Hungarian GP: Williams Racing Grand Prix Preview
By Williams Racing
July 19 2023
The Williams Racing Team now moves to a vastly different track when compared to Silverstone, the Hungaroring for the 2023 Hungarian GP. This track is one that requires high downforce levels so it will be an interesting challenge to see how the upgraded FW45 performs on this circuit. This weekend with also see the use of Alternative Tyre Allocation which will see the teams number of tyres reduced as well as having to run specific tyres in each period of qualifying. For both Alex Albon and Logan Sargeant it is a track that they are keen to run on. The biggest question will be whether the upgraded FW45 with its additional downforce will be better suited to this circuit.
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Dave Robson, Head of Vehicle Performance:
The Hungaroring is an interesting contrast to Silverstone and will be
another good test of the car and drivers. Most cars will run maximum
downforce at this short twisty track, which will provide an interesting
comparison across the field.
With the earlier cancellation of the event in Imola, this weekend is the
first ‘Alternative Tyre Allocation (ATA)’ event of the season. Each
driver has fewer sets of tyres available than normal, and the use of
specific tyre compounds is mandated in each of the three qualifying
sessions. It will be interesting to see how each team chooses to use the
limited supply of tyres, especially as Pirelli have provided their
softest compounds for this weekend.
As is often the case in Budapest in July, the weather is forecast to be
hot with a risk of thunderstorms. We will keep an eye on this as we
approach the sessions, but hopefully the rain will only fall in the
evening.
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Logan
Sargeant:
I'm super excited to get back to Budapest. A tricky track with a
different qualifying format this weekend. Hopefully we can capitalise on
that and have a good weekend.
Alex
Albon:
Hungary is a great circuit and one that we all love to drive around, as
it has a great flow to it. We’ve just come off the back of three strong
races, however I think going into this week, we need to manage
expectations slightly, as it’s not necessarily a track that should suit
us. Nevertheless, we’ll see how the upgrades perform around a high
downforce track, which is something that hasn’t been the case in the
previous three races. |
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Race Data
Friday:
Practice 1: 13:30 - 14:30
Practice 2: 17:00 - 18:00
Saturday:
Practice 3: 12:30 - 13:30
Qualifying: 16:00 – 17:00
Sunday: Race: 15:00 |
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