Fernando Alonso is heading to the Hungaroring hoping to join the battle for points thanks to the track's twisty layout which he believes will suit his McLaren-Honda.
Alonso hasn't finished in the points since Monaco in May although the double world champion did succeed in qualifying in the top 10 twice since racing in the Principality.
"The Hungaroring is a great little circuit, and has quite unique characteristics that not many other tracks share," explained the McLaren driver.
"It’s a bit like a street circuit in the way it’s configured, even though it’s purpose-built, and it requires absolute precision and concentration to get the most out of every lap."
The unique aspects of the Hungaroring, a venue where it is typically very hard to overtake a rival, underline the quality of a chassis rather than its engine, a condition which Alonso hopes will play into the hands of McLaren.
"Since you need good balance and downforce, the best way to get a good lap time is to really attack the corners – a bit like in karting – so from that point of view it’s a really fun circuit to drive.
"Although it’s not a traditional ‘power’ circuit like many others, it doesn’t feel like a slow circuit either; I hope we can find a good set-up early on in the weekend so we can really make the most of our car and hopefully have some fun."
Despite the difficulties and challenges which firmly remain on McLaren's plate, Alonso is adamant that progress is being accomplished, and the team's recent test at Silverstone appeared to show.
"Silverstone was definitely a challenge for us, but we knew that from the beginning and we still took a lot of positives away from the weekend.
"Reliability-wise, we’re getting stronger, and the test just after the grand prix was definitely a little boost for the whole team.
"We completed a full programme, got a lot of mileage done, and learned a lot which will help with our development, so hopefully we can put some of this knowledge to good use in Hungary.
"There’s no such thing as perfect in this sport, but the important thing will be to execute a trouble-free weekend in all areas.
"If we manage to get the best out of every session, and have some clean, drama-free running, hopefully we can find some good pace in the car and maximise the potential of what we have underneath us – and score some valuable points."
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