Hungary: Michelin ready for hotter conditions

By Michelin Sport (14/08/2004)
August 14 2004

Takuma Sato led the Michelin challenge as the company's six partner teams prepared for the Hungarian Grand Prix. The Japanese driver posted a 1:19.693 to secure third place on the grid – the fourth time this season he has qualified in the top three.

His team-mate Jenson Button was fourth fastest and had a clutch of Michelin runners on his tail. Fernando Alonso will start fifth ahead of Antonio Pizzonia, Juan Pablo Montoya, Jarno Trulli, Kimi Raikkonen, Mark Webber and David Coulthard. Michelin dominated last season's corresponding fixture and will be pursuing its 74th Formula One world championship victory tomorrow.

Brazilian Felipe Massa was penalised 10 grid positions in the wake of an enforced engine change on Saturday morning. He did not take part in the second qualifying session and will start from the back of the grid.

"Things are quite delicately poised," explained Pierre Dupasquier, Michelin Motorsport Director. "We know the fuel levels our partner teams are running but must wait until tomorrow to find out what strategy our main rival has adopted. I expect to see teams employing a variety of tactics in an effort to gain track position, because overtaking in Budapest remains notoriously difficult.

"Track temperatures have been cooler than we are used to during the Hungarian Grand Prix weekend, but this hasn't affected the level of our performance in any way. The forecasters predict conditions will be hotter – and thus more typical – tomorrow.

"There will be two Michelin dry-weather compounds on the grid. Both have delivered consistently strong performance throughout the first two days of the meeting and I have no worries about their durability, no matter how much track temperatures might increase."