Photo by Peter Fox – Formula 1/Formula 1 via Getty Images
VCARB drivers Yuki Tsunoda and Daniel Ricciardo are aiming for points in Hungary
The fight at the front of the Formula 1 field may likely dominate the headlines in the coming weeks. But an equally intriguing fight is shaping up for sixth place in the Constructors’ Championship standings between Visa Cash App RB F1 Team and Haas.
VCARB enjoyed a solid lead in that fight just a few weeks ago, holding a 28-7 advantage over Haas following the Spanish Grand Prix. But in the two race weekends since then Haas has cut into that lead considerably, and the grid heads to Hungary for this weekend’s Hungarian Grand Prix with VCARB now holding a slim four-point advantage.
Still, the team is “optimistic” heading into the week.
“I spent time in the simulator last week and the team has been working very hard since Silverstone. I am optimistic that we can have a good weekend in Hungary. We know which direction we must take to find more performance from the car at the Hungaroring, where most corners are slow to medium speed,” said Yuki Tsunoda in the team’s media preview. “It’s always very hot in Budapest at this time of year and the track gives you no time to pause for breath as you are always turning the wheel. It means it’s going to be a physically tough weekend, but I expect we can be competitive at this track, so I’m ready for it!”
Tsunoda was not the only driver who spent some time in the simulator, as teammate Daniel Ricciardo also logged some hours preparing for the Hungaroring.
“The week after Silverstone has been great – some time to recover, to hit the gym and a simulator session, it’s been productive and I’m feeling ready for Budapest,” said Ricciardo. “Personally, I always enjoy coming here. I’ve won in Hungary before; it was my come back race with Scuderia AlphaTauri and somehow the sun is always out! As a team, we’re focused on finding the best performance on a very different circuit compared to Silverstone, much slower and hotter, having a strong FP1, and pushing forward to some points come Sunday.”
As noted by Ricciardo the Hungaroring was also the site of his comeback to the grid a season ago after AlphaTauri — now VCARB — sacked Nyck de Vries mid-season and replaced him with the veteran driver.
VCARB Racing Director Alan Permane highlighted some of the obstacles teams face this weekend, starting with the difficulties in getting the setup right and everything you need to extract from the car over a single lap.
“The circuit in Budapest, with its predominantly low and medium speed corners, returns us to a high downforce configuration for the race cars. It’s a demanding layout not only for the car and driver but also for the [tires]. Pirelli will bring the softest compounds in their range and one of the challenges will be to extract all the grip from the C5 [soft] in qualifying and to keep this grip for all 14 corners in track temperatures that can reach over 50 degrees Celsius,” said Permane. “The car setup will need to have a good front end for the long, low-speed corners, sharp changes in direction for the twisty middle sector, and excellent traction for the last two corners to push the car onto the start-finish straight and complete the lap.”
A year ago neither VCARB nor Haas found their way into the points, although Haas driver Nico Hülkenberg managed to advance into Q3 and start the race in tenth.
Can either team improve on last year’s performance in Hungary? If so, that team may take a big step forward in this fight for sixth.
