The Hungaroring provides the backdrop to the last few days of Formula 1 track action prior to the summer break.

This weekend's race will be the fortieth anniversary of the Hungarian Grand Prix and the Hungaroring track will also be in use on the Tuesday and Wednesday, 5 and 6 August, when Pirelli is running a 2026 tyre development test. Ferrari, Racing Bulls and McLaren are all taking part for one day, while Alpine is running on both days. The test is aimed at evaluating tyre constructions for next year as, in line with regulations, these must be homologated by 1st September, as well evaluating some prototype compounds. In this case, these have to be homologated by 15th December. After the Hungaroring session, there are a further six days of testing planned, two at Monza, two at Mugello and two in Mexico City.

The trio of slick tyre compounds is the same as last year: C3 as Hard, C4 as Medium and C5 as Soft. Up until last year, these would have been the softest tyres of all, but this year, the C6 was introduced. However, the new compound would be too extreme a choice for a track that exerts this level of energy density on the tyres for every lap. Although the actual loads are not that high in absolute terms, the fact that the lap is short means that it increases cumulatively and significantly with each lap. Another factor that plays its part is the high temperature that usually accompanies the Hungarian weekend, leading to predominantly thermal degradation, exacerbated by the very dark track surface. In fact, last year's race here saw the highest recorded track temperature of the season, at 58.6 degrees C.

In 2024

The most popular strategy was the two-stop, running various combinations of the C3 and C4. The Medium performed best and 13 drivers chose it for the start. Of the remaining seven, four went with the Soft and three with the Hard. Yuki Tsunoda in the Racing Bulls, was the only driver to get to the chequered flag having made just one stop, while some pitted three times, running a short final stint on the Soft. The Aston Martin pair of Fernando Alonso and Lance Stroll made two stops, using all three compounds, having gone their own way in terms of tyre management in free practice. The Canadian drove the longest stint (14 laps) on the Soft.

The Track

The Hungaroring facility is currently undergoing a major transformation. Firstly, the paddock area was refurbished and this year, the main changes relate to the pit lane and the main straight, as well the pit complex and the main grandstand. The grid area and the pit lane have been resurfaced, using 860 tonnes of a specially designed mix, using bitumen with a higher softening point. The asphalt was laid with the aim of minimising undulations to provide a more consistent surface. The new surface has already been used when GT races were held here in early July and it will be analysed in the next few days to check grip levels.

Usually, track evolution over the weekend is very high here, especially during the first two days. Graining could put in an appearance during Friday free practice, before gradually decreasing the more the track gets rubbered-in. High thermal degradation is a factor drivers will have to deal with even over a flying lap in qualifying on the Soft. If it is not looked after properly, it could create problems in the final two corners.

Keyword: Air

Before the weekend, Pirelli inflates the tyres with compressed air, using a special machine to remove moisture. Then, in the fitting area where all Pirelli tyres for the event are fitted to and stripped from the wheel rims supplied by the teams, special machines pump them up to 60 psi to check that they are correctly seated on the rims. Then, the pressure is reduced to 45 psi before the tyres are collected by the teams. They can choose whether to keep the dried compressed air or to replace it with nitrogen, an inert, non-flammable gas that is less permeable than oxygen. The use of any other gas or mixture of gases is forbidden in the regulations.

At each event, Pirelli states a mandatory minimum pressure to be set initially, as well as target running pressures that must be met for safety reasons. For example, on Friday at the Hungaroring, the minimum starting pressures are set at 22 psi on the front axle and 20 at the rear. At the end of each session, the regulations allow for the minimum pressure to be adjusted to a new mandatory pressure for the following session.

Statistics Corner

The Hungarian Grand Prix first appeared on the World Championship in 1986, the first time Formula 1 had ventured behind the "Iron Curtain." Since then, it has been a permanent fixture, even during the Covid pandemic year of 2020. Lewis Hamilton is the most successful driver with eight wins, nine pole positions and 12 podium finishes. Michael Schumacher is second when it comes to wins and pole positions with four and seven respectively, while Kimi Raikkonen is second to Lewis in terms of podium finishes with nine.

Of the teams, McLaren has the best record here with 12 wins, followed by Williams and Ferrari, both on seven. McLaren and Mercedes share the lead when it comes to pole positions on nine, with Ferrari third on eight. Ferrari tops the table for podium places with 29 ahead of McLaren on 25 and Williams on 18.

Two drivers still racing today took their maiden Formula 1 win at the Hungaroring: Fernando Alonso in 2003 with Renault and Esteban Ocon in 2021, effectively with the same Enstone-based team, by then known as Alpine.