Hungaroring 'Mickey Mouse' and 'too narrow for F1'
F1's new breed don't appear to share the FIA's belief that the Hungaroring is a suitable venue for a grand prix, according to quotes from Daniil Kvyat and Max Verstappen.
While the race returns to Budapest for a 30th successive season, the youngsters in the field have expressed views that the sport might have out-grown a venue that made its debut back in 1986, although Kvyat relents enough to admit that he still enjoys the thrill of hustling a high-powered single-seater around its tortuous layout.
"I really used to enjoy it in Formula Renault 2.0, but it's probably a little bit too narrow for modern F1 cars," second year racer Kvyat commented, "In qualifying, it really makes you push to the limit - you're right on the edge and you never get a rest during the lap. I think that's the biggest characteristic of the circuit - it is pretty challenging. You need to hit every apex right, don't make any mistakes in your line selection.
"It's quite a difficult one to get right but I do find it to be a lot of fun. I was on pole and won there in Formula Renault 2.0 in 2012, and was on the podium in GP3 in the feature race, so I've got pretty good memories of racing here."
Verstappen, meanwhile, is gearing up for his first visit to the circuit in an F1 car and has a preconceived idea of its suitability based on races there in the junior category. Like Kvyat, however, the Dutchman will be looking for another trip to the points.
"I've raced at the Hungaroring in F3 and it's a bit of a Mickey Mouse track," Verstappen opined, "However, Im looking forward to racing there with an F1 car - I think the circuit will suit our car and I'm optimistic we can fight for a good result.
"In fact, this could be one of our best races of the season. Qualifying will be a key part of the weekend as it is very difficult to overtake during the race but, as always, I will do my best and try to overtake every time the opportunity arises."
Verstappen's bigger gripe is reserved for what follows the Hungarian Grand Prix, as F1 heads into its summer break.
"I'd prefer to have another three races in the three weeks off!" the youngster claimed as he faced a lay-off before the Belgian Grand Prix at Spa-Francorchamps.
