System 1 heads to the Hungaroring this weekend for a Hungarian Grand Prix that has extra intrigue than typical.
Crimson Bull arrive getting ready to making historical past, whereas their sister group AlphaTauri deliver a reshuffled driver line-up together with the return of a fan favorite who all eyes might be on this weekend.
These are the speaking factors for the Hungarian Grand Prix.
Ricciardo’s return
After ten rounds away from the grid, Daniel Ricciardo will return to racing in System 1 on the Hungaroring this weekend in one of many greatest tales from the primary half of the 2023 season. He’ll arrive rather than Nyck de Vries, who was unceremoniously dropped from his seat at AlphaTauri with the intention to get replaced by a veteran with greater than 220 extra begins to his title.
Ricciardo returns to Crimson Bull’s junior group after beforehand racing with them in 2012 and 2013, after they have been referred to as Toro Rosso. The 34-year-old has been appearing as third driver for the senior group over the primary half of the season, sharing reserve driver duties with Liam Lawson and placing within the hours in Crimson Bull’s simulator as properly.
Regardless of being out of a race seat for half a season, Ricciardo has pushed a 2023 System 1 automobile extra just lately than nearly all of the grid. He participated in a closed Pirelli tyre take a look at on the Silverstone circuit following the final grand prix, with Crimson Bull reportedly being impressed along with his efficiency. Ricciardo might be wanting to hit the bottom working in Hungary after his torrid two seasons at McLaren – except for a surprising victory in Monza – resulted in him shedding his place on the grid after final season.
Whereas he admits stepping in mid-season might be a “problem”, Ricciardo is trying ahead to getting again to racing as soon as extra.
“I feel it’s a problem, for positive, to leap in and attempt to hit the bottom working,” Ricciardo stated. “However I suppose I really feel like I’ve additionally been via so much the final yr – and even the previous couple of years – the place I’m probably not fearful of something that’s going to be thrown my method.
“I truly actually do just like the problem. I say ‘problem’ as a result of sure, it will likely be a problem. However I don’t know if I’d have it some other method.”
Crimson Bull getting ready to historical past
For the final 33 years, one essentially the most spectacular all-time data in System 1 historical past has stood untouched. In 1988, McLaren recorded a successful streak of 11 consecutive grand prix victories – an achievement that was unmatched over greater than three many years regardless of dominant runs by the likes of Ferrari, Crimson Bull and Mercedes.
However now, McLaren, Ayrton Senna and Alain Prost are not alone on this outstanding statistic. Final day trip at Silverstone, the untouchable Crimson Bull group secured their eleventh straight win stretching again to final yr’s season-ending Abu Dhabi Grand Prix by claiming victory with Max Verstappen at Silverstone. In doing so, in addition they maintained their excellent run of victories within the 2023 season, making it ten out of ten to this point.
What is probably much more daunting is that if it was not for George Russell and Mercedes successful on the Brazilian Grand Prix within the penultimate spherical of final yr, the world champions could be presently sitting on a run of 20-straight wins going again to the French Grand Prix at Paul Ricard final July. Russell is the one driver outdoors the Crimson Bull group to have gained a grand prix within the final 12 months.
It’s arguably essentially the most dominant run within the sport’s historical past, made much more spectacular by the truth that Crimson Bull’s RB19, whereas undoubtedly the category of the sphere, has nowhere close to the identical single-lap efficiency benefit over its adversaries than McLaren loved with the MP4/4 again in 1988. If Verstappen or group mate Sergio Perez take the chequered flag first on Sunday in Hungary, Crimson Bull would be the sole homeowners of some of the vital data in System 1.
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McLaren within the battle
At the beginning of the 2023 season, McLaren have been in a world of bother. For the second season in succession, they endured a tough begin to the yr in Bahrain after a difficult pre-season testing interval. Oscar Piastri retired on his debut with {an electrical} drawback, whereas Lando Norris suffered a horrible race with a pneumatic leak which compelled him to pit six occasions.
However after scoring factors in simply three of the primary eight rounds of the season, McLaren arrived to Austria with a serious upgrades package deal for Norris, which he used to take fourth place within the grand prix – McLaren’s greatest results of the season.
The massive query heading into Silverstone was whether or not or not McLaren’s efficiency could be confirmed at their residence grand prix with Piastri getting the good thing about the revised automobile alongside his group mate. That query was answered emphatically when Norris secured a entrance row begin behind Verstappen, whereas Piastri backed up his group mate in third place.
Within the race, McLaren confirmed their race tempo was simply as sturdy and their single lap efficiency. Norris took the lead and the beginning and led the opening laps, finally holding off Lewis Hamilton within the closing laps to safe second place, with Piastri ending fourth after shedding third place resulting from a poorly-timed Security Automotive. McLaren’s 42-point haul in eight days leapt them from 27 behind Alpine within the constructors’ championship to 12 forward of their rivals in fifth.
Now, all eyes might be on McLaren to see whether or not they can preserve their new-found velocity round a high-downforce circuit just like the Hungaroring.
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Different tyre take a look at
After being initially deliberate for the Emilia-Romagna Grand Prix weekend in Imola earlier than the occasion was cancelled, Hungary will play host to the primary take a look at of the Different Tyre Allocation format for the primary time this season.
Throughout your entire race weekend, protecting the three apply periods, qualifying and the grand prix, every driver will obtain a decreased allocation of 11 units of Pirelli tyres as an alternative of the usual 13 units in any respect different rounds. These units consist of 4 units of softs, 4 mediums, and three hards.
In Saturday’s qualifying session there might be particular tyre restrictions. In Q1, all drivers should run on arduous tyres, with those that progress to Q2 restricted to solely working on mediums. The highest ten drivers who make it to the ultimate shoot-out for pole place might be required to make use of gentle rubber within the ultimate section.
The foundations enable for the ATA experiment to happen at a second spherical later within the season. It has not but been determined whether or not this can occur, however it is not going to be one of many 4 remaining dash weekends. The purpose of this experimental format shouldn’t be targeted on leisure however reasonably on decreasing total tyre consumption all through the weekend. Whereas these modifications will influence each driver on the grid, it might find yourself affecting some groups greater than others.
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Perez’s profile
What began as an unlucky sample of consecutive failures to achieve Q3 has now developed into an alarming streak of 5 straight disappointments in qualifying for the Crimson Bull driver.
After heading into the Miami Grand Prix on the again of a robust weekend in Baku and inside a handful of factors of his group mate within the championship, Perez has now fallen 99 factors behind Verstappen. In that very same time, Verstappen has gained each single race and set 5 consecutive pole positions, whereas Perez has not seen Q3 in any respect since that Miami weekend.
Whereas Perez might be determined to interrupt this unwelcome run on the Hungaroring, he should first put apart reminiscences of final season, when he additionally failed to achieve Q3 after being eradicated in eleventh place. On that event he was the sufferer of a lap time being erroneously deleted for a monitor limits infringement, then reinstated, that means he took a second new set of tyres in an try to progress from Q2. Nevertheless, even with recent tyres he couldn’t enhance by sufficient to get into the highest ten and eradicated in eleventh.
Are Aston on the decline?
After beginning the 2023 season in such sturdy style with 5 podiums for Fernando Alonso within the opening six rounds, Aston Martin have spent two races off the rostrum for the primary time all yr.
Whereas their early season efficiency was nonetheless far past what any on the group would have realistically anticipated – together with Alonso himself – the Silverstone-based group at the moment are going through heavy stress from their rivals round them within the constructors’ championship. Now, there may be even a brand new risk from McLaren, who immediately launched themselves into the battle on the entrance of the sphere within the final spherical.
Aston Martin have benefited from a beneficiant allocation of aerodynamic testing time allowed below the laws on account of ending seventh in final yr’s constructors’ championship. However with the allocation reset mid-season, they now have so much much less time to play with. What that might imply for the remainder of their season stays to be seen, but when they don’t present extra tempo round a high-downforce circuit this weekend in comparison with what they did at Silverstone, it may very well be an indication that Aston Martin’s days of preventing for a podium might already be behind them.
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2023 Hungarian Grand Prix
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Printed : 2023-07-18 07:13:40
