Pirelli anticipates demanding Hungaroring, discusses exhaust effect
Pirelli test driver Lucas di Grassi suggests the Hungarian Grand Prix could be different in character to previous seasons, with the manufacturer’s rubber once again central to the race’s result. The Hungaroring is the slowest permanent circuit on the Formula One calendar – with full throttle applied for only about 10 seconds per lap – and the action for this Hungarian Grand Prix is complicated by the risk of rain, which is forecast intermittently for the rest of the weekend. The track has been lightly modified from last year, with the gravel traps on turns three, eight and nine replaced by run-off asphalt, in the interests of safety. Pirelli anticipates a challenging race for Formula One’s drivers, and for the tyres as the drivers seek to gain advantage. The supplier suggests the chicane at turns six and seven will result in a racing line involving some kerbing, adding stress to the tyres, and the penultimate turn 13, where drivers will rely on the tyre compound to work as hard as possible in order first to pull the car through the corner and then guarantee good traction out of it, with limited downforce available.
“The Hungaroring is a very technical track that will be well-suited to the super soft and soft tyres,” says di Grassi, “and the key part is the second sector of the lap, which relies heavily on having proper downforce and a good rhythm. You have five or six corners in sequence, and getting every single one of them right is the key to a quick lap, so you need precision from the tyres. There’s only one real overtaking point, which is on the main straight, as the Hungaroring is the second most difficult place of the year to overtake after Monaco, but this time it might be different as Pirelli has done a really good job when it comes to making tyres that encourage overtaking. The track tends to evolve with more rubber being laid down over the weekend, but if it rains that obviously minimises the effect. Just like Monaco, you can see random results here sometimes: especially in wet weather.”
Rear tyres challenged by exhaust
In a sport such as Formula One, which is characterised by on-going development and frequent regulation changes, Pirelli explains that it is called upon to come up with cutting-edge technology that can adapt itself best to new demands and innovations.
Recently, the way that the exhausts exit the car has focussed the attention of engineers and technical scrutinisers. There are various different ways that the exhausts can provide an aerodynamic advantage, but at the same time they also affect the rear tyres by suddenly subjecting them to a huge amount of localised heat.
Using forward-blowing exhausts, which exit in front of the sidepods, is the most efficient solution. The 1,000-degree exhaust gases run along the whole length of the car to help improve the downforce, but when these gases reach the rear tyres, they can cause a heat spike of up to 150 degrees on the shoulders and sidewalls of the tyre.
Despite this huge yet variable thermal load, Pirelli says the working characteristics and reliability of the complete tyre structure and its components is not affected, illustrating the company’s high safety standards, performance and durability.
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