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BACK TO WARMER WEATHER FOR
PIRELLI IN HUNGARY
WHAT’S THE STORY?
After two wet weekends in Britain and Germany, Pirelli is expecting a dry
and warm weekend at the Hungaroring: the first circuit to be opened behind
the former Iron Curtain in 1986. The tight and twisty track is a permanent
facility but has some of the characteristics of a street circuit, with a low
average speed and very little grip, which gradually evolves as the weekend
goes on and more rubber is laid down.
Pirelli is bringing the P Zero White medium tyre and P Zero Yellow soft tyre
to Hungary: the same nomination as the German Grand Prix. This combination
is designed to provide the best compromise between the grip that is needed
to effectively negotiate the twisty Hungaroring and the durability required
to combat the high ambient temperatures close to 30 degrees centigrade that
usually characterise the Hungarian Grand Prix.
Traction and braking are the two key areas that challenge the tyres in
Hungary, often causing high tyre temperatures that can increase degradation
if the drivers do not look after their rubber. With the high number of tight
corners and significant steering inputs, the external edges of the tyres are
particularly prone to temperature spikes and wear, emphasising the need for
a smooth driving style.
Unlike Silverstone and Hockenheim, Pirelli will not bring any experimental
tyres to free practice at the Hungaroring, meaning that each driver will
have the usual allocation of six medium tyres and five soft tyres for the
race weekend.
Pirelli’s motorsport director says:
Paul Hembery: “Hungary will provide a very stark contrast to the circuits
that we have just come from, being the slowest permanent track on the
calendar. This does not make it any less demanding on the tyres though: in
fact a twisty and slippery circuit will often put more heat through the tyre
than a fast and flowing layout as the tyre is moving around more –
particularly when the ambient temperatures are high. Having said that, in
Hungary last year we saw some wet weather, so it’s important not to make any
assumptions.
Consequently, we are still lacking some information about the performance of
our slick tyres under race conditions at the Hungaroring. Balancing the
demands of speed and durability will be key to getting the most out of the
tyres in Hungary, in order to keep degradation under control. Overtaking is
traditionally difficult, so the drivers have an opportunity to use strategy
in order to gain track position. Because of this, the work done in free
practice will be vital when it comes to preparing the race strategy: an
opportunity that has been denied to the teams recently because of bad
weather in the build-up to the last two grands prix.”
The men behind the steering wheel say:
Nico Hulkenberg (Force India): “I have some very good memories of racing at
the Hungaroring, especially in 2010 when I finished sixth, which at that
time was the best result of my career. Also, in 2009 I raced there in GP2
and won the race. So I’m looking forward going back there, also because I
enjoy visiting the city of Budapest. Although it’s quite a slow circuit,
it’s very difficult to get a good lap time because it’s a track where each
corner flows into the next, so it’s quite challenging and you need to find
the rhythm. In terms of tyres it asks a lot because you are nearly always in
a corner and there are no long straights where the tyres get a chance to
cool down. I think we should be able to fight for points this weekend
because we have looked quite strong on circuits with not so many fast
corners, such as Monaco and Valencia, so hopefully the circuit
characteristics will suit our car.”
Pirelli’s test driver says:
Jaime Alguersuari: “Hungary is a bit like a go-kart track: it’s very good
fun but a really tough race for the tyres and also the driver: your heart
rate is at the highest that it is all year because of the high temperatures
and not much cooling. In terms of set-up we run the highest downforce of the
season, so we really maximise the aerodynamic potential of the car and this
has an effect on the tyres too, with the front-left working particularly
hard. With all the low to medium speed corners, combined traction and
braking stability is very important: there is only one high-speed corner and
that is really the only overtaking opportunity as well. Last year was a very
complicated race where we started on the intermediate tyre and then moved
onto the slick, but I think it should be quite different this year. The cars
that should do well in Hungary this weekend are the ones that generate most
downforce, because that is the most important factor there.”
Technical tyre notes:
• The start-finish straight of just over 700 metres is the only real
straight on the entire circuit, with the tyres constantly loaded in a
sequence of 14 corners for the rest of the 4.381-kilometre lap. The cars are
at full throttle for just 10 seconds or so during the lap.
• The cars ride the kerbing in the chicane between turns six and seven as
part of the racing line. The resulting impact generates a force on the tyre
equivalent to 800 kilogram's.
• The cars run high downforce in Hungary to maximise grip and a soft
suspension set-up to improve traction, just like Monaco. The cars also need
accurate turn-in for all the rapid changes of direction, so they tend to run
with a stiff front end to guarantee precise roadholding. However it’s
important for the car set-up not to accentuate tyre wear, which is a vital
factor in Hungary.
Pirelli in Hungary:
• Pirelli’s first commercial activity in Hungary came via the company’s
cables business (which has now been sold) but since then Pirelli has grown
to become one of the most prominent tyre manufacturers in the country,
selling the full range of Ultra High Performance and ecological tyres, from
P Zero to Scorpion Verde.
• Hungarian model Eniko Mihalik starred in the 2010 Pirelli calendar, which
was shot by photographer Terry Richardson in Bahia, Brazil.
Other news from Pirelli:
• The latest specification of the Pirelli Autodrome app, version 1.5, is now
available on iTunes. The app explores Pirelli’s Formula One world through a
series of games and features. Another Pirelli app available on iTunes,
Pirelli&C, focuses on the business side of the company and summarises the
latest annual report.
• Pirelli’s test driver Jaime Alguersuari recently swapped the steering
wheel for the record player, when he was guest DJ at a four-hour gig in
Ibiza. Alguersuari produces his own dance music and has a best-selling album
out in Spain. |
