McLaren Racing – Everything you need to know about the Hungarian Grand Prix

School is canceled in summer!

Not quite. Before Formula 1 goes into its annual summer shutdown, there is still the not-so-small matter of the Hungarian Grand Prix. The Hungaroring, called “Monaco without walls”, is a completely different test than the one we had 14 days ago in a fast flowing Silverstone.

To prepare you for this weekend, read our current race preview with the thoughts of McLaren F1 drivers Lando Norris and Daniel Ricciardo as well as team principal Andreas Seidl. It also has a few pointers to look out for, as well as news about merchandise and a giveaway that are “so extra.”

So follow you

What you say

“I’m looking forward to returning to Hungary, a track that I have fond memories of after my official F1 test debut there in 2017. We have made a good start to the season so far and want to end the first half of the year with a record high before we take a break from the summer shutdown. The Hungaroring can be a difficult track to drive properly and we know it will be a challenge to beat our closest rivals in the Constructors’ Championship. But we will do everything we can to expand this gap and prepare for a strong second half of the season. “

“I can’t wait to go to Budapest, it’s one of my favorite tracks on the calendar and a race I’ve already won. It’s a very tight and technical track with high downforce that the car requires, but that only adds to the challenge and excitement for me, it’s a real driver’s track. It’s a track where overtaking can be difficult so we’ll be working hard to maximize our performance on Saturday, which should set us up for a slightly easier Sunday. As always, we will work hard to get as many points as possible and advance in the constructors’ championship. “

“The Hungaroring presents the team with an interesting challenge compared to the relatively fast tracks in Austria and Silverstone. With high downforce and a tight, twisty layout, it’s no surprise that many often refer to the track as Monaco without walls.

“The team, together with Lando and Daniel, have done a fantastic job so far to put us in that position in the Constructors’ Championship, but we know the battle is far from over and the momentum is one tough weekend from us could go away. The challenges the Hungaroring presents us may not suit our car as well as they do on other circuits on the calendar, but the battle for third place this year will largely be decided by how well we do on circuits that are inherent do not play to our strengths.

“We will work hard as a team with Mercedes HPP to ensure that we make the most of all the opportunities that arise over the weekend. As always, the aim is to collect a lot of points and continue to push for the highest possible position in the constructors’ championship. The team will give everything this weekend before we have the chance to regroup during the summer break and recharge our batteries. “

What the statistics say

Another preview, another nod to Lando’s good form. As the fourth to last time at the British Grand Prix, Lando extended his points to 15 consecutive races – more than any other McLaren driver. Fernando Alonso was the previous record holder with 14 consecutive points at the 2007 Australian and Belgian Grand Prix. Lando remains the only rider to finish in the top 10 in every race this season and he would no doubt love it to keep it that way, we go into the summer break.

We’re big fans of the Hungaroring at McLaren. Our eleven victories at the Hungarian Grand Prix make us the most successful designer in the history of the race. The first came in 1988 with Ayrton Senna at the wheel and the last was in 2012 with Lewis Hamilton. Four of our wins here were with Lewis and our 2009 win was our first hybrid win in F1.

Daniel is also a big fan of the Hungaroring. In 2014 he took his second Grand Prix victory here and followed in 2015 and 2016 with two third places. Having achieved his best result of the season so far with fifth place at the British Grand Prix, he will be looking to build on that momentum this weekend and carry it into the second half of the campaign.

Choice of tire compound for the Hungarian GP

What to look out for

First of all, normal service will resume when F1 returns to the traditional race weekend format after the Sprint Qualifying experiment at Silverstone. This weekend you can expect the usual three training sessions, two of them on Friday, then another on Saturday, followed by qualifying.

The Hungaroring is tight and technical, which makes it difficult to overtake, and a one-stop strategy is often the way to go in the race. All of this adds up to a position on the track that tends to be king here and the teams put a little more emphasis on qualification. Don’t be surprised by the free practice work geared towards quality performance, with more time spent on soft tires and fuel-efficient runs.

To be fast on the Hungaroring you need a good chassis, good traction, lots of mechanical grip and a lot of downforce. It’s considered a slow racetrack, but due to the downforce generated by the current F1 cars, it has crept towards medium speed in recent years. Still, it’s a completely different challenge than the previous races at Silverstone and the Red Bull Ring. As for the maximum downforce, the teams will increase as much as possible and we will be introducing some aerodynamic upgrades to the MCL35M that should help in this regard.

What to wear

Extra! Extra! Read all about it!

With so many of you struggling to get your hands on our 2021 Team Hoodie, it wasn’t long before we ran out of this McLaren essential. Luckily we managed to keep some extra hoodies in stock – so get them while you get the chance. And if that wasn’t enough “extra”, the team hoodie is now available in 3XL and 4XL.

Wow, that’s a lot of “extra”. Give us a minute, we need a break …

Plus one

Oh no wait It turned out that wasn’t enough. There is more! We’re giving away one of these hoodies to a very lucky McLaren Plus member. But this is not just any team hoodie. This was signed by Lando and Daniel. Do you want that signed merch in your life? Make sure you’re signed up for McLaren Plus – you can sign up for free using the form below – and keep an eye on your inbox later this week for an email giving you the chance to take part in the competition to participate.

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