Scuderia Ferrari approaches the thirteenth round of the 2024 Formula 1 championship positively, despite recent races where a certain performance regression has been evident. The Hungaroring is a circuit that, along with Singapore, closely resembles the characteristics of the Monaco track, the last race in which the SF-24 showed real competitiveness. In that instance, the Italian car arrived on the streets of the Principality still part of the leading group, quite close to the performance of Red Bull and McLaren.
Hungaroring is a very particular track. The main straight is not very long, but achieving high top speeds is crucial to defend or attack during the race, as it is one of the few points where such maneuvers can be attempted. The rest of the track lacks significant straights, so overall efficiency sensitivity is not very high. This is certainly a favorable point for Ferrari’s current conditions, as we know the car suffers significantly from drag in certain conditions.
Approaching turn 1, braking in a straight line maximizes longitudinal grip, an aspect where the SF-24 single-seater should showcase its strengths. Ferrari has always been excellent in this type of braking. Turn 1 itself is quite slow, requiring substantial mechanical grip to get as close as possible to the inside curb. Aerodynamics have a lesser influence here, so the aim is to accelerate without steering angle and avoid too much curb on exit. The mechanical grip of the Ferrari is good, though often compromised, limiting its effectiveness.
Heading into turn 2, front grip plays a crucial role again. Due to the type of braking and negative banking, the front end of an F1 car tends to struggle. Ferrari has a very solid front end, so it could perform well in this section. Overall, the first sector of the track could suit Ferrari. Based on previous experiences with a rear-biased balance to seek traction, the SF-24 car has always worked very well. The central sector opens with turn 4, a very fast left-hander requiring a lot of aerodynamic load.
This is a point where the Maranello car might struggle. It remains to be seen which version of the rear wing will be chosen. The specific one seen in Monaco might be used to stabilize the rear, which has been too unstable in recent races. Overall, the Hungaroring is a rear-limited circuit where setups favoring traction are adopted. This could generate understeer in some corners, which will need to be managed and limited. Last year, Ferrari suffered from a lack of rotation, especially on entry. This year, there should be an advantage in this regard.
Reaching turn 5 (similar to turn 2), a good amount of front grip is again highly desirable. Deep braking is required, so front-end grip needs to be divided between the braking phase and cornering. Drivers then arrive at the chicane of turns 6 and 7, where traction and handling over the curbs are crucial. It will greatly depend on the type of setup Ferrari can build, especially considering the compromise between slow and fast sections. In terms of handling over the curbs, the Ferrari should not be out of place.
These types of problems emerge more at high speeds, where the SF-24 often becomes unstable or cannot use the curbs as much as other cars. This is followed by a series of larger radius corners, where significantly more minimum speed is carried through the middle of the turn. Here, aerodynamic load and its balance between the two axles are essential, while efficiency is not as crucial. This is why the Italian team can use a very loaded rear wing and consequently soften the suspension stiffness to some extent.
In this way, Ferrari aims to maximize traction and then find a compromise in the faster sections. This aspect has troubled the Maranello team a lot in recent races, forcing the Ferrari technicians to prioritize top speeds. As mentioned, the ability to cut through the air is a secondary issue in the Hungarian Grand Prix, where the engineers of the Prancing Horse believe they can unlock a certain amount of performance. Finally, they reach the third and final sector of the Hungaroring track, which is very short, opening with turn 11. A 90° turn followed by two hairpins at low and medium speed, where overall mechanical grip and a lot of traction on exit are needed.
The Italian team has worked a lot in the past week. An effort focused on the driver-in-the-loop simulator in order to fine-tune the car. The key aspect is balance, an essential factor that the SF-24 must absolutely regain. In Hungary, the lap time can be “constructed” in various ways, also seeking greater gains on entry, somewhat like Red Bull did last year. This could be Ferrari’s focus: optimizing entry to then maximize exit. Another crucial aspect will be the tires. Much of the performance in both the qualifying session and the race will depend on their performance.
Temperatures for this weekend are expected to be very high, meaning the track surface will heat up significantly. In 2023, the entire qualifying session depended heavily on how the compounds were managed during the outlap and the lap itself. Strategically, it is important to carefully evaluate the zones where the tires heat up the most and where they cool down, to ensure the compounds are in perfect condition during cornering, especially in the slower sections. Ferrari should benefit from these temperatures because the all-red Formula 1 car tends to inject less energy into the carcass, which proved to be a disadvantage in the cooler conditions encountered in Canada and the Silverstone circuit, but should help given the extreme temperatures in Budapest.
There will also be another important aspect to take into consideration. In England, Ferrari took a step back to better understand what went wrong with the latest aerodynamic upgrade package, including the floor and sidepods. At the Hungaroring circuit, the Maranello technicians should continue to use the updated specifications, considering that the nearly two weeks available have been very useful in clarifying the issues plaguing the team since the Spanish Grand Prix at the Circuit de Catalunya. A specific aerodynamic problem, namely a lack of correlation between Computational Fluid Dynamics, wind tunnel, and track.
Source: FUnoanalisitecnica
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