2018 Hungarian Grand Prix - Hungaroring, 27-29 July

[MtthsMlw]

Tire Choices


2017 Results
Qualifying


Race




2017 Pole Lap


2017 Race Highlights

[JonoNic]

Any info on how many DRS zones there will be this year?

[zibby43]

Wow the Hungarian GP thread went up quickly this week! Thanks for posting.

Merc may be stronger here than they were last year. And this isn't a power track where Ferrari can unleash the full potential of that devastating PU.

[Bill_Kar]

Wow the Hungarian GP thread went up quickly this week! Thanks for posting.

Merc may be stronger here than they were last year. And this isn't a power track where Ferrari can unleash the full potential of that devastating PU.

Post-race in Germany, Toto was joking that Mercedes may do well just because it's not a PU dependent circuit.
It could have a seed of truth in there. O tempora, as Cicero said.

[godlameroso]

More rain incoming.

[Moose]

Any info on how many DRS zones there will be this year?

7

[Moose]

Merc may be stronger here than they were last year. And this isn't a power track where Ferrari can unleash the full potential of that devastating PU.

I'd like to hope, but I don't see it happening. Merc like cool track conditions. Hungary is almost always an extremely hot circuit. Furthermore, the thing I personally see in Ferrari's favour this year is low speed mechanical grip, which this circuit requires a ton of.

That said, it doesn't need a lot of braking stability, so that helps Merc, and it does have the high speed aero 3rd sector that Merc should dominate.

[zibby43]

Wow the Hungarian GP thread went up quickly this week! Thanks for posting.

Merc may be stronger here than they were last year. And this isn't a power track where Ferrari can unleash the full potential of that devastating PU.

Post-race in Germany, Toto was joking that Mercedes may do well just because it's not a PU dependent circuit.
It could have a seed of truth in there. O tempora, as Cicero said.

Haha wow! I missed that. Oh the times indeed. After Australian GP qualifying earlier this season, I didn't think that by the summer break, Mercedes would be the underdogs at power dependent circuits.

I honestly think that the qualifying outcome this past weekend is the best thing that could happen to the boys at Brixworth. Time to rise to the challenge.

Massive props/kudos to everyone at the Scuderia for producing such an innovative in-season PU development. Everything about Ferrari's development this season has impressed me . . . thus far.

[zibby43]

Merc may be stronger here than they were last year. And this isn't a power track where Ferrari can unleash the full potential of that devastating PU.

I'd like to hope, but I don't see it happening. Merc like cool track conditions. Hungary is almost always an extremely hot circuit. Furthermore, the thing I personally see in Ferrari's favour this year is low speed mechanical grip, which this circuit requires a ton of.

That said, it doesn't need a lot of braking stability, so that helps Merc, and it does have the high speed aero 3rd sector that Merc should dominate.

Agreed on the heat. If it ends up being cloudy, cool, and damp, that will help Mercedes greatly.

Don't you think Mercedes has improved significantly in the low speed mechanical grip department? Particularly since Austria?

I'd argue that Merc has been looking pretty good in the corners (including Sector 3 in Germany) since that Austria update. Ferrari, on the other hand, is otherworldly when rocketing out of the higher-speed corners.

Curious to hear your thoughts. Obviously what I set out above are pretty broad generalizations.

[Spoutnik]

I don't think Merc have an issue on mechanical grip thus they rely more on aero.
Their problem seems to be the lenght of the car on slow speed and tricky part we've seen this in Monaco, on each tricky sector (S1 Silverstone so much difficulties...) + understeer on these part so very difficult

[GPR-A duplicate2]

Last year, Mercedes was losing two to two and half tenth against Ferrari on turn 13, whereas up and until that point on the track, they were a match. That turn 13 on Hungaroring is so similar to turn 13 in Hockenheimring where Bottas was 2 and half tenth faster than Ferrari in qualifying.

The advantage that Ferrari PU seems to be having, is their hybrid system that provides more juice than Merc's. Ferrari brought new MGU-K to Germany. Hungary doesn't have such long straights as in Germany, which means, there is a good possibility that the cars are going to be even. I am saying "even" because, Ferrari is going to alter their setup to suit the tight confines of Hungary, whereas seemingly, the Mercedes upgrade since Austria has helped them on low speed corners.

[mkay]

Judging from Monaco's pure pace, I'd say this is likely RBR's best shot at another race victory, especially with the high likelihood of rain. Even if it doesn't rain, they will be in the mix.

Mercedes should also be stronger in qualifying than it was last year.

[f1316]

Yes, I think the key factor here is Red Bull - I for one expect them to be on pole.

The one query in my mind is if, as I’ve read, the Ferrari’s principle PU advantage is on the way out of corners; if so, they may well get a significant advantage even on a slow track.

But the relative performance of both front running teams vs Red Bull is super interesting, as if one can get ahead, with RB in between them and their rival, that’s a bigger than usual swing.

[GPR-A duplicate2]

The one query in my mind is if, as I’ve read, the Ferrari’s principle PU advantage is on the way out of corners; if so, they may well get a significant advantage even on a slow track.

I have argued this over multiple times. In the first few gears, you can configure loads of torque (doesn't matter how much power you generate) and even Honda can, but the key is, does your vehicle dynamics hold the car well and not cause too much of wheel spin at lower speeds with excess torque? That is where the importance of the suspension, aero balance of the car, ride height all come in picture.

Part of the reason why Ferrari is getting great starts, SPECIFICALLY the second part of the start, is that they can throw in a lot of torque and the car doesn't cause too much wheel spin, moves out faster and on the other hand, Mercedes drivers have to wait for car to get in motion properly before nailing the throttle. So, the exit out of slow turns and the good start the SF-71H is getting, aren't because of PU alone.

The power difference between PUs would be visible on the long straights, where the juice has to be available for longer and that, it seems, Mercedes is now slightly behind Ferrari, which was the other way round until this year.

[Just_a_fan]

In the first few gears, you can configure loads of torque (doesn't matter how much power you generate)

SIgh. More torque at a given engine speed equals more power. If an engine generates twice as much torque at 3000rpm as the next engine, then it is also generating twice the power at 3000rpm as the next engine.