Fernando Alonso is confident McLaren can enjoy one of its best weekends of the year at the high-downforce Hungaroring but admits reliability remains a concern.
The circuit is often dubbed ‘Monaco without the barriers’ and demands a strong chassis rather than outright horse power.
As such, it plays to McLaren’s strengths and represents a golden opportunity for the team to record just its second points finish of a wretched campaign.
“On paper, the Hungaroring presents one of the best opportunities for us this year,” Alonso said.
“The short, twisty circuit means we are less reliant on outright power, and the drivers have to really depend on the capabilities of the chassis to get the best out of the lap.”
On numerous occasions, the Spaniard has been set for a top-ten finish only to see his race cut short by technical problems.
After fitting a whole host of new components, and incurring a hefty grid penalty, last time out at Silverstone, Alonso is hopeful he can avoid a repeat.
“The important thing for us, as always, is reliability,” he said.
“Even if our car could perform better in Hungary, we need to have a trouble-free weekend to take advantage of every opportunity for points.
“We made some big decisions in Silverstone in terms of taking grid penalties in preparation for this race, and hope that’s paid off so we can put ourselves in the best possible position for points this weekend.”
