg) T5 Moderate braking from around 240kph to T3 150kph at T5 follows the slight kink of T4; a tricky series of corners taken at FUEL CONSUMPTION medium/high speed. 11 T2 2 100 2.1 T8 T8 There’s little braking here and no room for error, as a small mistake at any stage can T13 have a big effect on overall lap time. The 1.43 drivers need a well-balanced car with good KG/LAP change of direction capabilities through T9 this section. 3 138 2.2

The second slowest corner on the circuit, T13 T10 (2014 average: 1.69kg/lap) T13 is a tight left hander taken at around 100kph before launching the car into the final turn. FULL THROTTLE DRS T12 T14 A good exit from the third gear T14 is crucial, as it leads on to the circuits’ only T11 straight and subsequently into T1; the best T14 3 overtaking opportunity around the lap. 56 3 120 2.2 % OF LAP

(2014 average: 56% of lap) TYRE USAGE TYRE USAGE TH EASY HARD 16 TH BRAKE WEAREASY HARD 4.381 306.630 72 25 16 % OF LAP TOTAL STRAIGHT BRAKE WEAR CIRCUIT4.3 LENGTH8 (KM)1 RACE306. DISTANCE630 (KM) SPENT BRAKING PER LAP (%) 7km CIRCUIT LENGTH (KM) RACE DISTANCE (KM) 7km 6km EASY HARD 6km EASY HARD 5km DOWNFORCEDOWNFORCE 5km 4km 4km 56 790 % OF LAP AT LONGEST FULL 3km 3km 70 CHI CHI ITA SINITA SIN FULL THROTTLE THROTTLE BURST (M) LOW LOW HIGH HIGH AUS MAL AUS BAHMAL SPA BAHMON SPACANMONAUTCANGBRAUTHUNGBR BELHUN BEL JAP JAPRUSRUSUSAUSAMEXMEX BRABRA ABUABU NUMBER OF OF LAPS LAPS HUNGARIAN GRAND PRIX 2015 PREVIEW RACE 10 NEXTNEXT RACE RACE

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