July 20, 2023
We are kicking off the final double header before the summer break with a trip to Budapest! This weekend will definitely be interesting as F1 tests out a new Qualifying format and teams hope and pray their newly upgraded cars can handle the Hungaroring. Here is everything you need to know for the 2023 Hungarian Grand Prix:
Weekend Schedule (in EST):
Practice 1: Friday 7/21, 7:30-8:30 AM
Practice 2: Friday 7/21, 11:00-12:00 AM
Practice 3: Saturday 7/22, 6:30-7:30 AM
Qualifying: Saturday 7/22, 10:00-11:00 AM
Race: Sunday 7/23, 9:00 AM
This weekend’s Qualifying will be a little different as F1 tests out Alternative Tire Allocation (ATA). ATA reduces the number of tires each driver has from 13 to 11 by dictating which compound they can use in Qualifying. Under dry conditions, teams can only run hard compounds in Q1, mediums in Q2, and softs for the Q3 pole position shootout. Wet conditions will mean teams can use whatever compound they choose. The new Qualifying format is part of F1’s mission to lessen the environmental impact of the sport. I think in the long run, it could be helpful as teams will be burning through less rubber. However, regulating which compounds can be run in Qualifying defeats the point of Quali strategies. Part of the game is trying to maximize your Qualifying potential while saving tires for the race, but with ATA that goes away. Teams who don’t have a car that performs well on all compounds are penalized for no reason. This will be the first test of this format and teams and drivers will provide feedback so that from there, F1 can decide if they will use ATA for next season.
Hungaroring
The Hungaroring is not like the last few circuits we have had. Consisting of a few short straights, 14 slow-speed corners, and 2 DRS zones, the circuit is often described as “Monaco without the walls” and compared to a go-kart track. As opposed to the cooler conditions and higher speed circuits of the Red Bull Ring and Silverstone, Budapest provides a medium to low-speed track with hot and humid conditions that test both the drivers and the cars. Teams will opt for a high downforce set up and good grip to succeed at the Hungaroring, and they will focus on their Qualifying performance as the track has few opportunities for overtaking. This contrast in track layout will be the ultimate test for teams with newly upgraded cars as they’ll see if their car really is good at all circuits.
Daniel Ricciardo in his AlphaTauri livery
During this past two week break, AlphaTauri dropped Nyck De Vries after just 10 races and replaced him with Daniel Ricciardo. De Vries has had a tough start to his F1 career and is yet to score points. Since AlphaTauri is last in the Constructors Championship and a sister team of Red Bull, De Vries needed to improve his performance or he was at risk of losing his seat. Reports said he would be given until the summer break to prove himself, but I guess Helmut Marko (director of Red Bull’s driver academy) felt enough was enough. After Daniel Ricciardo’s impressive performance driving the Red Bull in a Pirelli tire test just after Silverstone, the team fired De Vries and gave Ricciardo the return to F1 he has been dreaming of. I think it’s quite comical that Ricciardo rejected offers from teams like Haas last season because he only wanted to drive a competitive car, and now he’s back but in the worst car on the grid (karma). Hungary will be Ricciardo’s first race back and while I won’t prey on the Australian’s downfall, I would love to see Yuki Tsunoda finish way ahead of his new teammate.
While we are in the Red Bull-verse, Red Bull could break the longstanding record for most consecutive wins this weekend. Max Verstappen’s win at Silverstone helped the team match McLaren’s record of 11 straight wins and when the Dutchman wins at the Hungaroring, they’ll dethrone the papaya team with 12 wins. Breaking a record like this would just be a cherry on top of the incredible season the team is already having.
Behind Red Bull, the fight for second in the Constructors Championship has been heating up. We had previously thought this fight would just be between Mercedes, Aston Martin, and Ferrari, but after McLaren’s shocking performance at Silverstone, it looks like this could be a four-way fight. What’s interesting is that these teams keep switching around in the order. McLaren was “best of the rest” at Silverstone, but in Austria it was Ferrari, in Canada it was Aston Martin, and in Barcelona it was Mercedes. The track and conditions seem to be playing a major role in this fight. The Hungaroring should suit the Aston Martin best, but with the team recently struggling to keep up with other front-running teams, we might have one of the other three leading the rest of the pack (hopefully it’s McLaren). Another interesting thing about this battle is that we now have five top teams, which means ten drivers have cars that should be consistently scoring points. And since we only have ten points-finishing positions, what Guenther Steiner previously said about midfield and back-marking teams not measuring their success on the number of points they score is true now more than ever.
To put it simply:
4 second place teams + Red Bull = 5 top teams
5 top teams * 2 drivers per team = 10 drivers in top cars
10 drivers in top cars - 10 points finishing places = 0 points for the rest of the grid
As a McLaren fan, I don’t know if I will ever get over Silverstone 2023. It was like paradise on Earth. The British team will be bringing its final round of updates to Hungary this weekend, but we can’t have too many expectations. Part of McLaren’s success in the last two races has been attributed to the cool conditions and high-speed tracks their upgrades have been run at. With the aforementioned contrast in conditions at the Hungaroring, we will have to see how this new and improved McLaren fares.
Williams also had a great weekend at the British Grand Prix as Alex Albon finished in P8, ahead of both Ferraris. Unfortunately they don’t think this track will suit their car. The Willaims has great straight line speed, something the Hungaroring doesn’t necessarily reward. While the team will aim to maximize their potential, they might be toward the back of the grid again.
The Hungarian Grand Prix has given us some shock winners like Esteban Ocon in 2021. Perhaps someone (cough cough Lando Norris cough cough) can pull off another shock win and end Red Bull’s winning streak this weekend. You never know what could happen in Budapest.
I’ll be back after the race.
Happy Race Weekend!
- Divya
Where I got these
from:
https://www.mclaren.com/racing/formula-1/2023/hungarian-grand-prix/guide-to-hungary/
https://www.ferrari.com/en-US/formula1/articles/hungarian-grand-prix-2023-preview
https://www.formula1.com/en/racing/2023/Hungary/Circuit.html
https://www.haasf1team.com/news/hungarian-grand-prix-preview-2
https://scuderia.alphatauri.com/en/2023-hungarian-grand-prixview/