This year too, the Hungaroring could offer a very interesting race from a strategic point of view. The scenario is one of the most promising, with general uncertainty between a single and a double stop that could push teams to explore different paths. Ferrari and McLaren are the most accredited to fight for victory, as explained to FormulaPassion by Simone Berra, Pirelli’s Chief Engineer.
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On the edge between one and two stops
“From the data collected and simulations made between yesterday and today, we see that the single stop and the double pit-stop are very close as strategies,” explains Berra. “Degradation levels are slightly higher than we expected on Friday, and by recalibrating the simulations, we saw that on paper, the double stop could be slightly faster, with the difficulty, however, of having to make overtakes if others only stop once. We don’t know with the new regulations how much easier or harder overtakes will be here compared to the past. Perhaps this year they are more feasible.”
In any case, the race remains open to multiple strategic options: “We could see different approaches, with some teams opting for a double stop and others for a single stop. Top teams have kept two sets of hard tires, which suggests they want to go for two pit stops, while others have kept only one medium and one hard, leading one to believe they might go for a single stop.”
The extra soft tire weapon
Despite the high degradation, Berra sees the soft tire as a valuable card to play in the race: “All three compounds are in play. We are positively surprised by how well the C5 (soft) is working. In fact, on Friday it was considered the best compound when the grip level was particularly low. In those conditions, it had an advantage on long runs compared to C3 and C4 because it slid less and generated less surface temperature, so degradation was aligned with the other two compounds. However, I expect that with the track evolution between Friday and Sunday, today the C3 and C4 will slide less and be more suitable race tires. Using the soft in the first stint, however, can be a good choice, also to have more grip at the start, as there is some space up to turn 1.”
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Based on simulations, the most suitable combinations for those wanting to opt for a double stop are soft-hard-medium, medium-hard-hard, or medium-hard-soft. In these cases, the first pit stop window is between lap 15 and lap 20, then stopping again between lap 44 and lap 50. For a single stop, however, the best strategy is medium-hard, with tire changes between lap 25 and lap 32, with the possibility of an early pit entry to surprise those ahead. “The undercut is not super powerful, but it can give an advantage if you are actually one and a half seconds behind the car in front,” confirms Berra.
Ferrari and McLaren in the fight
Pirelli’s Chief Engineer does not rule out that some teams may have sacrificed single-lap performance, preferring a setup more suited to protecting the rear axle in the race: “In my opinion, it’s a sensible choice, because today we will have particularly high temperatures. We’re talking about 50-52°C track temperature, which is not trivial. The rear generates thermal degradation and is much more complicated to manage in the race, both in terms of temperatures and potential graining. Teams prefer to lose performance at the front and safeguard the rear, because if you kill it, you can make much less difference in traction and defending becomes more difficult.”
Simone Berra avoids making a definitive prediction, anticipating a race with an unpredictable outcome: “I definitely see Ferrari as strong, I think they can fight for the win. McLaren is a good question mark. Norris was strong, and the car seems very well balanced in the central sector, which certainly helps from a degradation perspective. […] In my opinion, they will also be in the battle. It will be an interesting race because there are many open strategic scenarios and multiple teams that can fight for victory.”
