Revamped Tyre Selections Set to Spice Up Action at Hungarian Grand Prix

Jul.20 - Revving up the excitement for the upcoming 2023 Hungarian Grand Prix, Pirelli, the official tire supplier of Formula 1, has announced key updates regarding the tire selection and allocation for this prestigious event. Set to take place at the challenging Hungaroring circuit, this race promises intense battles and strategic maneuvers. Pirelli's Motorsport Director, Mario Isola, sheds light on the tire choices and the implementation of a new tire allocation system known as the Alternative Tyre Allocation (ATA). With the aim of enhancing competition and introducing fresh variables into the mix, these changes are set to redefine the dynamics of the Hungarian Grand Prix. In this article, we delve into the details of Pirelli's decision, the characteristics of the Hungaroring circuit, and how these modifications could impact the teams' strategies for this exhilarating race.

2023 Hungarian Grand Prix - Tyres

The dry tyres for the 2023 Hungarian Grand Prix will be the C3 as P Zero White hard, C4 as P Zero Yellow Medium, and C5 as P Zero Red soft, a step softer than the tyres for the 2022 event.

Pirelli's Motorsport Director, Mario Isola, explained the decision: "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 features. This puts the drivers, cars and tyres to the test, not least because the twisting nature of the track does not allow anyone or anything to catch their breath.

There’s a fairly long pit straight, which provides the only real overtaking opportunity under braking into the first right-hand corner. Then there are 13 more corners – seven right-handers and six left-handers – on a circuit that is second only to Monte Carlo in terms of slowest average speed; to the extent that the cars use similar downforce settings to Monaco. With so many slow corners, traction is one of the key factors for good performance and the biggest risk is tyre overheating.

Despite being a permanent track, the Hungaroring is not used very often and the asphalt conditions improve considerably during the weekend as the ideal racing line rubbers in."

Pirelli will also implement a new tyre allocation system, known as the ATA (Alternative Tyre Allocation), which will force teams to run only the hard tyre for Q1, the medium tyre for Q2 and the soft tyre for Q3 in dry-track conditions.

Isola explained what these changes could create for the event: "Both these changes, at least on paper, should lead to a wider range of options, particularly in terms of strategy. The ATA also saves two sets of dry tyres compared to the traditional format (using 11 sets instead of 13) and it will be run again at the Italian Grand Prix in Monza. After that, the FIA, F1 and the teams will decide whether or not to adopt it for next season.”

Pirelli further explained some key points to understand about the ATA for the upcoming weekend and how it would work if it stays as a permanent system for the 2024 F1 season:

Under the ATA rules, the number of tyre sets available for each car is reduced to 11, instead of the 13 available for a normal race weekend. Each driver will have three sets of hard tyres, four sets of medium tyres, and four sets of soft tyres. The number of wet tyres remains the same: three sets of full wets and four sets of intermediates, with an extra set of intermediates authorized if it rains on Friday or adverse weather is predicted for Saturday.

On Friday, one set of tyres must be returned at the end of each free practice session. A further two sets must be returned on Saturday after FP3. This leaves seven sets of tyres for qualifying and the race, of which at least one set of hard tyres and one set of medium tyres must be kept for the race.

The minimum starting pressures for the tyres in the 2023 Hungarian Grand Prix will be 22.0 PSI (front) and 19.0 PSI (rear).

The 2023 Hungarian Grand Prix will be the 11th event of the 2023 Formula 1 World Championship season.

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