Google translated version of the Japanese article which I stitched together:
Red Bull Honda's Max Verstappen won the pole position (PP) in the Hungarian Grand Prix. First PP for Verstappen. For Honda, it was the first PP in 142 races since the 2006 third round Australian GP (Jenson Button).
However, the 2006 F1 was an era where refueling was possible during the race, and the Q3 that decided the PP was attacking with fuel to be loaded at the start of the final race.
Therefore, rather than simply competing for speed at this time, the emphasis was on the battle of fighting for as little time as possible while mounting a little more fuel than rivals in anticipation of the race, and the value of PP is It was lower than before. Prior to that, a method that emphasized entertainment was adopted rather than a place to decide the fastest driver and machine, such as the introduction of a one-attack method.
In the 1992 Canadian Grand Prix, Ayrton Senna was the last time Honda won a PP in qualifying with the number of attacks and the amount of fuel loaded freely. In other words, the Hungarian Grand Prix PP was the moment Honda made the fastest lap on the course for the first time in 27 years.
The head-on game that Honda challenged.
This PP acquisition was not helped by the rain, but it can also be evaluated in terms of Honda's straight victory against Mercedes.
The battle between Honda and Mercedes began in Q2.
Verstappen decided to advance to Q3 in second place after Louis Hamilton (Mercedes). The difference is only 25/1000 seconds. I grasped the response that could be reversed.
Q3, the first attack. Verstappen suddenly fascinated me. Only one person broke the wall of 1 minute 15 seconds and marked 1 minute 14 seconds 958. I surpassed two Mercedes and got a temporary PP seat. It was the first time since Honda returned to '15 that Honda took the provisional PP in qualifying.
However, the Honda faction was not yet relieved. Both the Mercedes and Verstappen had another set of new soft tires, leaving the opportunity to attack once more. Moreover, because the Hungaroring, the stage of the Hungarian Grand Prix, is not usually raced, the road surface is dirty at the beginning of the run.
Radio from Verstappen.
Another thing that Honda was concerned about. In the first attack, Verstappen was wirelessly telling them that the battery had run out when he got up at the last corner.
The current F1 is a hybrid that integrates two regenerative energy systems into a turbo engine, and can use 120kW (about 33 seconds) motor-assisted deployment per lap.
The lap time when Verstappen struck out the provisional PP at Hungaroring was 1 minute 14 seconds 958 as described above, so it was running with turbo engine + motor assist for about 33 seconds and the turbo engine alone for the remaining 42 seconds That's right. This distribution is called “energy management” and how it is distributed depends on the characteristics of the power unit, the car settings, and the driver's accelerator work.
Verstappen felt that the battery had run out because the battery did not have a problem and the 120kW motor assist had been used up to that point.
Remote operation of the site in Japan and the UK.
However, if the driver wants power and feels power shortage, energy management may not have been optimal.
“We looked at the data of the first attack and responded to HRD Sakura, HRD MK, and the circuit at the same time for the second attack, and changed the energy management settings.” Toyoji Tanabe F1 Technical Director)
HRD Sakura is a laboratory that develops Honda F1 in Sakura City, Tochigi Prefecture. HRD MK is the front base of Honda F1 in Milton Keynes, England.
Verstappen travel data is also monitored by Honda staff in Japan and the United Kingdom, using satellite links from the circuit. Each engineer who received instructions from Tanabe TD made full use of the simulator to play out the optimal energy management and responded to Hangaro Link. The field engineer reset the new data that was sent and sent Verstappen to the last attack.
Sensor that the driver has.
Meanwhile, 5 minutes 52 seconds. Tanabe TD appreciates that it was a radio from Verstappen that made it possible.
“Driving data is not one, but dozens or hundreds of data are sent by telemetry. If anything, engineers are keeping an eye on the data so that it can respond immediately. However, since there is an enormous amount of data, analysis takes time.
If the driver with the best sensor is saying `` This is weird '', the engineer can quickly find where it seems to be a problem without looking at other data. ''
Verstappen's furious drive.
The last attack was not Hamilton, but the teammate Valteri Bottas. Moreover, up to sector 2, Bottas was 0.061 seconds faster. Everyone gave up Verstappen PP, but Verstappen and Honda staff believed.
Verstappen's computer controls included a new energy management, which was a modification of sector 3 sector.
Verstappen, who got up at the last corner, was no longer complaining. The time that passed the control line was 1 minute 14 seconds 572. Botas was 18/1000 seconds higher and gained a spectacular PP.
Red Bull's Christian Horner praised the run as "only in the last two corners, Max reversed Valtelli". Verstappen's sector 3 segment time of 21.021 seconds was the fastest of the 20 drivers, and sector 3 alone showed a furious drive that surpassed Bottas by 0.079 seconds.
The driving was made possible by Verstappen's courage to believe in Honda and the problem, and until Honda engineers in Japan and the UK's factories believed out the optimal energy management. It was a battle of 52 minutes.
True GOATs don’t need the help of superior material to win.
Tom Brady, Usain Bolt are true GOATs.
I've noticed over the last two years that whenever we get Max vs. Anyone data, it consistently shows Max getting all his advantage via higher minimum speeds in the tight sections. Not clear if this is a car characteristic or a Max driving characteristic. I'll guess a bit of a both, where Max has the talent to really carry the excellent Newey cars through the tight stuff. Max and Newey may really suit each other well.
