Hungry for Heritage

The Hungaroring is a novel experience for many of those here for Round 4 of the 2010 Le Mans Series, but initial impressions have been very favourable. The track is surrounded by banks of low hills, dotted with mixed deciduous woodland and rolling pasture. It's quite the rural idyll, and with warm weather being blended here with more rainfall than many other European countries have seen this summer, it all looks decidedly lush and green.

Yesterday, August 20th, was St Stephen's Day in Hungary. Szent István király, Stephen was the first King of Hungary from roughly 975 to 1038, and is the acknowledged founder of the State of Hungary. As a result the day is a significant event throughout the country and marked by major celebrations and firework displays. The biggest of these takes place along the banks of the Danube, between the historic cities of Buda and Pest.

This year's display was one of the biggest ever, and went on for an unremitting twenty minutes of spectacular noise and colour, with the dazzling display reflected in the windows of the majestic buildings lining the famous river. Budapest, like much of the nation it serves, is rapidly coming to terms with its new European identity. Hungary became a part of the EU in 2004, and is working towards replacing the Forint with the Euro. Indeed, the Euro is widely accepted in many Hungarian shops and restaurants, and prices are often quoted in both currencies.

Although some of the Budapest architecture does reflect Hungary's one-time membership of the former Soviet Union, it is twenty years now since the border with Austria re-opened, prompting the beginning of the end for the Eastern Bloc. Since then Hungary has blossomed, and the population's standard of living ranks in the world's top-twenty. Sadly, this is not universally reflected in the level of sartorial elegance adopted by the people, but fashion isn't everything, of course.

Elsewhere, however, there are all the signs of galloping commercialism. Tesco supermarkets take pride of place on the prime retail plots, while Burger King and McDonalds compete for business in almost every corner of the city. The X-Factor is taking top billing on the TV, while publicity for Elton John's forthcoming concert tour dominates the billboards. English slogans predominate in advertising, and familiar brands are available in all the shops, bars and restaurants.

Hungary has, without doubt, embraced the West, but the former grandeur of the nation's historical heritage underpins the new identity. Fabulous buildings stand proudly overlooking broad streets, where trams and trolley buses shoulder their way through the bustling traffic - here and there dotted by the occasional Trabant or Lada, but generally indistinguishable from any normal rush hour in Paris or London. It's small wonder that Hungary has become such a popular holiday destination. The food's pretty good too!

Trackside on Saturday

A few quick updates on what's been happening in the days running up to the Hungaroring 1000 Kilometres. In LMP2, one very significant change in the shape of MIK Racing. This is the new name for Racing Box, although details are as yet not fully clear. MIK Racing has been competing in FIA GT3 this season, and is another Italian outfit, but whether Racing Box has ceased to exist elsewhere remains to be seen. Just about everything that could be re-branded has had the new stickers applied, although the MIK logo will seem remarkably familiar to anyone who recalls the old Racing Box design.

Oak Racing confirms that the #24 chassis is the new-for-2010 unit that made its debut in Portugal, and thereby accounts for a better than expected turn of pace in the Algarve, even if the final result didn't reflect this. Elsewhere in LMP2, Aston Martin works drive Chris Buncome has been signed up to improve the pace in the Race Performance Radical.

The KSM Lola is absent from the weekend's entry list, although is understood to be back on the cards for Silverstone in September.

Session 1

The first hour of free practice took place beneath a broad expanse of blue sky, dotted here and there by fluffy white clouds. All very picture-book stuff, while things were going fairytale on track for Jonny Kane in the #42 Strakka Racing HPD.

There were no surprises in LMP1, where the solo diesel-powered Oreca Peugeot 908 looked very comfortable on 1:35.853, but few would have predicted a two-tenths gap to Kane, second overall, and eclipsing all the other P1 runners. The silver-blue and black HPD looked stable over the kerbs, and fairly whistled through the straighter bits. Third fastest, the #12 Rebellion Lola, was another two-tenths adrift, with another P2 car, the #40 Quifel ASM Ginetta Zytek, fourth.

Tommy Erdos was in-and-out a bit in the Lola HPD, working to regain the comfortable settings the team achieved, in difficult conditions, at the Hungaroring in April. He finally found the groove he wanted, and clocked a 1:37.914 to stand fourth in LMP2, just behind the #24 Oak Racing Pescarolo.

Tommy clambered out of the cockpit towards the latter stages of the hour, and handed over to Mike Newton, who saw the coupé through to the flag. There were no dramas, either there, or anywhere else on the track. With the Grand Prix staged here only a few weeks ago, the track is in excellent order, and everything looking spick and span. The surface too is immediately quick, although the herat of the day, and the addition of some fresh rubber may see times dip a little in the afternoon.

One pleasant surprise was to see the MG Lola EX-265 going well in the hands of ex-RML driver Warren Hughes. The car still sports a livery that bears a striking resemblance to the one it wore when Mike, Tommy and Andy Wallace took their class win at Le Mans in 2006, although the car has since been updated to meet current regulations, and achieve a nimble turn of speed, thanks to the latest generation XP-21 AER engine.

In Formula Le Mans, Jody Firth picked up where he left off in the Algarve, quickest in the #44 at the start of the session, and then handing over to the even more rapid Darren Manning, who maintained the car's FLM class dominance throughout the session.

First Session - LMP2 Times

"I think we were surprised by the lack of grip, initially," said Tommy after the end of the first session. "The track was very much quicker when we were here in April, which is surprising, considering the use the circuit has had since then, and recently with the Grand Prix. Even so, I'm fairly happy with the way the weekend has started. The car's running well, as usual, and we're working through our programme towards a good set-up."

"Traffic is going to be a major issue here, but it will also make things more interesting," added Tommy. "The only place to overtake with any confidence is along the main straight, and into Turn One. You need to get the best possible exit out of the final corner, and then hope to carry that speed along the main straight, and then brake as late as possible into the first corner. There are other places where it's possible, but if you're racing hard, and you're defending the line, then there's no doubt who's got the upper hand here."

"As for the race, I don't think everyone's yet realised what a long, hot race this is going to be. Starting at four means we set off at just about the hottest time of the day, and the speeds we've seen so far suggest that this is a race that's going to go to time, not distance. So we're as good as guaranteed a full six hours, which will be six very tough and challenging hours on a track where it's difficult to overtake and tyre pick-up could be a major issue. In fact, this will probably be the hardest race of the whole calendar - it's going to be hard on tyres, hard on brakes and very hard on the drivers. It's going to be a race to survive."

"The track is much slower than it was when we were here in April," said Mike. "If we could match the kind of times we were setting then, we'd be on a pace with the Peugeot. The track just seems to have turned very "green". Even so, those test days in April have helped enormously, and I have felt able to attack the circuit here right from my second or third lap." Mike achieved a low thirty-nine in April. "This has only been the first session today, and I'm still getting my eye in. All except the very last lap was through heavy traffic, but it's a very encouraging start.".

Session 2

The day's second hour-long session began at 16:30, with Tommy taking the RML Lola HPD out for the first half-dozen laps, and then handing over to Mike for the bulk of the middle part of the session, and leaving enough time at the end for Ben Collins to meet his first appointment with the Hungaroring.

The overall pattern wasn't exactly a repeat of the first session, but it came close. Initially we had a more typical look to the timing screens, with the two Rebellion Lolas back on the top of the pile, at least for the opening series of laps. It couldn't last, of course, and before too many minutes had elapsed, Olivier Panis came out on track in the Oreca Peugeot and blitzed the field, posting 1:33.623 to leave the rest trailing in his wake. Well, not quite the rest, but everyone except the mercurial Danny Watts. The Strakka HPD evidently has the measure of this Hungaroring, and with Watts making his first appearance here, his time of 1:34.483 was less than a second shy of Panis, but a huge two seconds clear of the next-best LMP2 car; the Quifel ASM Ginetta Zytek.

The track was undeniably faster than it had been, but with Tommy handing over relatively early to his team mates, the RML Lola's time may not have been strictly representative. Fifth, behind both the Oak Racing Pescarolos has not given the team any great cause for concern.

Ben Collins (from whom more later) was not the only driver getting his first taste of the Hungaroring this afternoon. Rob Garofall had his debut run in the RLR MG Lola, and came very close to matching Warren Hughes' earlier time. Garofall and Barry Gates occupied the MG's cockpit for the entire second session.

It was later confirmed that the RML Lola's on-board transponder had failed early into the session, so any improvements made by Tommy and the others were not recorded. Phil Barker, team manager, was reluctant to reveal what times Tommy had actually achieved, but there was a twinkle in his eye as he shrugged off any questioning.

Second Session - LMP2 Times

Session 3

With only five laps under his belt from Session Two, Ben Collins was sent out first in the RML Lola HPD, and joined the other thirty-seven cars on the circuit. The times was 20:30, and the sun may have set in spectacular fashion, to be replaced by a nearly-full moon, but the day's heat was lingering long into the night. Despite the darkness, the track conditions were expected to improve as the ninety-minute session developed, and those already familiar with the twists and turns of the Hungaroring were expected to set their best times in this session.

The opening twenty minutes yet again went more or less to expectations, with Stephane Sarrazin topping the screens for Peugeot and Oreca, with the #13 Rebellion Lola narrowly holding second from Jonny Kane in the Strakka HPD. Third was the 008 Signature Plus Lola Aston Martin and then, fifth overall with 22 minutes gone, none other than Warren Hughes in the #31 Team RLR MG Lola EX-265. His time of 1:38.831 was significantly quicker than anything achieved previously by the car, and placed it well clear (at that time) of several of the more favoured LMP2 runners.

Just as the significance of this achievement was sinking in, the red flags were flying around the track. Ben had completed roughly half his scheduled laps, and headed back to the pitlane feeling very satisfied with the grip he was gaining from the coupé. The incident was a gravel-trapped IMSA Performance Porsche GT2 #76.

The session resumed at 21:08, with Mike Newton back aboard the RML #25 to complete his statutory three-lap night requirement. With those completed successfully, Mike handed on to Tommy, and as the Brazilian emerged on track, the status quo had largely been restored in LMP2. Warren's time,. impressive as it had been, had subsequently been bettered by Babini in the #30 MIK Racing (formerly Racing Box) Lola, Matthew Lahaye in the #24 Oak Racing Pescarolo, and then Guillaume Moreau in the second of the Oaks; #35.

With the weekend's five P1 cars split only by the Strakka HPD, the order looked to have been fairly well restored. Tommy completed a stint of about eight laps and then returned the Lola to the pitlane. Ben then returned to the car, aiming to run through to the end of the session - which he did, but not to the number of laps he'd hoped for. He managed a total of seventeen, which he declared were "Awesome!", and managed to lower his best to a 1:39.669. New to the track, he was finding it a challenge to learn the best line in the dark, but doing a great job none the less. Then, with about nine minutes to go, the CRS Ferrari #91 was brought to a premature halt with smoke and flames much in evidence. That effectively drew the session to an equally premature close, leaving a very frustrated Oreca squad looking at a one-two overall from Rebellion's pair of Lolas.

Third Session - LMP2 Times

Radio & On-line: Largely due to the impracticalities of actually getting all the equipment to Hungary, Radio Le Mans were covering the race live, but from their studio in the UK, with Dailysportscar's Graham Goodwin on-hand at the Hungaroring to provide trackside insight and up-to-the-moment pitlane news. This weekend, anyone tuning in to RLM was assured a feast of motor racing coverage, with John Hindhaugh, Graham Tyler and the guys also reporting from Road America, where the ALMS was also on track for Round 7. That proved to be a significant race for the Drayson Lola, with Jonny Cocker performing miracles in the dying moments to take a remarkable win. Check out the RLM website for podcast coverage.