Qualifying
- On a damp track that gradually dried out, the secret to a good qualifying time was to be able to put in a clear lap in the final minutes of the session.
- With 33 cars on track, Greg and Kaylen were lost in the melee, but Niko took advantage of the situation to record a stellar performance that resulted in his best qualifying of the season.
Sprint race
- Starting from the middle of the pack, Greg and Kaylen both moved up several positions throughout the 19-lap race, the Swiss driver managing to score points while the American racer just missed out.
- Unfortunately, Niko’s progress didn’t go as hoped after he suffered from severe degradation of his new Pirelli tires. At the end of the race, he was unable to avoid colliding with an opponent and was punished by a three-place penalty to be served on the feature race grid.
Feature race
- Unsurprisingly, Niko had the same problem as the day before and lost several places without being able to fight for positions with his rivals.
- Greg and Kaylen lost several positions at the start before gained and losing places during numerous on track battles. Greg made it to the finish, but Kaylen had to retire after being hit in the rear.
Kaylen Frederick:
“We had the pace, but sadly luck wasn’t on our side. Qualifying was difficult with a lot of traffic on such a short circuit and track conditions that were constantly changing. It’s frustrating because in free practice we felt that a top 10 position was within our grasp.
At the start of the sprint race, I was pushed by another car and ended up down in 19th. After that, I overtook as many cars as I was able to and moved up as high as P11, hoping to get into the points, but instead I lost a place at the end.
On Sunday, contact with an opponent caused a problem at the rear of the car and I was forced to pit. The new tires are very sensitive and difficult to manage, especially when you’re in the middle of a fight, but I think I managed them quite well. Unfortunately, starting so far back on the grid, getting into the points would have been quite an achievement.”
Sébastien Philippe:
“We were determined to unlock the potential we have glimpsed on several occasions, but several drawbacks prevented us from doing so. In Hungary, it’s vital to minimize mistakes and maximize qualifying. Niko achieved this with an excellent performance on a circuit he was discovering, while Greg and Kaylen were unable to make the best use of their package when the track was at its optimum. In both races, we knew that the new Pirelli tires would be difficult to manage, but it was the same for everyone and we simply weren’t on par with our rivals in this area. Our drivers did what they could in unprecedented and complex conditions, but the die was cast well before the two races took place. Hungary must remain a parenthesis, because our hard work is bearing fruit and Niko’s fine qualifying deserved a better race result. For the last two rounds, it will be important not to make any mistakes and to take care of all the details in order to maximize our potential.”
Copyright: Dutch Photo Agency
