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TUUKKA TAPONENMP MOTORSPORTBUDAPEST

Tuukka Taponen aiming to emulate 2025 podium in Budapest ahead of summer break

Tuukka Taponen hopes to stand on the podium once more around the Hungaroring this weekend

Tuukka Taponen is hoping to evoke similar memories of his last FIA Formula 3 visit to the Hungaroring, when the Finn achieved a P3 result in the Feature Race.

The MP Motorsport driver heads into the Budapest weekend fresh from two points finishes in Spa-Francorchamps, but having been hoping for more after qualifying in the top three.

Speaking ahead of the weekend getting underway, Taponen said that he was approaching the weekend as he would any other, but that the focus would be all about Qualifying.

"My approach will be the same as it was in Spa. You want to do your best always. Qualifying is more crucial here because overtaking is a bit more difficult.

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"I think you can see some fighting here, especially at the end with some degradation and if there is no Safety Cars and we are running the whole race distance at racing speed. So still expecting some fighting, less than in Spa but Qualifying is more important."

Going into more depth about the strategy we might see on Friday afternoon, the Scuderia Ferrari Driver Academy talent said track position and when drivers are sent out onto circuit will be pivotal.

While everyone will be aiming for clean air, the inevitability of bunching up in the final sector as the drivers look to find a clear bit of track will shape the weekend according to the Finn.

Taponen says Qualifying will be crucial to the weekend in Budapest with clear track the focus over any slipstream

"Positioning will be the main key and finding track position that is as clear as possible. Maybe you will see a bit more difference on the strategy as well, teams going at different times to the track and trying to find that clean air.

"There will be still some queue for sure created in the last sector because everybody wants to create that gap to the car in front and it can be tricky here as well. So the tow isn't important, but finding the clear air definitely is."

Taponen's podium finish around the Hungaroring last season and prior results in other series means he is carrying confidence into Round 7 with hopes of repeating the feat in 2026.

The MP driver's aim this weekend is to put himself in contention once again, and that begins on Friday with a strong grid position.

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"It's an important race but I did well last year here, it's been a strong track also in FREC two years ago. I don't want to think too much about the past, I just want to go race by race, session by session, lap by lap and do the best I can.

"Qualifying was very good in Spa but we just lacked that pace in the races, especially on Sunday when there was no Safety Cars and was a bit more tricky.

"We just need to do the same kind of Qualifying to at least to be around the top five and then hope to have a bit better pace in the races and score in both."

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