Formula 1 begins the final rush of two more races before a well-deserved summer break, especially after the triptych composed of Spain, Austria and Great Britain. The Circus now moves on to the last two stages of this first part of the championship, with the opening of this double appointment composed of the Hungarian GP and the Belgian GP.
Interestingly, although Budapest and Spa are the first two races before the summer break, they are also the first two events of the second half of the season, as the halfway point was reached in Silverstone. Hungary has become a summer “classic” that requires the cars to have a level of aerodynamic load almost comparable to that of Monaco, so the teams will load the rear wings using the specifications used in the Principality.
An element substantially opposite to what awaits the teams in Belgium the following week, because in Spa it is aerodynamic efficiency that reigns supreme, with the teams having to find the right level of load to fly on the long straights but also to tackle the fast bends in the central sector.
Pirelli Tires
Photo by: Erik Junius
The Hungaroring is a very twisty track with only one real straight, the starting one, which also represents the best opportunity for overtaking, given that with such large cars it is difficult to complete a maneuver in the rest of the lap. One of the best opportunities is represented by turn 4, but even then it is still difficult to complete an attack, unless with a rather marked delta of tires.
Its 4.381 kilometers make it one of the shortest tracks on the entire calendar, but its 14 corners in total, six left and eight right, at the same time place it as one of the most tortuous tracks of the entire world championship, especially for a central section at medium speed with many corners in sequence. There are two DRS zones, one on the long main straight and the very short one on the descent between turns 1 and 2, where in case you can also try to close an overtaking using the help of the mobile wing.
As a twisty track with few fast corners, the Hungaroring is not particularly harsh. Pirelli’s choice for this round is the same as last year, with the three softest compounds in the range: C3 as the P Zero White hard, C4 as the P Zero Yellow medium and C5 as the P Zero Red soft. This confirms the step towards a softer selection compared to 2022, the debut season with the 18-inch tyres.
Given its characteristics, the key element becomes the traction phase and the consequent management of the rear axle, especially in the presence of high temperatures. Curiously, in the case of poor grip, rain and/or low temperatures, the danger of graining can sometimes emerge, but the forecast for this weekend promises sun and boiling temperatures. For this reason, overheating becomes a phenomenon to keep under control, not only in the race, but also in qualifying, when you have to manage the tire in the window for the entire lap.
Pirelli tyres in the paddock
Photo by: Mark Sutton / Motorsport Images
With the softest compound in qualifying, it is essential to be able to get to the last two corners with a good level of grip, not an easy task considering that the short straight sections leave little time for the tyres to breathe.
Despite being a permanent circuit, its use is limited to a few races during the season, especially this year when the organizers have started renovation work. The first phase was completed a few weeks ago, interrupting work just in view of the Formula 1 Grand Prix but, once the event is over, the second phase will begin. The fact that it is used little during the season makes it one of the tracks where the grip of the asphalt evolves significantly as it is rubberized. It will be even more so this year considering that there was a very long interruption in activity due to the modernization work on the facility. Be careful, therefore, not to underestimate the risk of graining in the first sessions, when grip will be low.
The last edition of this Grand Prix was won by Max Verstappen at the end of a race in which all the drivers had chosen a two-stop strategy. At the start, the Medium and Hard were the most popular compounds but there were four drivers who chose the Soft, trying to exploit the greater grip at the start, as did Carlos Sainz, who went from eleventh to sixth place during the first lap. This weekend too, the Medium and Hard are expected to be protagonists in the race, with the C5 relegated to qualifying, given the high temperatures and the fact that track position plays a key role here.
#Pirelli #Hungary #managing #overheating