The Williams were not fast enough in Budapest
On a circuit that does not highlight the qualities of their car, the two Williams drivers were behind the competition. Thus, Valtteri Bottas finished 6th and Felipe Massa could not do better than 8th.
Since the beginning of the season, the Williams cars haven’t been performing well in hot temperatures. The Hungaroring and its scorching heat are no exception, as they have never been able to threaten the Ferraris or the Red Bulls.
Thus, Rob Smedley, the performance director, hopes it will be less hot during the race: The drivers got the most out of the car, but it wasn’t enough for the second row on the grid. This isn’t a circuit that particularly suits us, but the race will be long tomorrow and difficult for everyone. We’ll see if the change in temperature affects performance since slightly lower temperatures should help us.
Of the two drivers, Valtteri Bottas fared the best but had to settle for 6th place, on the dirty side of the third row. He will therefore start just ahead of his teammate, who hopes to have a similar start as in Silverstone, where both Williams drivers took the lead of the race: « I am satisfied. I would have liked to be higher on the grid but I couldn’t manage a clean lap. I will focus on managing my tires tomorrow. I hope we have a better car in the race than in qualifying. The cooler temperatures expected for tomorrow should favor us. I have a lot to do and I hope that we will both make as good a start as at Silverstone. »
Nevertheless, the goal set by Rob Smedley to get back on the podium seems quite optimistic.
