The lack of long straights should mean Red Bull Racing will have a competitive weekend at the Hungaroring, but Max Verstappen remains cautious about just how strong they will be.
The Dutchman broke his three-race run of consecutive retirements last time out at Silverstone after finishing fourth, but has yet to finish on the podium in Hungary, something he will want to rectify this weekend.
The Hungaroring has long been described as ‘Monaco without walls’ due to the narrow nature of the circuit, but Verstappen feels that there is more to it than that, and is looking forward to driving it this weekend with the extra grip being provided by the 2017 Formula 1 cars.
“It’s always a bit too early to say how we’ll do in Hungary but we’re constantly improving, trying to get a better balance and more downforce on the car,” said Verstappen. “Luckily there are not too many long straights.
“It’s a great track, especially in an F1 car. It’s actually quite narrow and with high speeds it’s really fun to drive so I’m very much looking forward to it. I wouldn’t say it’s Monaco without walls, but it’s definitely a bit more narrow than other circuits we go to.
“We do have more grip this year so maybe you have to do a few different lines compared to the previous year, but all in all that’s manageable and quite straightforward.”
