Stoffel Vandoorne heads to Hungary this weekend ready to tackle the final race before the summer break where he will be fully focussed on the job at hand and determined to come away from Budapest with a positive result.
The team's pace at their home event at Silverstone was marginally better than they had initially expected on what is considered to be a power-hungry circuit, and therefore a track traditionally more difficult for the Honda powered McLaren to adapt to. Hungary however, is a completely different proposition, and one that theoretically gives the Belgian driver optimism that the team can put the strengths of their car to the test and better take the fight to their rivals.
“I really like the Hungaroring circuit – although it's not the fastest in term of outright pace, its technical layout means it feels quick and requires 100% commitment and concentration all the way around the lap,” Stoffel said. “There are a lot of quick changes of direction, and the twisty configuration means you have to have your line spot-on every time to get the best out of a lap.”
“The layout combined with the high temperatures means it's tough on the cars, and you need a strong and stable chassis to be able to get the nose in at the right time and allow you the best possible exit to get ready for the next corner. The straights are short, so it's all about setting up the car with as much downforce as possible for the corners.”
“I've won in Hungary before, in GP2, and I enjoy driving on this track. Although we've been a bit unlucky, I feel that my performances have been consistent and improving race-by-race. I've been working hard with the engineers and I feel confident in the car – my weekends are coming together better now in the first part of the season and as a team we are progressing every weekend. We have to be patient, keep working hard, and I hope to see the reward for our efforts paying off soon.“
