In Hungary, the single-seaters will suffer from the heat

At the Hungaroring, the single-seaters will once again be faced with extreme heat. With its succession of turns and few straight lines, it is difficult for engineers to find the right compromise to cool the components of an F1 car.

Published on 28/07/2022 à 11:54

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As in France, the single-seaters will suffer from the heat in Hungary

The high temperatures could cause some cold sweats in the Scuderia wall. ©Photo Antonin Vincent / DPPI

Less than a week after leaving the blazing sun of Castellet, the 20 drivers on the grid are preparing to face the heat of Hungary this time. If this country in Eastern Europe is not the most famous for its arid temperatures, the single-seaters will once again be put in difficulty during the three days of running with estimated temperatures. With the heat wave currently affecting the old continent, the asphalt of the Hungaroring could exceed 60°.

For comparison, temperatures on the Paul Ricard track on Sunday fluctuated between 55 and 60°. And we saw that some drivers quickly had difficulties in France with the premature wear of their tires. This should therefore be the case once again in Hungary and the cars could pass through the pit lane several times to compensate for this phenomenon.

Finding the right compromise to cool the car in Hungary

But beyond the rubber, another aspect will be closely monitored by the engineers in the walls. With a route that offers a succession of turns and few straight lines, it is difficult to cool the engines. “ From a temperature point of view, the Hungaroring is potentially more difficult than France. There are far fewer straight lines where components such as powertrain radiators, gearbox oil, brakes and other parts that require cooling can benefit from airflow as well. important as possible », explains Diego Ioverno, the vehicle operations manager at Ferrari.

The counterpart of not having straight lines like that of the Mistral on the Paul Ricard is that the power demand on the engines is lower than in France. However, you must still succeed in dissipating energy by choosing the “ optimal cooling levels ". To make their decisions, the teams will have to make a choice between power and reliability.

These heat-related constraints could however be dissipated in Hungary. If blazing sunshine is expected for the first two free practice sessions on Friday, rain is expected for the rest of the weekend. This new weather factor could redistribute the cards on the track. And why not offer another surprise victory afterwards? Esteban Ocon in 2021.

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