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Hungarian Grand Prix chiefs seeking funds to resurface track for next year

Hungarian Grand Prix chiefs are hoping to get the funding in place to resurface the Hungaroring track for next year, following complaints from drivers last weekend

With the circuit having a firm contract in place until 2016, race organisers are willing to spend money upgrading the facilities and circuit - although it will still need some kind of government support if it is going to happen.

Zsolt Gyulay, the president of the Hungaroring, told AUTOSPORT about the resurfacing effort: "I am fighting for this. We have a plan, but it is impossible to do it - so we need some kind of state support.

"But the resurfacing is the minimum we would like to achieve. There are plans for some big improvements in the next two years that will show people how important motor sport is in Hungary."

As well as resurfacing work, it is understood that efforts will be made into improving run off areas and repainting lines on the track - after the circuit failed to use non-slip paint last weekend.

The plans to improve the venue come after a number of complaints from drivers - who reckoned the track surface had very little grip in the wet, with matters not helped by the paint situation.

Felipe Massa said: "The track was very, very slippery in the rain, but I think the biggest problem in the wet was the lines. It looked like the paint they were using was like ice - it was completely slippery.

"The anti-slip paint was not used here, so it was a big problem. We spoke to the FIA about it and they said it was something they needed to control better."

Jenson Button said that a resurfacing of the whole track would be good because of the difficulties caused by the variation in grip levels throughout the lap.

"The surface in the last corner is different," he said. "It feels when you have a hot tyre, you struggle to get grip through there. I don't know if it is the oil in the asphalt coming through to the surface, but most of the lap is fine. It is when you get there you are skating around."

Button made it clear, however, that he was happy with safety at the circuit, despite a spectacular GP3 accident suffered by Luciano Bacheta, who ended up upside down against the barriers on Friday.

"I think the safety of this circuit is pretty good and I don't think we should be asking them to improve the circuit in any way in terms of safety," he explained.

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