This weekend marks the first of two events before Formula 1’s summer break. Starting Friday, the cars will rev their engines on the Hungaroring circuit in Hungary.
The circuit is very twisty, with only one true straight, the start-finish straight, which is also the most likely, if not the only, overtaking opportunity. There are 14 corners, six to the left and eight to the right, some of which are 180°. The track undulates and its 4381 meters make it one of the shortest on the calendar. There are two DRS zones along the track: one on the start-finish straight and the other, much shorter, on the descent from turn 1 to 2, with a single detection zone before entering the last corner.
In terms of forces exerted on the tires, the Hungaroring is not particularly severe. Pirelli has chosen the same three softest compounds as last year, with the C3 as P Zero White hard, the C4 as P Zero Yellow medium, and the C5 as P Zero Red soft. Degradation can be high, especially when it is very hot, and the forecasts for this weekend are not favorable in this respect, considering that last year, Hungary recorded the highest track temperature of the entire season: 53°C. Overheating is therefore a factor to be monitored, not only in the race but also in qualifying: with the softest compound, a driver must reach the last two 180° corners of the flying lap with sufficient grip, which is not easy, given that the track’s short straights do not give the tires much time to cool down.
The Hungaroring is a permanent race circuit, but it is not used much, so grip levels increase significantly as the track wears in. This year, it will be even more likely, as the track remained closed for a longer period than usual during the facility’s modernization works, the first phase of which was completed only in May.
Max Verstappen won here last year at the end of a race where the entire field opted for a two-stop strategy. The Medium and Hard compounds were the most popular choices for the start, although four drivers opted for the Softs, intending to exploit the extra grip at the start. Among them was Carlos Sainz, who moved from eleventh to sixth place in the first lap. This weekend, it is likely that the C3 and C4 will be favored in the race, while the C5 will have its moment of glory in qualifying.
The Hungarian Grand Prix first appeared on the calendar in 1986, the first Formula 1 event to take place behind the then already crumbling Iron Curtain. Since then, it has been part of the championship and attracts many fans from countries like Finland and Poland, for whom the Hungaroring has become the closest place to cheer in person for their compatriots, such as Mika Hakkinen, Kimi Raikkonen, and Robert Kubica. On a track where overtaking is not easy, qualifying takes on great importance, which explains why 16 of the 38 editions held so far have been won by the pole sitter and only four times by a driver starting from a position lower than the second row on the grid. Lewis Hamilton is the most successful driver with eight wins, and the seven-time world champion also holds the record for pole positions (9) and podiums (11). Among the teams, McLaren leads with 11 wins ahead of Williams and Ferrari, tied in second place with seven wins, while Mercedes has the most pole positions (9), one more than McLaren and Ferrari, the latter topping the podium count with 26 ahead of McLaren (23) and Williams (18). Five drivers have claimed their first Formula 1 victory on this track, including Fernando Alonso (2003) and Esteban Ocon (2021), who are on the participant list this weekend. The others are Damon Hill (1993), Jenson Button (2006), and Heikki Kovalainen (2008).
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