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The Hungaroring
provides the backdrop to the last few days of Formula 1 track action prior
to the summer break. This weekend’s race will be the fortieth anniversary of
the Hungarian Grand Prix and the Hungaroring track will also be in use on
the Tuesday and Wednesday, 5 and 6 August, when Pirelli is running a 2026
tyre development test. Ferrari, Racing Bulls and McLaren are all taking part
for one day, while Alpine is running on both days. The test is aimed at
evaluating tyre constructions for next year as, in line with regulations,
these must be homologated by 1st September, as well evaluating some
prototype compounds. In this case, these have to be homologated by 15th
December. After the Hungaroring session, there are a further six days of
testing planned, two at Monza, two at Mugello and two in Mexico City.
The compounds
The trio of slick tyre compounds is the same as last year: C3 as Hard, C4 as
Medium and C5 as Soft. Up until last year, these would have been the softest
tyres of all, but this year, the C6 was introduced. However, the new
compound would be too extreme a choice for a track that exerts this level of
energy density on the tyres for every lap. Although the actual loads are not
that high in absolute terms, the fact that the lap is short means that it
increases cumulatively and significantly with each lap. Another factor that
plays its part is the high temperature that usually accompanies the
Hungarian weekend, leading to predominantly thermal degradation, exacerbated
by the very dark track surface. In fact, last year’s race here saw the
highest recorded track temperature of the season, at 58.6 °C.
In 2024
The most popular strategy was the two-stop, running various combinations of
the C3 and C4. The Medium performed best and 13 drivers chose it for the
start. Of the remaining seven, four went with the Soft and three with the
Hard. Yuki Tsunoda in the Racing Bulls, was the only driver to get to the
chequered flag having made just one stop, while some pitted three times,
running a short final stint on the Soft. The Aston Martin pair of Fernando
Alonso and Lance Stroll made two stops, using all three compounds, having
gone their own way in terms of tyre management in free practice. The
Canadian drove the longest stint (14 laps) on the Soft.
The
track
The Hungaroring facility is currently undergoing a major transformation.
Firstly, the paddock area was refurbished and this year, the main changes
relate to the pit lane and the main straight, as well the pit complex and
the main grandstand. The grid area and the pit lane have been resurfaced,
using 860 tonnes of a specially designed mix, using bitumen with a higher
softening point. The asphalt was laid with the aim of minimising undulations
to provide a more consistent surface. The new surface has already been used
when GT races were held here in early July and it will be analysed in the
next few days to check grip levels.
Usually, track evolution over the
weekend is very high here, especially during the first two days. Graining
could put in an appearance during Friday free practice, before gradually
decreasing the more the track gets rubbered-in. High thermal degradation is
a factor drivers will have to deal with even over a flying lap in qualifying
on the Soft. If it is not looked after properly, it could create problems in
the final two corners.
Keyword: air
Before the weekend, Pirelli inflates
the tyres with compressed air, using a special machine to remove moisture.
Then, in the fitting area where all Pirelli tyres for the event are fitted
to and stripped from the wheel rims supplied by the teams, special machines
pump them up to 60 psi to check that they are correctly seated on the rims.
Then, the pressure is reduced to 45 psi before the tyres are collected by
the teams. They can choose whether to keep the dried compressed air or to
replace it with nitrogen, an inert, non-flammable gas that is less permeable
than oxygen. The use of any other gas or mixture of gases is forbidden in
the regulations.
At each event, Pirelli states a mandatory minimum
pressure to be set initially, as well as target running pressures that must
be met for safety reasons. For example, on Friday at the Hungaroring, the
minimum starting pressures are set at 22 psi on the front axle and 20 at the
rear. At the end of each session, the regulations allow for the minimum
pressure to be adjusted to a new mandatory pressure for the following
session.
Statistics Corner
The Hungarian Grand Prix first appeared on the World Championship in 1986,
the first time Formula 1 had ventured behind the “Iron Curtain.” Since then,
it has been a permanent fixture, even during the Covid pandemic year of
2020. Lewis Hamilton is the most successful driver with eight wins, nine
pole positions and 12 podium finishes. Michael Schumacher is second when it
comes to wins and pole positions with four and seven respectively, while
Kimi Raikkonen is second to Lewis in terms of podium finishes with nine.
Of the teams, McLaren has the best record here with 12 wins, followed by
Williams and Ferrari, both on seven. McLaren and Mercedes share the lead
when it comes to pole positions on nine, with Ferrari third on eight.
Ferrari tops the table for podium places with 29 ahead of McLaren on 25 and
Williams on 18.
Two drivers still racing today took their maiden
Formula 1 win at the Hungaroring: Fernando Alonso in 2003 with Renault and
Esteban Ocon in 2021, effectively with the same Enstone-based team, by then
known as Alpine. |
