Behind the Curtain . . .

When the Le Mans Series was first proposed, the ethos behind the concept was declared to be a desire to pay homage to some of the classic endurance races of the past. Evocative and historic circuits such as Monza, Spa, Nurburgring and Silverstone were chosen as venues for the 1000 kilometre races, contributing a rich sporting heritage to the stature of the series. Following in the tyretracks of some of the greatest names in the history of motor racing was seen as a way of perpetuating their memory, and building a championship for the future.

As the years have passed it has proven harder than expected to adhere to that principle. Monza was one of the first of the "classic" circuits to be dropped from the calendar, after suffering an anti-motorsport backlash from local activists, and replacements have had to be found. The new Istanbul Park Circuit played substitute for a couple of years. More recently, the Autodromo do Algarve has offered top-quality facilities and racing. In 2010, another famous name has disappeared from the calendar, with the Nürburgring being dropped in favour of another "ring", this time the Hungaroring near Budapest.

Not as new as either Turkey or Algarve, the Hungaroring is still not a classic track, although Hungary does have a lengthier association with motor racing than either Turkey or Portugal. Built in the 1980s, the Hungaroring was the first circuit to stage a Grand Prix behind the Iron Curtain, and has been a permanent fixture on the F1 calendar ever since.

A tight and twisty circuit, with a succession of slow-speed technical corners, and only a couple of fast flat-out curves and three modest straights, the track is occasionally likened to Monte Carlo but without the imposing buildings and exclusive atmosphere. How it will lend itself to multi-class endurance racing remains to be seen, especially with it's reputation for being narrow and restrictive on overtaking, but RML's drivers were there in April to test the Lola HPD, and were pleasantly surprised at the way it seemed to suit the coupé, and how quickly Mike came to terms with a track he'd never seen before.

Hungaroring Test

RML was one of three Le Mans Series teams and several GT outfits invited to take part in the Dunlop development test at the circuit in April. Attending the two-day test was made more of a challenge as a result of the ban on air travel throughout northern Europe both before and after, thanks to the volcanic ash from Iceland. Not only did the racecars in their transporters have to make the journey overland, so did all the support crew and drivers. “The journey out was particularly exhausting,” said Tommy Erdos. “We drove twenty-four hours non-stop, leaving the UK late on Friday and arriving at the hotel on the Saturday evening. We shared the driving, but it was a bit like doing Le Mans but without the breaks!” They made a more leisurely journey back, stopping off in Frankfurt for an overnight break along the way. “I enjoy driving very much, so a 4000km round trip was no problem at all,” said Andy Wallace, who also attended the test, before adding, somewhat ambiguously, “and the part in Germany was very entertaining!”

Having rushed to get there, Tommy and Andy could only spectate on the Sunday. The circuit was hosting a public track day, but it wasn’t wasted time. “It was a chance for us to drive round the service road and watch the cars going around,” explained Tommy. “It was a useful exercise and an opportunity for us to study the corners.” Later, after a meeting with the team’s data engineers and discussions about simulations and gear ratios etc, Tommy was able to complete a few exploratory laps in a road car, ahead of some serious track time the following day.

Unfortunately, the weather on the Monday was dreadful, and not conducive to serious tyre testing, although most of those present did take to the track. In addition to RML AD Group, Oak Racing was also there, with their pair of Pescarolo Judds, and so too Team RLR (see below) with the ex-RML MG Lola EX265. “It was odd to see the old car going round,” said a slightly whimsical Thomas Erdos. “Yes, it was a very strange feeling, especially as the car is still in the same livery.”

After a near-washout on Monday (right), Tuesday turned out to be far more productive. Mike Newton joined the other two RML AD Group drivers, and all three enjoyed extended time on track. “We managed to get through nine sets of development tyres; that’s different compounds and constructions,” explained Tommy. “Oak was doing most of the compound work, and we were concentrating on construction. Dunlop will examine results from both and select the best solution from the two sets of results." The hope was that the outcome would be of principal benefit when the teams reached Le Mans in June, and so it proved.

Now with Ben Collins sharing cockpit duties, the RML trio arrive in Hungary with a first Series victory of the year already under their belts, having taken the LMP2 win at the Algarve last time out, and leading the championship by more than the points total from a single race. The footage below, captured during the team's Hungaroring test, takes you through the opening sequence of bends. Follow the course by referring to the map taped to the inside of the cockpit!

Team RLR
Another LMP2 team entered for the Hungaroring 1000 Kilometres with the advantage of having tested at the track in April is Team RLR. The name may be new to the Le Mans Series, but the car won't be. In fact, the appearance of the team's MG Lola EX265 will be remarkably familiar to anyone who's followed the championship in recent years, since it is inherently the same car that Mike and Tommy raced for RML in 2008. Subsequently uprated and modified, it is also the same basic chassis that took them to glory in the LMP2 category at Le Mans in 2006, and also gave them the LMP2 Le Mans Series title in 2007.

Now revised again, the car is in fine fettle and ready to compete again in the 2010 series, with team drivers Barry Gates and Rob Garofall. They will be joined in Hungary by former RML racer Warren Hughes. One of the top drivers in the sport today, Warren has previously raced for Quifel ASM and DAMS this year, but is lending his knowledge and expertise to the RLR line-up as they make their Le Mans Series debut. Warren won at Le Mans with Mike and Tommy in 2005, in the EX264.

The arrival of Team RLR and the return of the two Racing Box Lolas, as well as entries from Race Performance (Radical), Pegasus (Courage) and KSM (Lola Judd), mean that the LMP2 category looks very strong for Hungary. There will be twelve of the P2 prototypes on the grid, bolstered by the regular compliment of seven Formula Le Mans Oreca chassis.

Full LMP2 entry list for the Hungaroring:

	LMP2
24		Oak Racing	FRA	D	Pescarolo - Judd	Matthieu Lahaye (FRA) Jacques Nicolet (FRA)
25		RML AD Group	GBR	D	Lola HPD Coupé	Tommy Erdos (BRA) Mike Newton (GBR) Ben Collins (GBR)
28		Race Performance	CHE	D	Radical SR9 - Judd	Michel Frey (CHE) Chris Buncombe (GBR)
29		Racing Box Now MIK Racing	ITA	P	Lola Coupé B09 Judd	Marco Cioci (ITA) Piergiuseppe Perazzini (ITA) Luca Pirri (ITA)
30		Racing Box Now MIK Racing	ITA	P	Lola Coupé B09 Judd	Ferdinando Geri (ITA) Fabio Babini (ITA) Federico Leo (ITA)
30		RLR Motorsport	GBR	D	MG Lola EX-265 AER	Barry Gates (GBR) Rob Garofall (GBR) Warren Hughes (GBR)
35		Oak Racing	FRA	D	Pescarolo - Judd	Richard Hein (FRA) Guillaume Moreau (FRA)
36		Pegasus Racing	FRA	D	Courage-Oreca LC75 AER	Julien Schell (FRA) Frederic Da Rocha (FRA)
39		KSM Withdrawn	GER	D	Lola B08/47 Judd	Jean de Pourtales (FRA) Hideki Noda (JPN) Jonathan Kennard (GBR)
40		Quifel ASM	PRT	D	Ginetta-Zytek 09S	Miguel Amaral (PRT) Olivier Pla (FRA)
41		Team Bruichladdich	GBR	D	Ginetta-Zytek 09S	Karim Ojjeh (SAU) Tim Greaves (GBR) Thor-Christian Ebbesvik (NOR)
42		Strakka Racing	GBR	M	HPD ARX -01c	Nick Leventis (GBR) Danny Watts (GBR) Jonny Kane (GBR)
	Formula Le Mans
43		DAMS	FRA	M	Formula Le Mans	Andrea Barlesi (BEL) Alessandro Cicognani (ITA) Gary Chalandon (FRA)
44		DAMS	FRA	M	Formula Le Mans	Jody Firth (GBR) Darren Manning (GBR)
45		Boutsen Energy Racing	BEL	M	Formula Le Mans	Dominik Kraihamer (AUT) Nicolas de Crem (BEL) Bernard Delhez (BEL)
46		JMB Racing	MCO	M	Formula Le Mans	Peter Kutemann (NLD) Maurice Basso (CHE) John Hartshorne (GBR)
47		Hope PoleVision Racing	CHE	M	Formula Le Mans	Steve Zacchia (CHE) Luca Moro (ITA) Olivier Lombard (FRA)
48		Hope PoleVision Racing	CHE	M	Formula Le Mans	Christophe Pillon (CHE) Vincent Capillaire (FRA) Nico Verdonck (BEL)
49		Applewood Seven	FRA	M	Formula Le Mans	Damien Toulemonde (FRA) Mathias Beche (CHE)

Strakka will be keen to make amends for their disappointing run in the Algarve, following on so soon after their class win at Le Mans. The two-car entry from Oak Racing will also be eager to put the Portuguese race behind them, having predicted a double-podium going into Round 3, and only managing eighth and a non-finish. RML will, of course, be looking for another strong finish, but any step on the podium could be enough to strengthen the team's hold on the title.

In the FLM category, eyes will be on the #44 DAMS entry once again. Last time out Jody Firth was partnered by Warren Hughes (above), and took a dominant class win. With the Geordie racer now stepping up into the MG Lola, Firth has called upon the services of another highly experienced pro to assist him in his return to sportscar racing, in the shape of Darren Manning. The thirty-five year-old from North Yorkshire has enjoyed a rewarding single-seater career, especially in America, and was a team-mate at Team WFR (Embassy Racing) in the Le Mans Series with Warren Hughes and Jody Firth.

LMP1
If LMP2 looks strong in Hungary - perhaps as strong as it's ever been - the same cannot be said for LMP1. Just five cars are entered, with the same four that braved the Algarve back for another stab at the overall win, but with added competition from the Beechdean Mansell Ginetta-Zytek GZ-01c.

The car is listed to be driven by Nigel Mansell's two sons, Greg and Leo (above with Nigel), which suggests that the man himself is giving the Hungaroring a miss. If so, this will be another disappointment for the many British fans who've been hoping to see Nigel back in action at the track that saw some of his most memorable Grand Prix successes. Who will forget his memorable win from 12th, and the daring pass on Senna, in 1989. Or the year he took the title after his Hungaroring performance in 1992. Similarly, what price his lost wheel five laps from a win in 1987? No wonder the circuit has named a corner after him . . . but which one?

So, despite claiming that the Hungaroring was always one of his favourite circuits, Nigel Mansell looks set to be giving it a miss this year. Having recorded a DNF in Spa, and then crashed out after just seventeen minutes of the Le Mans 24 Hours, Nigel's return is enduring a shaky start.

LMGT
The status quo is maintained throughout the two GT categories. The same two Saleens that battled out GT1 in the Portuguese sunset will be reviving their duel in Hungary, and there will be thirteen GT2 combatants as well. For medium resolution images of most of the cars entered, please see our All Teams Gallery.

Support Race
After the bizarre sight of a succession of Ford Transits scurrying around the Algarve circuit as support to Round 3, it is something of a relief to have a more recognisable format of formulae sharing the Hungaroring with the Le Mans Series 1000 Kilometres.

The Radicals are back again after missing the Algarve. In one format or another, the Radicals have been a regular feature of the Le Mans Series programme for several years, and invariably these diminutive prototype lookalikes offer an entertaining spectacle. The Radical Masters will have two fifty-minute races on Sunday.

Further track action will be provided by the Lamborghini Blancpain Super Trofeo series, with three races; one on Saturday afternoon,and two more on Sunday. Billed as the "world’s fastest one-make series" (although several others might contest this claim!) the Super Trofeo is sponsored by the Swiss watchmaker, Blancpain, and features cars based on the Lamborghini Gallardo.

The racecar is a lightweight special built around a heavily reworked chassis but powered by the standard 5.2-litre V10 engine, producing around 570 hp. The whole package weighs in at around 1300kg.

More information from the Lamborghini Blancpain Super Trofeo website.

The Circuit

The origins of the Hungaroring are well documented, with Bernie Ecclestone's plans for a Grand Prix in Russia being persuasively hijacked by a Hungarian friend, who suggested a compromise venue in Budapest. At the time, in 1983, the option effectively bridged the gap between Europe and the former Soviet Union, and met with the encouraging support of the local authorities. Rather than a street circuit, as Ecclestone had initially envisaged, the Hungarians opted instead for an all-new circuit built just 20 kilometres outside the capital.

Work started in 1985, and was completed in well under a year. The inaugural Hungaroring Grand Prix was staged in August 1986, six months after the official opening, and was won by Nelson Piquet for Williams. It was not, however, the first Hungarian Grand Prix. That took place in 1936, and was raced on a circuit created within the "People's Park", Népliget, in the heart of Budapest. It was won by the iconic Tazio Nuvolari in an Alpha Romeo.

Nuvolari started fourth, behind a Nazi lock-out of the front row by Auto Union and Mercedes Benz, but fought through to overtake Bernd Rosemeyer and Hans Stuck (pictured wonderfully right, father of two-times Le Mans winner Hans-Joachim Stuck), while Manfred Von Brauchitsch crashed out ten laps from the flag. Another significant name on the entry list was Briton Eileen Ellison, one of the foremost women drivers of the age. The second World War, and subsequent incorporation of Hungary into the Soviet Union, effectively prevented any further Grand Prix until the first new-era race in1986.

Since then, the Hungaroring has always featured on the F1 calendar, culminating in Mark Webber's win for Red Bull earlier this month. At the outset the track was seen as slow and unexciting, with few overtaking opportunities and a tendency towards creating processional races, certainly in Formula 1. At a time when F1 was going through another of its regular periods of change, the up-side of this was that the Hungaroring was deemed one of the safest in motor racing. (Click on the image below for an enlarged view.)

Under the circumstances, the fact that the circuit has undergone surprisingly few changes since its opening is some testament to the original design, and those changes that have been introduced have improved overtaking and increased speeds. The pit straight was lengthened in 2003 and the first corner became tighter as a result, making out-braking maneuvers more rewarding. At the same time a chicane at Turn 12 was reprofiled, lengthening the preceding straight and speeding up the final sequence of turns. Previously, in 1989, a double-S sequence through Turn 3 was also removed, to create a single, fast right-hander. (The remnants can still be seen above.)

As a result of all these alterations the Hungaroring is slightly longer than it was, now totalling 4381,08 metres, but is one of those circuits where lap times have continued to reduce over the years. While there have been attempts elsewhere to slow cars down, the average speeds at the Hungaroring have continued to increase, yet it remains a safe and now much more entertaining venue.

Although Tommy has distant Hungarian ancestry, he’d never been to the country before the team tested at the Hungaroring in April, and has never raced there. “The circuit is very “busy”, and it’s physical, hard work, with no chance of any respite. The pit straight is not long, so even that doesn’t offer any real chance for a breather. Every aspect of the track is tight and twisty, with constant changes of direction and high g-force loadings, on the car and on the driver. It’s also remarkably narrow, so I think it’s going to be a very difficult track when it comes to dealing with traffic. That will certainly be a major issue when we come to the race in July. I can see us being stuck for half a lap or so behind a slower car, and it’s going to be hard to find safe places to overtake. The race will also be a “night” race, which will add to the challenge, especially as we’ll be in a closed car with a screen that will be getting dirtier with every lap we complete. Overall, though, it’s still a fun circuit to drive, even if it is a bit stop-and-go and lacks any high-speed corners. It has a good variety of corner combinations and there’s enough change in elevation to make it interesting. It’s certainly a very challenging circuit, and the 1000 Kilometres is going to be a tough race.

Despite a racing pedigree that reads like any racers wish-list, the test was also Andy Wallace’s first visit to the Hungaroring. “I really liked it,” he said. “It’s a very technical circuit that flows well, although I agree with Tommy, and overtaking is going to be seriously difficult in the race.”

Weekend Schedule

Media Coverage

TV: It is hard to enthuse about the TV coverage of the 2010 Le Mans Series, which manages to get more and more inadequate with every round. Eurosport UK's half-hour round-up of the Algarve 1000 Kilometres was rendered pretty meaningless after the satellite link failed half-way through the evening, so the programme could only focus on the start of what developed into an excellent race. The prospect for Round 4 from Hungary appears to be much the same, with a meagre half-hour slot scheduled for the final minutes.

• 20:30 - 21:00 Final half hour and finish live on British Eurosport (30 minutes)

Further details can be checked online at Eurosport. You can also check the Le Mans Series website for a roundup of coverage here.

Radio & On-line: John Hindhaugh, Graham Tyler and Eve Hewitt will be in Hungary to provide another weekend of excellent in-depth coverage of the Le Mans Series, perhaps aided and abetted by Dailysportscar's Graham Goodwin. Their output can be followed live via the Internet, and also on local FM, and will begin with Free Practice on Saturday, and continue with all Sunday's action, and on into the night. Articles and features about the Le Mans Series, including season previews and interviews, are also available as podcasts from the RLM website. Click the button below for access.