The Hungaroring is one of the most technical and demanding circuits on the calendar, despite also being one of the slowest of the season. Martin Brundle once described it as "a street circuit without the houses". The track is made up of tight and complicated turns which require precise driving as one corner inevitably leads almost straight away to the next and so getting slightly offline will have consequences for the rest of the lap.
Unfortunately, there is little opportunity for the drivers to overtake and the race is invariably processional. Turn one provides the best chance to pass but there is little to no chance at the thirteen other corners, unless the driver in front makes a mistake, due to a mix of difficult bumps, cambers or by simply being too tight. Therefore, the pressure is on to pull out a good qualifying performance.
Eni Magyar Nagydij (Eni Hungarian Grand Prix)
Top speed:
291 km/h (190 mph)
Average speed:
194 km/h (120 mph)
Time at full-throttle:
58%
Time under braking:
13%
Gear changes per lap:
50
Tyre compounds:
supersoft/medium
Tyre wear:
medium/high
Brake demand:
high
Downforce level:
very high
Eni Magyar Nagydij (Eni Hungarian Grand Prix)
Hungary sees some of the highest downforce setups of the year as teams seek to optimise cornering speeds, braking and traction out of the corners. A relatively soft suspension is also employed to maximise mechanical grip although rear tyre wear has to be kept under control.
The Hungaroring is little used outside of the Grand Prix weekend and therefore the track can be quite dusty and low on grip at the beginning of the weekend. The surrounding landscape doesn't help and if the wind gets up, a covering of dust can soon descend on the track again.
While the engines enjoy a comparatively easy weekend with only 58% of the lap at full throttle for a maximum of 58% of the lap, good torque is critical to power the cars out of the slow speed corners.
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Eni Magyar Nagydij (Eni Hungarian Grand Prix)
Key Points:
Turn 1 - This tight turn at the end of the finish straight is the best opportunity for an overtaking manoeuvre especially off the start.
Turn 4 - A challenging, fast left-handed bend with blind entry.
