The second half of the 2017 Formula One Championship season begins this weekend at the Hungaroring Circuit in Budapest Hungary.
The 4.381-kilometer (2.722-mile), 14-turn Hungaroring is a tight and narrow circuit that many drivers liken to a full-size karting track.
It is the slowest permanent venue in Formula One, a contrast from the ultrafast and flowing Silverstone Circuit where drivers competed in the British Grand Prix less than two weeks ago.
For Red Bull Racing's Max Verstappen, the British GP produced a brilliant battle with the Ferrari of Sebastian Vettel in the early stages of the race, a battle that brought the passionate British fans to their feet on several occasions as the two fought for third place.
Now, as we approach the Hungarian round, the last race before the traditional mid season break, the young Dutchman is eager for more…
You ended a difficult spell with good points in Silverstone and the car performance was impressive on the power circuits of Britain and Austria. What's in store in Hungary, where outright grunt is not such an issue?
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.
Is it a fun place to race? Lots of people liken it to Monaco in style if not in environment.
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 narrower than other circuits we go to. 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.
The track is a short hop from the city centre - do you get to go out and about in Budapest?
We're always staying in the city centre for the race week so we do get to see a little bit of Budapest. Unfortunately we never have time for a lot of sightseeing but I'll hopefully have one day to walk around and get to know the city a bit more after the race.
