Debut of the new qualifying format at the Hungaroring
The Hungarian Grand Prix 2023, in addition to being the penultimate stage of the championship before the summer break, will be the stage of an absolute novelty in terms of the qualifying format. The battle for pole position will remain the same, with the usual division into Q1, Q2, and Q3, but what will change is the way these sessions will be conducted, each of which will have to be tackled with a specific tire compound: while in Q1 the drivers will be obliged to use the hard tires, the same will apply to Q2, this time with the mediums, and then finish with the soft tires in Q3.
Explanation by Jock Clear
This regulation was supposed to make its debut at the Emilia-Romagna Grand Prix in Imola, which was then canceled from the calendar due to floods that hit the region, and it has been analyzed by Jock Clear, Senior Performance Engineer at Ferrari:
“This weekend, we are experiencing for the first time a new tire management format that aims to use fewer sets of tires over the course of a weekend and increase their efficiency of use. Teams will have more flexibility in the free practice sessions, while they will be more limited in qualifying: it will be possible to carry over used tire sets from one free practice session to another, only having to return one set per session, while in qualifying each driver will have only two sets of hard tires in Q1, two sets of medium tires in Q2, and two sets of soft tires in Q3. The rules regarding tire choice for the race remain unchanged.” the Senior Performance Engineer of Ferrari highlighted.
The most feared impact
But what will be the impact of this novelty on the preparation of the drivers for qualifying? The answer was also provided by Jock Clear, who also serves as Charles Leclerc‘s Driver Coach: “The format of modern Formula 1, with the closed park regime imposed from qualifying onwards, has meant that drivers and teams are constantly looking for a setup that strikes the best compromise, suitable for both qualifying with low fuel load and race conditions with maximum fuel load and traffic on the track.” – he pointed out.
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“Therefore, the change imposed in the use of tires for this qualifying should not have a significant impact on the drivers’ programs. However, an effect that we expect, given the need to use all three compounds during qualifying, is to see much more traffic in Q1 and Q2 since the drivers will be inclined to do many more laps before finding a truly competitive one.”
From Mercedes to Ferrari
In conclusion, Jock Clear also mentioned the time of his transition from Mercedes to Ferrari, which took place at the end of 2014: “I was very lucky because my move to Maranello came at a perfect time: my twin daughters were just about to transition from middle school to high school. Ferrari provided great support in finding the most suitable school for them and in general helped us find the right home for our needs. For me and my family, it was a relatively stress-free transition. The cultures between Italy and England differ, but not to such a great extent, and I believe that we approached the change with an open mindset, which made everything easier. However, this may surprise you: do you know what we miss most about the United Kingdom? The food.” – Jock Clear concluded ahead of the Hungarian Grand Prix.
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