McLaren head to the Hungarian Grand Prix confident of a good result, with the demands of the circuit suiting a stronger chassis over outright power.
Hungary last year was the scene of McLaren's biggest points haul since returning to Honda power with Fernando Alonso finishing fifth and Jenson Button ninth, a result matched only at Monaco this year, but yet to be bettered.
Team boss Eric Boullier is therefore hopeful that McLaren can prove the potential of their package this weekend at a circuit that has suited them previously.
"We head to the Hungaroring off the back of a positive couple of days testing at Silverstone. The grand prix weekend was certainly a challenge, but knowing the characteristics of the circuit as we do, we were prepared for a difficult race, although it’s still disappointing not to have finished in the points," said the Frenchman.
"The test, however, was encouraging, and we definitely maximised the track time to collate some valuable data which our engineers in the UK and Japan are putting to good use on the development of the MP4-31. Not all will apply directly to the race in Hungary, of course, but we certainly hope that we can align the strengths of our package with the unique nature of the Hungaroring circuit.
"Over the past few races, we’ve endured some bad luck, made a few small mistakes, and suffered some reliability niggles. But, if we can enjoy a smooth weekend, I’m hopeful we can fulfil the potential that our package has shown at various points throughout the season so far, on both sides of the garage, and secure a result that, statistically, we know we’re capable of on this type of circuit."
The circuit is the scene of both Alonso and Button's first F1 career wins and is therefore happy hunting ground for the McLaren duo, with both confident of a good result if the weekend goes their way.
"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," said Alonso. "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."
Button added: "In the past couple of years Hungary has been fairly good to us and provided a bit of a boost before the summer break after a relentless few weeks of back-to-back racing, so I’m hoping for more of the same this time around.
"It suits our car more than some of the other circuits, but of course there are no guarantees, so we’ll be putting in the hard work on Friday to make sure we have the best possible set-up for the demands of this quirky track."
