Sauber wants to shine at the Hungaroring before the break

The Hungaroring circuit is not a street track, but it still requires a lot of downforce, as explained by Giampaolo Dall’Ara, head of track engineers at Sauber: « The Hungaroring is a circuit that requires a lot of downforce, almost as much as in Monaco. This is due to the time drivers spend in corners compared to the time spent on straights. Therefore, aerodynamic downforce is the main goal. The difference with Monaco lies in the corners – which are mainly slow or approached at medium speed, but they are fluid. »

This characteristic has not often been a strong point of the Sauber team’s cars in recent years. They were rarely comfortable on slow circuits, but that has changed, which leaves Kamui Kobayashi full of hope for this Hungarian meeting: « In the past, our car has not been very strong on tracks like the Hungaroring, but with this year’s car, it’s different. The Sauber C31 has proven to be fast on such winding tracks, so I think we can be strong. »

The Hungarian track is a circuit that Sergio Pérez appreciates: The Hungaroring is a very special track. It’s a bit like the street circuit of Monaco with many direction changes, and the second sector is particularly tricky. I enjoy this circuit and also the city of Budapest.

Kamui Kobayashi believes that with the always sunny weather in Hungary, the Sauber team should not encounter the same problems as in the last Grand Prix: « We have had some difficulties with the rain recently, but in Hungary, the weather has always been excellent during the majority of the Grand Prix. I am therefore looking forward to what I hope will be a race held in dry and warm conditions. »

Sergio Pérez also believes that his car should be comfortable on the Hungarian twisty track: “I’m confident that we can be as strong on the Budapest circuit as we were in Hockenheim. Last year, I managed to reach Q3 in Hungary, and this year, we have a much better car. I’m going to give it my all this weekend.”

But before the race, the car must be properly set up, which is not easy, as Giampaolo Dall’Ara admits: « It is also important to work on the balance for these types of corners. The changes of direction are also important. There are several approached at different speeds, from the slow chicane at turn 6 to the fast turns 2 and 3. Another important point is the fact that there is only one line, which makes qualifying even more important. The sides of this line are often dirty. »

The qualifications will be a crucial point for the Swiss team, which hasn’t particularly shone in this exercise during the last races, especially Sergio Pérez, but the Mexican hopes to recover this weekend: « We still need to improve our performance in qualifications to start better because, for one reason or another, things have gone poorly in the last races. »

The Hungarian Grand Prix will be the last before the traditional summer break, and Kamui Kobayashi believes it’s important to achieve a good result before this pause: « If you secure a good result, you can enjoy this break a bit more, and I think with our strong performance in Hockenheim, we have every chance to do so. » This sentiment is shared by Sergio Pérez, who believes a good performance is possible: « I think it will be important for the whole team to secure another good result in Hungary because then comes the summer break, and we need to approach it in a good mood. »

Even though it will likely be hot in Hungary, the tires should not be a problem, as Giampaolo Dall’Ara, head of track engineers, explains, because Pirelli has decided to bring a harder range of tires than in 2011, even though the compounds have changed between 2011 and 2012: « There can be wind at night which brings sand onto the track. So the way the tires behave can change between Friday and Sunday. Pirelli is bringing the Soft and Medium, one level up compared to last year. With lower temperatures, this should be a more conservative choice, but for the race weekend, heat is expected, so it should work well. »