F2 title fight heats up as the battle moves to Budapest
Round 10 - Budapest - Preview
Hitech TGR are in the beautiful capital city of Budapest, preparing to take on the tough and technical challenge of the Hungaroring this weekend, as the circuit celebrates its 40th anniversary as the home of the Hungarian Grand Prix.
This is the final round before the summer break, and the team will be harnessing all the momentum from a double points finish at Spa to ensure a positive conclusion to this phase of the season.
Our success in Belgium, coupled with nine podiums so far, have brought us to within 19 points of the lead in the Teams’ Standings. It has been ‘all-change’ in the Drivers’ Standings in the middle stint of the season, and it’s still wide open at the top, with five rounds and 10 races yet to unfold.
Luke Browning and Dino Beganovic have been hard at work at Hitech HQ in the brief interval between these two events, and in the sim and gym. The Hungaroring itself is a real workout for the drivers, as this 4.381-kilometre loop may be slow and narrow, but it is also relentless.
Set in a natural basin, the track is a series of incessant bends and a single straight line – that of the pits – which makes overtaking really tricky. There are 14 corners, six left and eight right, some of which are 180° turns. There’s no let-up, so it demands everything from a driver.
The circuit can be dusty due to the summer heat and otherwise infrequent usage, so the emphasis is on good corner entry and traction, setting the car up to afford maximum grip for the track conditions.
While the air temperatures this week are expected to be typically high, there is actually a risk of rain during the F2 schedule, which could dramatically alter the complexion of the races. Last year’s event recorded the highest track temperatures of the season, but the possible changeable conditions in the forecast, plus a return to the Medium and Soft compound combination, could see a mix of strategies.
Clive Hatton, Hitech’s F2 Team Manager:
“Luke and Dino have been performing really well in the last few rounds, and their succession of double points finishes have helped propel the team back up the order in the Teams’ Standings. We’ve been hard at work since Spa looking at how we can carry that momentum through to Budapest, where the target is to continue closing the gap in both Championships before the whole team enjoys a well-deserved summer break.”
Friday 1 August
11:05 Free Practice
15:55 Qualifying session
Saturday 2 August
14:15 Sprint Race (28 Laps)
Grid set by reversing Top 12 of Qualifying Results
Sunday 3 August
10:00 Feature Race (37 Laps)
All times local