Eager Rosberg out for first Hungarian GP win

BUDAPEST — Lewis Hamilton’s impressive record at the Hungarian Grand Prix gives Nico Rosberg extra motivation as he tries to close the gap on his Mercedes team-mate in the Formula 1 title race.

After nine races, Rosberg sits 17 points behind Hamilton, the championship leader. With Mercedes dominant in qualifying and ultra-reliable on the track, the margins for taking back points are small.

“I’ve been coming closer lately. Silverstone was a little setback, but 17 points is much less than a single race,” said Rosberg on Thursday. “Yes, it is important to get close and turn it around.”

Rosberg gained significant confidence before the British Grand Prix three weeks ago, heading there with three wins from the previous four races, only for defending champion Hamilton to check his momentum with a stirring win in the driving rain of Silverstone.

No rain is likely on Sunday at the Hungaroring, with temperatures expected to exceed 40°C, and where Rosberg himself must turn up the heat on Hamilton, who has won four times on this track. But Rosberg, who has never been on the podium here and finished fourth last year despite starting from pole position, does not consider it his unlucky track.

“I’ve shown in the last two years that on any track, if I get my weekend right, I can be on pole and win,” he said. “It doesn’t matter which track. If I remember correctly, there was Bahrain where (Hamilton has) never been beaten by a team-mate, there was Montreal. I don’t think about it that way.”

Pole position is crucial in Hungary, almost as much as it is for the Monaco and Spanish Grands Prix. Given that Hamilton has not retired in his past 16 races, and with overtaking difficult on the tight and twisty track, the pressure is on Rosberg to secure pole.

Rosberg continues to fret about his brakes — the only glitch on an otherwise faultless car. “It’s something I don’t like, and I would prefer if it were different,” said Rosberg, who has tried different brake materials to stop the problem. “It’s such a complex matter. It takes six months to bake a new pair of discs, and if they’re the right ones, then six months again to bake a whole set of them.”

Hamilton sees things differently.

“(Rosberg) said he felt perfectly fine on the brakes in the last race, just letting you know,” said Hamilton. “And he knows you are going to ask me that (about the brakes), so we don’t have any problems with the brakes.”

The sweltering heat of late July is a different matter. “It’s ridiculous. In a (race) suit, it’s almost unbearable,” said Hamilton. “In your suit with the balaclava and the gloves on, it’s like a workout in a sauna.” AP

Hungarian GP TV schedule:

Today: Singtel TV Ch 114, StarHub Ch 208, 7.30pm (Qualifying)

Tomorrow: Singtel TV Ch 114, StarHub 208, 7.30pm (Race)