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What tyres will the teams and drivers have for the 2024 Hungarian Grand Prix?
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Formula 1 will return to action this weekend with the Hungarian Grand Prix, and Pirelli have confirmed what tyres will be in use at the Hungaroring event.
As was the case last year, F1’s official tyre suppliers have chosen their three softest dry tyre compounds – the C3 as the hard, the C4 as the medium and the C5 as the soft – to tackle the classic, 14-corner track.
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Drivers will get two sets of the hard tyre (marked white), three sets of the medium tyre (marked yellow), and eight sets of the soft tyre (marked red), as well as the green intermediate tyre and the blue full wets, should they be required.
“In terms of the forces exerted on the tyres, the Hungaroring is not particularly severe,” reads Pirelli’s preview of the event and track characteristics.
“Traction is one of the most important factors, especially across the rear axle. Degradation can be high, especially when it is very hot and the forecast for this weekend is definitely not favourable in this regard, when one thinks back to last year when Hungary saw the highest recorded track temperature of the season at 53°C.
“Overheating is therefore a factor that needs to be kept under control, not just in the race but also in qualifying: on the softest compound a driver must manage to get to the last two 180° corners of a flying lap with enough grip left, which is no mean feat, as the short straight sections of track do not give the tyres much time to breathe.
“The Hungaroring is a permanent race track, but it does not get that much use, which is why grip levels increase significantly the more it gets rubbered-in.
“That will be even more likely this year as there was no track activity for a longer time than usual while the facility was modernised, the first phase of which was only completed in May. Graining could therefore make itself felt, especially in the first couple of sessions.”
As for tyre usage on race day, Pirelli added: “Max Verstappen won here last year, at the end of the race when the entire field opted for a two-stop strategy.
“Medium and hard were the most popular choices for the start, although four drivers opted for the soft, intending to make use of the extra grip off the line. This group included Carlos Sainz who went from eleventh to sixth on the opening lap.
“This weekend too it is likely that the C3 and C4 will be favoured in the race while the C5 will have its moment of glory in qualifying.”
For more information about Pirelli’s F1 tyres, visit pirelli.com.
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