Q. Are you still on a high after your victory in Germany last weekend?
LH: Every victory is special, but some stay with you longer than others. My win at the Nurburgring was definitely one of those; it was one of the best races of my career and I’ll never forget it.
Q. How do you rate your chances in Hungary this weekend?
LH: These back-to-back races are quite intense, but I’m looking forward to Hungary because I want to maintain the momentum that we built up in Germany. The MP4-26 was quick in Monaco a couple of months ago and the Hungaroring has many of the same performance criteria, so I hope we can be competitive there too.
Q. Do you enjoy racing at the Hungaroring?
LH: I love the track. It has a really historic feel to it, with hills, bumps and camber changes, and it’s really challenging. It has massive character. It’s like a fine wine: it gets better every year! It isn’t used much during the year, so it’s very dirty off-line and you have to be very precise with your line. It’s also a good physical challenge because there are no straights worth talking about and we’re constantly pulling g-force inside the car. When you combine that with the high ambient temperatures, it’s pretty tough.
Q. British drivers have fared well in Hungary in the past…
LH: It would be brilliant if a British driver could win again this weekend! At the Nurburgring it was very tight at the front, with very little separating McLaren, Ferrari and Red Bull, and it will be fascinating to see which team holds the advantage on Sunday. Jenson [Button] and I will be pushing hard to add to the team’s three wins this year.
Q. Is it true that you look back at previous races as part of your preparations?
LH: You can learn a lot about the starts by looking at previous races. At the Hungaroring it’s definitely an advantage to start on the clean side of the grid, but history proves that you can do amazing things off-line as well. In 2008 Felipe [Massa] overtook me around the outside of Turn 1 to take the lead. That was one of the worst experiences I’ve had at the track and it proves that you can find grip in the dirt and marbles. The videos also remind me of braking points and lines through corners, so that I’m able to hit the ground running when practice starts on Friday morning.
Q. How important is a good result going into the August break in the calendar?
LH: It’s great for the team to enter the break on the back of a win. I know that from my victories in Hungary in the past. The guys in the factory can wear their rocket red shirts all the time!
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