DIECI at the Hungaroring

The Hungarian Grand Prix is the 11th race of the 2017 Formula One World Championship and will be held on 30 July.

The race, which will be staged on the Hungaroring circuit on the outskirts of Budapest, has always been considered one of the most demanding by spectators and drivers, due to the extremely hot conditions during the race weekend and the succession of twists and turns with few places for overtaking that test the cars and drivers to the limit. The challenge is further compounded by the circuit’s dusty surrounds and lack of general use throughout the year, which have contributed to the circuit’s notorious reputation following numerous accidents in recent years. Thankfully, most of the mishaps were spectacular but not too serious for the drivers.

One exception was the dramatic incident involving Felipe Massa during a qualifying session in 2009, when a bouncing spring shed from Rubens Barrichello’s car struck Massa’s helmet at 280 km/h, causing serious injuries that left him sidelined for a year. On such a tough circuit, safety and accident prevention are top priorities for race organisers. Consequently, this year Verbis Kft (one of DIECI’s official dealers in Hungary), has again supplied two DIECI vehicles (an Agri Plus 40.7VS and an Agri Star 37.7) as part of the rescue and recovery team for the Hungarian GP.

Unlike other circuits, where car recovery is managed directly by the organisers, at the Hungaroring this service is entrusted to an external association, which is annually supplied with machines free of charge for promotional purposes.

Previously in 2015, Verbis owner Peto Vilmos provided an Agri Max and an Agri Pivot, which were used not only during the Hungarian Grand Prix but also during the WTCC (World Touring Car Championship), as well as other motorcycle events staged on the Hungarian track.

This year the machines will be driven by Mr Vilmos himself and his colleague Lajos Kiss, who share the same passion and years of experience on Hungarian circuits.

Their job involves keeping abreast of continuous updates to regulations, emergency protocols and even technical innovations to the cars, which according to data provided by the FIA (the International Automobile Federation) are cornering 40% faster on average this year. It might seem like an insignificant statistic, but it nevertheless affects the whole organisation of races and rescue operations.

Whatever the result on 30 July, we’ll be rooting for the Italians, whether they’re sporting Ferrari’s red livery or the yellow and black colours of DIECI!