Honda's Hasegawa: 'We're capable of a good result on this track'

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Honda F1 boss Yusuke Hasegawa believes McLaren will find itself in a position to achieve its best possible result of the year this weekend in Hungary.

The twisty nature of the challenging Hungaroring trims down the importance of engine output, one of the Japanese manufacturer's main weaknesses. Coupled with the efficiency of the team's MCL32 chassis, a strong result may indeed ensue, if reliability is kept in check.

With just two points on the books this season, courtesy of Fernando Alonso's fortunate P9 finish in Azerbaijan, McLaren lingers at the bottom of the Constructors' standings.

So a nice top ten finish would go a long way towards improving the Woking-based outfit's tally.

"Despite showing improved competitiveness during the last few races, we're yet to translate this into on-track results," says a hopeful Hasegawa.

"Having said that, we're pleased with our current development and we now head to Hungary feeling more positive about the race weekend.

Alonso preps for one of McLaren's 'best opportunities'

"The Hungaroring is a unique twisty circuit that should give us one of our best opportunities this season. Though it is not a power-oriented track, it still requires precise energy management throughout every lap of the race.

"It is also a track where overtaking is extremely difficult, so qualifying will be enormously important for us."

According to the Honda chief, there will be real opportunity for Alonso and Stoffel Vandoorne to reach Q3 Saturday afternoon.

"We know we're capable of a good result on this type of track, so our target is to reach Q3 and be in a good place to score points in the race.

"Fernando claimed his first Formula 1 victory at the Hungaroring, and Stoffel won there in GP2 in 2014, so our cars are in excellent hands.

"This is the last race before the summer shutdown when everyone in the McLaren-Honda team will get a well-earned rest.

"Before then, I hope we can build a good momentum towards the second half of the season with solid results in Hungary."

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Phillip van Osten

Motor racing was a backdrop from the outset in Phillip van Osten's life. Born in Southern California, Phillip grew up with the sights and sounds of fast cars thanks to his father, Dick van Osten, an editor and writer for Auto Speed and Sport and Motor Trend. Phillip's passion for racing grew even more when his family moved to Europe and he became acquainted with the extraordinary world of Grand Prix racing. He was an early contributor to the monthly French F1i Magazine, often providing a historic or business perspective on Formula 1's affairs. In 2012, he co-authored along with fellow journalist Pierre Van Vliet the English-language adaptation of a limited edition book devoted to the great Belgian driver Jacky Ickx. He also authored "The American Legacy in Formula 1", a book which recounts the trials and tribulations of American drivers in Grand Prix racing. Phillip is also a commentator for Belgian broadcaster Be.TV for the US Indycar series.