Daniel Ricciardo is expecting the Hungarian Grand Prix to be one of the most physically demanding of the year, given there are lots of high-speed corners and few straights to rest on, and ambient temperatures can be extremely high.
The 2017 cars are expected to easily set lap records at the circuit, which makes it a far more demanding challenge than in previous seasons, something Ricciardo is wary of and has been preparing himself for.
"The Hungarian Grand Prix is always at the point of the season where summer is approaching so I’m always in a pretty good place and the car is normally getting better as well. It all kind of comes good by the end of July," said Ricciardo.
"We’ve got lots more grip this year so it’ll be a bit more fun. The second sector is going to be amazing. That’s one of my favourite sectors in F1.
"If Sunday is hot it’ll definitely be a physically demanding race, so I can’t make the mistake again of eating too much meat on Saturday night," joked Ricciardo, as he tends to take his team out for a pre-summer break meal after qualifying.
"This track means elbows out for sure as there are three key places where you can overtake. I’ve made some good moves in Turn 1 in the past. Turn 2 you can go inside or outside, as both lanes work and the hairpin is fun too."
Team-mate Max Verstappen says the higher grip levels they're expecting means some corners may need to be approached differently.
"We do have more grip this year so maybe you have to do a few different lines compared to the previous year, but all in all that’s manageable and quite straightforward," he added.
"It’s always a bit too early to say how we’ll do in Hungary but we’re constantly improving, trying to get a better balance and more downforce on the car. Luckily there are not too many long straights.
"It’s a great track, especially in an F1 car. It’s actually quite narrow and with high speeds it’s really fun to drive so I’m very much looking forward to it. I wouldn’t say it’s Monaco without walls, but it’s definitely a bit more narrow than other circuits we go to."
