Pirelli predicts two pit stops in the race

The Hungarian Grand Prix qualification was held in an updated experimental format: in the first session, drivers could only drive on Hard, in the second – only on Medium, and in the third – only on Soft. The head of the Pirelli racing division, Mario Isola, summed up Saturday’s sessions and made a prediction for the race.

Mario Isol: “I think qualifying turned out to be interesting as the riders had to overcome new challenges thanks to the new format. The results turned out to be denser and more unpredictable than in the previous stages. This confirms the fact that there are seven different teams in the top ten and that the first ten riders are within six tenths of a second.

In the three qualifying sessions, the drivers had to adapt to different tyres, which they no longer had to do since the rule about having to start on the same tires they spent the second part of qualifying on was abolished.

The hard compound seems to be the best choice for the race, but during practice many riders did not work with these tyres, leading them to start the first part of qualifying in the dark, and even the leading teams had to make two attempts.

In the third practice the temperature of the asphalt was around +50C. Similar weather is expected tomorrow, and over long stretches of laps we saw that the configuration of the C5 isn’t exactly the ideal choice for the race. At the same time, the warmer temperatures compared to Friday and the gradual improvement in the condition of the asphalt shift the balance towards the use of C3 and C4 formulations.

So the most likely strategy is two pit stops – the start at C4 and the next two segments at C3. A single pit stop strategy (Hard-Medium) is also possible, but on the edge due to a decrease in efficiency and tire wear. Add these factors to the unusual grid setup and we have all the ingredients for a spectacular race.”