F1 News, Reports and Race Results

In a nutshell: which Pirelli tyres for the Hungarian GP?

Formula 1 heads to the Magyar land this week, the last race before teams enjoy a well-deserved month-long summer break.

The Hungarian Grand Prix will use P Zero White medium, P Zero Yellow soft and P Zero Red supersoft: exactly the same selection that was chosen in Hungary last year, and the fifth time that this particular combination will be used in 2017 - including at the last race in Great Britain.

The Hungaroring presents a big contrast to Silverstone though: while it is another well-established permanent venue, it actually has some of the characteristics of a street circuit, such as tight and twisty corners, quite low grip, as well as contained average lap speeds.

The weather can be extremely hot, increasing thermal degradation, which is one reason why the medium tyre is brought to Hungary.

"The track was resurfaced in time for last year’s Grand Prix and it will be interesting to see the effect of this change one year on, as the new asphalt matures," says Mario Isola, Pirelli's head of car racing.

"We noticed last year that it was smoother and generally faster than the previous surface. The team’s tyre selectionshave leaned in favour of oft and supersoft, so we obviously expect that to form the basis of their strategies.

"Hungary is raditionally a race where strategy makes the difference, also because of the difficulty of overtaking, so the data collection process on Friday and Saturday should be even more important than usual with this brand-new generation of faster cars."

 

GALLERY: F1 drivers' wives and girlfriends

Keep up to date with all the F1 news via Facebook and Twitter

 

 

Phillip van Osten

Motor racing was a backdrop from the outset in Phillip van Osten's life. Born in Southern California, Phillip grew up with the sights and sounds of fast cars thanks to his father, Dick van Osten, an editor and writer for Auto Speed and Sport and Motor Trend. Phillip's passion for racing grew even more when his family moved to Europe and he became acquainted with the extraordinary world of Grand Prix racing. He was an early contributor to the monthly French F1i Magazine, often providing a historic or business perspective on Formula 1's affairs. In 2012, he co-authored along with fellow journalist Pierre Van Vliet the English-language adaptation of a limited edition book devoted to the great Belgian driver Jacky Ickx. He also authored "The American Legacy in Formula 1", a book which recounts the trials and tribulations of American drivers in Grand Prix racing. Phillip is also a commentator for Belgian broadcaster Be.TV for the US Indycar series.

Recent Posts

How Hadjar engineered his leap to ‘weird’ Red Bull seat

During his 2025 rookie season in F1, Isack Hadjar carried himself with a calm, almost…

46 minutes ago

Horner in Jerez: Surprise MotoGP visit sparks ownership rumors

The asphalt at Jerez was already sizzling on Saturday, but the temperature in the MotoGP…

19 hours ago

Michele Alboreto: Ferrari's last Italian winner

On this day in 2001, the world of motorsport mourned the loss of Michele Alboreto,…

20 hours ago

Ouch! Alesi spins vintage F1 Ferrari into Monaco barrier

Former Grand Prix driver Jean Alesi, who famously wore his heart on his sleeve during…

22 hours ago

Montoya’s shock call: Ban Verstappen from GT3 racing!

Former F1 driver Juan Pablo Montoya has called out Red Bull for letting Max Verstappen…

23 hours ago

‘Starting to pay off’: Sainz encouraged by positive step for Williams

While the start of the 2026 season has been a heavy lift for Williams –…

1 day ago