Hungarian Grand Prix Preview
Hungaroring • Budapest • Hungary
by Toby Waller
England

Circuit Length: 2.465 miles/3.967 km
Race Length: 77 laps (189.805 miles/305.459 km)

So the championship returns to Hungary once again. It seems like yesterday when we were last here, but a year has passed and the championship is being as closely fought now as then. Despite Damon Hill's win at Germany, the championship looks like continuing almost to the end of the season. With a mere 21 points between the Williams drivers, and fifty up for grabs in the coming months, Jacques Villeneuve will be under intense pressure to do well in the next two events. He hasn't driven on either of the circuits, and he ideally needs to win them both to make significant inroads into Damon Hill's lead - the problem is that both circuits are highly technical and require a good basic knowledge from day one of practice. I feel sure that Jacques will, once again, be there or thereabouts come Saturday afternoon. But if he is out of the top five in qualifying, then I fear the race for the championship may well stutter to a halt by Belgium. Hill has an comparatively easy task - he merely has to regularly finish the races on the podium.

Lap Guide
The twisty Hungaroring circuit has often been likened to Monaco without the buildings - it's narrow, technical and very hard to pass an opponent. The short pit straight offers one of the few opportunities to overtake, before the cars enter the first corner - a second gear hairpin. A short burst, and then it's a left hander followed by an almost flat right. The next straight is also long, but uphill and approaching a blind, flat out right hander - few drivers think it prudent to overtake in such a situation. A tight right hander slows the cars before the second gear chicane. A left then a right follow, then two almost flat-out corners before the cars negotiate the final chicane. A final left hander remains before the right-hander back onto the pit straight - it's that dull. The circuit is highly technical, placing the emphasis on aerodynamic and mechanical grip above horsepower - expect to see a multitude of aerodynamic aids this weekend. The race is long and hard, any mistake being punished with the loss of places that are hard to make back up again. It depressed no-one to see that the circuit - the scene of so many processional races - is unlikely to host a Grand Prix next year.

What Happened Last Year?
Damon Hill returned to winning ways at the Hungaroring last year, scoring a dominant win ahead of team-mate David Coulthard. Amid rumours of Michael Schumacher joining Ferrari for 1996, Hill took provisional and Saturday pole in typically dogged style. With the season nearing it's climax, Damon was under increasing pressure to start winning again and close the gap to Schumacher. Win he did, but Coulthard had to fend off Schumacher early in the race. The German slipped past through the chicane when Coulthard slid wide, but pulled off late in the race with his first mechanical retirement of the year. Schumacher had a torrid race, suffering from a botched fuel stop that caused him to drastically alter his strategy. The pressure was back on Schumacher for the rest of the season, though, as Damon had closed the gap to 11 points with 70 available from the remaining races. Gerhard Berger took advantage of numerous retirements to finish third - Rubens Barrichello losing the place - and three more - as his engine failed within sight of the chequered flag.

1995 Results

1   Damon Hill          Williams-Renault     1h46m25.721s
2   David Coulthard     Williams-Renault        + 33.398s
3   Gerhard Berger      Ferrari                 + one lap
4   Johnny Herbert      Benetton-Renault        + one lap
5   HH Frentzen         Sauber-Ford             + one lap
6   Olivier Panis       Ligier-Mugen Honda      + one lap


Pole Position    Damon Hill          Williams-Renault    1m16.982s
Fastest Lap      Damon Hill          Williams-Renault    1m20.247s

This year the contest looks like being equally close. Ferrari seem to making inroads into their reliability and performance problems, and McLaren and Benetton are also poised on the return to winning ways. How will they all line up come Saturday and Sunday afternoon? Here's the latest form guide:

Ferrari
As ever, Michael Schumacher will be keen to provide the second Ferrari win of the year and prove that it wasn't a fluke that provided the Scuderia's only win this season in the atrocious conditions at Spain. The new parts on the car at Germany failed to impress in terms of speed - although they were reliable - and this weekend sees a continuation of the unceasing changes that occur from race to race on the scarlet chargers. The new seven speed gear box may be debuted, but it is unknown whether the extra gear will be a help or a hindrance on the tight twists of Hungary. Eddie Irvine will probably keen to continue his good form behind Schumacher, but will be keen to finish the race this weekend. Jean Todt obviously has faith in his package, as Irvine has been signed for another year and Schumacher looks set to extend his contract - the only question mark, as ever, remains with reliability.

Benetton-Renault
The strong showing that Benetton had throughout the entire German weekend probably did little to quench the emotion when Gerhard Berger pulled off in the final stages of the race. Both drivers performed brilliantly throughout the entire weekend - Berger especially so - and the team were surely disappointed to receive just a second place for their efforts. The question hangs over the sudden improvement in form - was it the Renault engine or was it improved aerodynamics and handling? Conventional wisdom - with Renault finishing one-two-three - suggests that the engine was the main factor, yet the Williams team proved that a good package was the main element with their dominant showing. Could Benetton have found the all important improvements in their car? Can they win this weekend? Answers will be provided, as ever, on Sunday afternoon, but in my opinion the potential is now there.

Williams-Renault
Another fantastic weekend. Damon Hill's pitstop strategy was slightly suspect, and his start was abysmal, but the Englishman used his superior car to great effect to take yet another pole and race win. Villeneuve also performed well at another unknown circuit - especially after an engine failure robbed him of much needed practice time - but the problem with his dampers should really have been spotted by the engineers earlier in the weekend. With the dominant aerodynamic/handling/engine package, Williams look set to dominate yet another weekend at Hungary and Hill will probably be the top driver of the two. The team also look set to wrap up the constructor's championship as well, with only a pair of points finishes needed by the two drivers to clinch the trophy.

McLaren-Mercedes
Dominating the speed trap times, the pairing of David Coulthard and Mika Hakkinen used their Mercedes engines - now acknowledged to be the most powerful - to good effect, lining up well come Saturday afternoon. The race was a bit of a let down - Hakkinen retiring with gearbox problems and Coulthard coming home fifth - but the team are continuing their steady progress and will soon be challenging for the lead on a regular basis. Rumours abound on the colour of the cars for the future - Mercedes silver or Marlboro red and white - but their return to the top echelons of F1 is finally looking secure. Expect another steady, confident performance this weekend.

Ligier-Mugen Honda
Olivier Panis and Pedro Diniz ran comfortably in the midfield for much of last weekend's race, but never looked like challenging the points finishers. Diniz outqualified his team mate, and looks like being a strong challenger to Panis for the rest of the season. After securing the Mugen Honda deal for next year, the team will be in an upbeat mood at Hungary and might do fairly well.

Jordan-Peugeot
Known to be the coveted seat for many midfield drivers, the Jordan team failed to impress at a circuit where they were expected to do well. The Peugeot engine was touted as the greatest thing since sliced bread earlier in the season, but it appears that the rest of the field has caught up in the power stakes whilst Jordan have taken a step back with the overall package. The effects of additional testing - courtesy of the financial package from Benson & Hedges - should be making its presence felt by now, yet the team seem to be slipping back to the midfield once again. With somewhat suspect handling, I'd be surprised to see the Jordan team challenging the top six. It's a pity, as the team now have the package to do great things.

Sauber-Ford
Another team that should be doing better. The Ford engine is apparently sluggish at best, and the handling of the car appears little better. After a promising debut back in 1993, the team now appears to be on the slippery slope towards the back of the grid. When they lose the Ford contract next year, it's hard to see a manufacturer rushing to equip them with free works engines. Most people also expect Heinz Harald Frentzen to jump ship next year, and this can only further the team's frustrations. I expect little better from them this weekend.

Footwork-Hart
Next year may be looking good for Footwork, but this year looks awful. Still struggling with balance and lack of grip, the TWR run team struggled to qualify at the back. News that Ligier had secured the much desired Honda deal could hardly have helped the mood. News that Volvo are apparently willing to badge the ever promising Hart engine next year was promising though. With Volvo's success in the BTCC, the 'boxy but good' cars are getting a bit of a sporty image. One question remains however - where will the 2.4 children and their dog fit in the F1 car?

Tyrrell-Yamaha
The Tyrrell team have gained something of a reputation for novel innovations. First their was the six wheeler then, more recently, the aerodynamic suspension. Many pundits were somewhat surprised, though, to see the Tyrrell running with front wheels on the rear. The aim, to improve drag coefficients by minimising the profile of the rear worked to a degree - the cars could apparently run 5km/h faster on the straights - but a 'guess' at the setup required meant that the cars were unable to significantly improve their times. The team continued their lack of pace in the race, though, and the filling of some of that empty sponsorship space by Cellstar should go some way to improving their fortunes next year.

Minardi-Ford
Struggling along at the rear again, the disappointment of the weekend was that Giovanni Lavaggi failed to qualify on his debut for the team. With Forti looking like quitting F1 fairly soon, the future also remains bleak for the Minardi team but I will be impressed if they struggle through.

Forti-Ford
Disappointingly, the team failed, once again, to do any running at Germany. The cars were there, but the sponsorship wasn't. The future looks hopeless for the Italian team - the sponsorship from Finfirst failed to materialise and the team will receive a $500,000 dollar fine for non-participation. Rumours of a new sponsor for this weekend abounded, but I doubt it will fill the bank vaults immediately. Another sad demise of an enthusiastic team. Their gritty determination in the face of adversity was something that will be surely missed around the paddock.