This weekend marks the primary of two occasions earlier than Formulation 1’s summer season break. Beginning Friday, the automobiles will rev their engines on the Hungaroring circuit in Hungary.
The circuit could be very twisty, with just one true straight, the start-finish straight, which can be the more than likely, if not the one, overtaking alternative. There are 14 corners, six to the left and eight to the correct, a few of that are 180°. The observe undulates and its 4381 meters make it one of many shortest on the calendar. There are two DRS zones alongside the observe: one on the start-finish straight and the opposite, a lot shorter, on the descent from flip 1 to 2, with a single detection zone earlier than getting into the final nook.
By way of forces exerted on the tires, the Hungaroring is just not significantly extreme. Pirelli has chosen the identical three softest compounds as final yr, with the C3 as P Zero White onerous, the C4 as P Zero Yellow medium, and the C5 as P Zero Purple gentle. Degradation will be excessive, particularly when it is extremely sizzling, and the forecasts for this weekend should not favorable on this respect, contemplating that final yr, Hungary recorded the best observe temperature of all the season: 53°C. Overheating is subsequently an element to be monitored, not solely within the race but additionally in qualifying: with the softest compound, a driver should attain the final two 180° corners of the flying lap with adequate grip, which isn’t straightforward, provided that the observe’s brief straights don’t give the tires a lot time to chill down.
The Hungaroring is a everlasting race circuit, however it’s not used a lot, so grip ranges enhance considerably because the observe wears in. This yr, it is going to be much more probably, because the observe remained closed for an extended interval than ordinary through the facility’s modernization works, the primary section of which was accomplished solely in Might.
Max Verstappen received right here final yr on the finish of a race the place all the discipline opted for a two-stop technique. The Medium and Laborious compounds had been the preferred selections for the beginning, though 4 drivers opted for the Softs, intending to take advantage of the additional grip at the beginning. Amongst them was Carlos Sainz, who moved from eleventh to sixth place within the first lap. This weekend, it’s probably that the C3 and C4 shall be favored within the race, whereas the C5 may have its second of glory in qualifying.
The Hungarian Grand Prix first appeared on the calendar in 1986, the primary Formulation 1 occasion to happen behind the then already crumbling Iron Curtain. Since then, it has been a part of the championship and attracts many followers from nations like Finland and Poland, for whom the Hungaroring has turn into the closest place to cheer in particular person for his or her compatriots, equivalent to Mika Hakkinen, Kimi Raikkonen, and Robert Kubica. On a observe the place overtaking is just not straightforward, qualifying takes on nice significance, which explains why 16 of the 38 editions held thus far have been received by the pole sitter and solely 4 instances by a driver ranging from a place decrease than the second row on the grid. Lewis Hamilton is probably the most profitable driver with eight wins, and the seven-time world champion additionally holds the document for pole positions (9) and podiums (11). Among the many groups, McLaren leads with 11 wins forward of Williams and Ferrari, tied in second place with seven wins, whereas Mercedes has probably the most pole positions (9), another than McLaren and Ferrari, the latter topping the rostrum depend with 26 forward of McLaren (23) and Williams (18). 5 drivers have claimed their first Formulation 1 victory on this observe, together with Fernando Alonso (2003) and Esteban Ocon (2021), who’re on the participant checklist this weekend. The others are Damon Hill (1993), Jenson Button (2006), and Heikki Kovalainen (2008).
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