Ayao Komatsu has ‘no doubt’ Haas will be in the fight at the F1 Hungarian Grand Prix

The Hungaroring, site of this weekend’s Formula 1 Hungarian Grand Prix, has often been described as “Monaco without the walls.” The comparison lies in the high-downforce nature of the circuit, coupled with the difficulties in overtaking, which put an emphasis on qualifying performance.

That comparison also has Haas feeling confident heading into the week.

Earlier this year, Esteban Ocon delivered six points at the Monaco Grand Prix with a seventh-place finish. That result, coupled with a series of upgrades the team has brought to the track in recent weeks, has Team Principal Ayao Komatsu feeling confident going into the Hungarian Grand Prix.

“It’s difficult to say with accuracy, but Budapest is an extra-high downforce circuit and it’s very difficult to overtake, similar to Monaco. We were competitive there and scored points with Esteban, and since then we’ve made improvements to the car,” said Komatsu in the team’s media preview.

“That’s mainly in high-speed but everything helps, so I think we have a very good base now with the upgrade from Silverstone. If we operate and execute everything, put the right balance on the car, and then if the driver performs, I have no doubt that we’re going to be competitive.”

Oliver Bearman, who returned to the points with a seventh-place finish in the F1 Sprint race at the Belgian Grand Prix, is excited to return to the Hungaroring.

“I’m really excited to return to Budapest. I participated in FP1 there last year and it’s a very cool track, very reminiscent of a street circuit with the number of corners in such a short layout,” said Bearman. “It’s always a highlight for us as drivers. It’s definitely going to be a hot one, I’m looking forward to that after Spa, and hopefully we can close out the first half of the season on a high.”

The Hungarian Grand Prix also holds a special place in Ocon’s heart, as the site of his first Grand Prix victory. The veteran driver is hoping to tap into those memories — as well as the team’s momentum from the Belgian Grand Prix — at the Hungaroring.

“Of course, it’s always extremely special for me to go back to Budapest every year. It’s where I won my maiden Formula 1 grand prix and heading back to that city, that track, always brings back so many great memories.

For us as a team, it will be important to keep the momentum from Spa where we showed good pace, especially in Sprint Quali and Sprint Race,” said Ocon.

“The Hungaroring has always been one of my favorite circuits on the calendar. Overtaking can be tricky, so it puts more emphasis on maximizing our qualifying performance. We’ll prepare as best as possible to achieve a good result on Saturday and Sunday and head into the summer break on a high.”