MARIO ISOLA – DIRECTOR OF MOTOR SPORTS
“The Hungarian Grand Prix has become a classic event of the Formula 1 summer season, and as such, the air and asphalt temperatures, which are usually very high, are the main characteristics. This puts the drivers to the test. the drivers, the cars and the tyres, not least because the twisty nature of the track doesn’t allow anything or anyone to catch their breath.There is a fairly long straight, which offers the only real opportunity to overtake under braking at the first corner to Then there are 13 more corners – seven right-handers and six left-handers – on a circuit second only to Monte Carlo in terms of slowest average speed, as the cars use similar downforce setups. to those of Monaco.With so many slow corners, traction is one of the key factors for good performance and the biggest risk is overheating the tyres.Despite being a permanent track, the Hungaroring is not used very often and asphalt conditions improve considerably over the weekend as the ideal racing line.
Usually this race is all about strategy and tire degradation. This year we have opted for a trio of softer compounds (C3, C4 and C5) compared to 2022, while a new qualifying tire allocation (known as ATA, or ‘Alternative Tire Allocation’) will be tested for the first time. . with the obligation to use only the hard in Q1, medium in Q2 and soft in Q3 if the conditions remain dry. Both changes, on paper at least, should lead to a wider range of options, particularly in terms of strategy. The ATA also saves two sets of dry tires compared to the traditional format (using 11 sets instead of 13) and will be run again at the Italian Grand Prix at Monza. After that, the FIA, F1 and the teams will decide whether or not to adopt it for next season.”
