For many years now, the Hungarian Grand Prix has represented a highly challenging task for drivers, cars, and tires due to the extremely high air and track temperatures and the many curves of the circuit. Unique solutions are adopted here, in some respects similar to what we see in Monaco, which shares with the Hungaroring the record for the lowest average speed among the stages of the championship.
The best overtaking opportunity is represented by the only long straight in front of the pits, where it’s possible to attempt an attack under braking. Then, we have 13 medium to low-speed corners, where traction is obviously one of the key factors for an excellent performance.
In these difficult conditions, tire overheating is a nightmare for teams and drivers, who, to avoid further degradation due to slipping during acceleration, choose high-downforce setups with solutions that are used only on this circuit. All possible openings on the engine cover are used to dissipate the heat to the maximum.
In Hungary, an important package of updates is expected from Red Bull, which should further improve the downforce-to-drag ratio and therefore the already excellent aerodynamic efficiency. As Max Verstappen said in a recent interview, “it’s not a joke.”
Ferrari has promised further updates in search of a better mechanical-aerodynamic balance for the evolution version of the SF-23, which performed well in Spain, Canada, and Austria but fell back into the nightmare of instability in the long curves of Silverstone. We will certainly see a high-downforce rear wing and probably a revised front wing for better flow management.
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Thanks to the punctual work of Spanish reporter Albert Fabrega, we have the first images from the Hungaroring circuit, especially of the parts being set up outside the pits during the assembly phase of the Formula 1 cars.
The first image allows us to notice the side-pod engine cover solutions of Aston Martin, McLaren, and Alpine. After a season and a half since the introduction of the new rules, it seems that the designs are already converging towards the “best” solutions, in this case, Aston Martin’s (and Ferrari’s). We see how the channels on the engine cover are now deeply cut in all three cars, then dropping rapidly towards the diffuser. Even Red Bull could present something in this direction this weekend, perhaps even more extreme.
Alpine has brought a front wing with the upper profile featuring several “cuts” to channel the flows in the best way towards the channels on the floor and outwash them away from the front wheels.
Mercedes will use the new wing introduced in Austria, with a higher incidence, confident that it will be able to make the best use of it here.
Update at 11:15 AM
With the first shutters opened, it’s possible to observe further details. The image published by Albert Fabrega shows the comparison of the rear wings of Ferrari, Mercedes, Alpine, and McLaren. The most loaded is the Mercedes, followed by McLaren and the Ferrari SF-23. Alpine has made a different choice, preferring a low-profile wing that tapers off significantly near the vertical partition.
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