Formula 1 travels to the Hungarian capital Budapest this weekend for round 13 of the 2022 season, the final round before the summer break.
The Hungarian Grand Prix takes place each year at the Hungaroring, a 2.7-mile circuit that is very twisty and undulating, with a series of medium and slow speed corners that result in a reliance on mechanical grip. This makes tire management particularly important. Pirelli has nominated its C2 as the White hard, C3 as the Yellow medium and C4 Red soft.
Overtaking is difficult, with the best chance of a successful move found in the first sector, at the end of the main straight. Here, the cars brake into a demanding downhill right hander followed in rapid succession by two more corners, before the track rises towards the second sector.
Hungaroring, home of the Formula 1 Hungarian Grand Prix
A feature of the Hungaroring is the stress it places on the gearbox, given that each lap requires 78 gear changes, making a total of 3,710 changes over the course of the race. The gears that get the hardest time are those between third and sixth, while eighth is only used to save fuel.
Another challenge, this time for drivers, is the high heat experienced in Hungary this time of year. Fortunately the weather looks to be milder this year, although there’s some rain expected during Saturday’s qualifying session and possibly some light showers appearing during Sunday’s race.
Going into the weekend, Red Bull Racing’s Max Verstappen leads the 2022 Drivers’ Championship with 233 points. Ferrari’s Charles Leclerc is second with 170 points and Red Bull’s Sergio Perez is third with 163 points. In the Constructors’ Championship, Red Bull leads with 396 points, versus the 314 of Ferrari and 270 of Mercedes-Benz AMG. Last year’s winner in Hungary was Esteban Ocon driving for Alpine.
