The start of the work on the Hungarian circuit didn’t take long. Following the 2024 race, demolition of the old pit building began on Tuesday, July 23. This structure, a symbol dating back to 1986 when the track joined the F1 calendar, marked the beginning of an overhaul involving over 600 workers aiming to complete the necessary upgrades by July 2025 to host Formula 1.

The numbers behind the Hungaroring’s transformation are impressive, with a complete revamp of the central grandstand and the pit building. Over 23,000 m³ of concrete are being used, along with more than 7,000 tons of steel to construct the reinforcements. Renovations on the main grandstand are nearing completion, with 100% of the new reinforced concrete beams installed and almost 50% of the total work finished.

However, the most significant changes will involve the pit building and its associated structures. The old facility has proven “outdated” for today’s F1 cars, which are increasingly wider and heavier. One of the main issues lies in the narrow space for cars exiting the pits. In 2024, Charles Leclerc narrowly avoided damaging his car’s right rear corner due to the limited space available.

To address this issue, organizers have widened the garage slots, providing more room. This work also includes an increase in the number of garages available for cars and teams, rising to 11 by 2026 with the arrival of Cadillac.

By constructing a brand-new pit building, the Hungarian GP organizers decided to remove one of the track’s symbols: the tower at the start of the pit lane. It will be replaced by a three-level building with separate spaces dedicated to VIPs, journalists, the FIA, and FOM. With the Paddock Club becoming increasingly important in F1, access to this exclusive experience will be ensured through a separate, direct entrance to the designated floor.

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The Hungaroring is undergoing a transformation: photos of the ongoing works in Budapest ahead of the 2025 F1 Grand Prix. Following the Hungarian round of the just-concluded season, renovation work has begun on the circuit. This process involves the entire structure, including the podium and garages, which are being rebuilt according to the new standards set by the F1 Circus.

Remaining in Formula 1 is never guaranteed for a circuit, especially in the Old Continent. Historic European tracks, sometimes with outdated facilities, need to undertake deep—and costly—renovations to secure a contract renewal. The new rotating calendar provides unprecedented opportunities, but organizers cannot afford to delay.

Following the example of other historic circuits such as Monza, Imola, and Spa-Francorchamps, the Hungaroring has also decided to undergo a transformation.

An official statement from the track provides an update on the progress of the works. “After the 2024 Hungarian GP, the renovation works continued, and currently, 620 people are working every day to ensure the circuit can host the F1 family with the usual high standard for the August GP.”

Fernando Alonso: “I’m Open to Changes in F1”
The reconstruction of some of the Hungaroring’s historic structures brings a touch of nostalgia. In 2024, the last Grand Prix before much of the track’s iconic buildings are demolished, an area of the paddock was dedicated to displaying some historical photos of the Hungarian circuit.

Fernando Alonso, a veteran of the grid, was asked in a press conference for his thoughts on the upcoming works: “I agree with the changes. And yes, when something is renovated to improve and adapt to new standards, it’s always a good thing. The memories stay with us, and that’s fine.”

An amazing transformation in half a year. See you in August.
Interesting numbers in our story: https://t.co/jAn6DPeVo9#hungaroring #F1Hungary #HungarianGP pic.twitter.com/0r2Oos1Mqz

— Hungaroring (@HungaroringF1) January 10, 2025

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The last edition of the Hungarian Grand Prix took place on July 21 this year at the Hungaroring circuit, which will remain on the Formula 1 calendar until 2032. This long-term agreement was made possible by the circuit’s commitment to starting the modernization works, including the redevelopment of the main straight and the construction of a new central grandstand.

These projects are accompanied by the demolition of the pit and paddock areas, which are also being rebuilt with more modern structures. The Hungarian circuit itself shared photos of the ongoing works on its official page on X, documenting the progress as of December: “The landscape of the Hungaroring is changing day by day; the new paddock building is ’emerging from the ground.’ The second floor is almost completed, and ticket sales suggest we can expect a record number of visitors in 2025.”

This update heightens anticipation for the Hungarian GP, which has been continuously featured since 1986 and will once again take place in the peak of summer in the upcoming calendar. Specifically, the event is scheduled for August 1–3, 2025.

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— see video above —

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The Hungarian Grand Prix is usually a dull event, as the Hungaroring track is traditionally difficult for overtaking. But not this time, because it was the overtakes that divided opinions: was Oscar Piastri’s planned overtake on Lando Norris fair? Fatal, for the British driver, were the overtakes suffered at the start? And what about Max Verstappen’s disastrous attempt to overtake Lewis Hamilton, seven laps from the end? Beyond what everyone is free to think, these were the elements that lit up the Budapest race, transforming it into the most surprising race among those held so far in the 2024 Formula 1 championship.

Oscar Piastri won, as you know. The new Ice Man who comes from a distant continent. Italian surname, vague origins from Tuscany, crystalline class, only 35 grand prix behind him, minimal errors even in a still incomplete growth phase.

The Australian is only 23 years old but knows perfectly well how to get what he wants. He is doing it without fuss and without creating enemies, unlike Max Verstappen’s rise. Fair on the track, loyal to teammate Lando Norris, who was in the lead until a few kilometers from the end and then was forced to give up the leader position. Was it right to do so? Yes, and we say this with a heavy heart for Lando Norris who, once again, was fast for the entire distance but failed at the start when – and it wasn’t the first time – he lost positions, losing the race in those meters as well.

The British driver had flown to the lead by order of the McLaren box, fearing Lewis Hamilton’s overtake. A defensive pit stop, with the immediate promise via radio to Oscar Piastri that Lando Norris would later step aside.

In hindsight, considering the mess Max Verstappen made with Lewis Hamilton, the 7 points sacrificed by Lando Norris would have been precious in the tough chase for the 2024 Formula 1 world championship. But McLaren did not think about this and wanted to return the race leadership to Oscar Piastri, perhaps recalling certain errors to his detriment in previous grand prix.

In cold technical terms, McLaren should have let Lando Norris win, but at that point, internal orders would have been disrupted and the relationship between the two drivers damaged. Opinions fragment on these things, but one must think that F1 is a team game with a background of stratospheric interests, so sometimes feelings are put aside to favor convenience.

Enzo Ferrari did not justify Gilles Villeneuve’s bitterness and disappointment when Didier Pironi prevailed at Imola in 1982, breaking team orders, because after all, a Maranello car had won and the other came second. Just as it happened in Budapest with McLaren.

In short, the reasons of the heart – of the fans in this case – do not always prevail. But it is clear that such a strong McLaren will affect the rest of the championship, especially since Red Bull does not seem so reactive to the point that Max Verstappen is furious about the car’s setbacks and his race strategy, forgetting his mistakes, starting with the mad braking to pass Lewis Hamilton, which cost him very little in terms of points.

The Dutchman is back to his old self: argumentative with rivals and also argumentative with his team, with Mercedes waiting for him with open arms and Carlos Sainz ready to move immediately to Red Bull. We shall see.

Speaking of Carlos Sainz, he was brilliant during the three practice sessions in Budapest and not seen in the race, while Charles Leclerc with harder tires was even faster than McLaren and Red Bull for a few laps, but always distant from the top, even though Frederic Vasseur says that the 20-second gap from McLaren is much better than the over-minute gap twelve months ago from Red Bull. Very true. But if the logic is this, Ferrari should also explain why one year ago, after the Hungarian Grand Prix, it led McLaren by 80 points while now it is down by 17. Take heart, the race is already in Belgium on Sunday, the last round before the summer holidays that Formula 1 also takes. And it wouldn’t be bad at all for Ferrari to leave with a positive result to boost morale for the second part of the 2024 Formula 1 championship.

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Scuderia Ferrari secured an unexpected fourth place in the thirteenth round of the 2024 Formula 1 season, which was held last weekend at the 4.381-kilometre Hungaroring in Budapest, as Charles Leclerc capitalized on the collision between Lewis Hamilton and Max Verstappen. While it is a small consolation, finishing ahead of the three-time world champion is always gratifying. The Maranello team leaves Hungary aware that they have not done enough to improve. Unfortunately, there is no time to dwell on it as they will be back on track at Spa-Francorchamps in just a few days, a circuit that will unfortunately pose greater challenges for the Italian team.

A big applause goes to McLaren, who achieved a great one-two finish in Budapest, converting their front-row start on Saturday into a victory. Despite some complications in managing the drivers, the Woking cars showed the fastest pace throughout the Hungarian Grand Prix. Mercedes provided positive signals with the revived Lewis Hamilton, still hungry in his stellar Formula 1 career: his third place last Sunday marked his 200th personal podium. Hats off to this endless champion.

F1, Hungarian GP 1st stint: Ferrari consistent in the final part. Piastri the fastest

In the first part of the race, the top 6 drivers immediately distanced themselves from the rest of the group, led by the two Aston Martin cars. The Silverstone team drivers struggled with tire degradation on the Softs. Fernando Alonso and Lance Stroll were lapping a second slower than the McLaren duo, forcing them to pit much earlier. In Ferrari, Charles Leclerc was more conservative with his tires at the beginning of the stint, allowing him to extend his first part of the race. The Monegasque driver was overall 0.2 seconds faster than his Maranello teammate.

Charles Leclerc showed a consistent pace between laps 15 and 22. Carlos Sainz was the only one among the top drivers to experience significant degradation, due to a slower initial phase. However, in the final part of the stint, the Spaniard seemed to struggle more with the tires, raising his lap times among the leaders. Oscar Piastri was the fastest of all. The young Australian, after passing his teammate at the start, showed the least degradation based on the telemetry data collected from the Hungarian track. Lando Norris’s lap times increased mainly after the ninth lap when he experienced a sudden performance drop in his tires.

In the first part of the race, Max Verstappen continued to complain about balance issues with his RB20 car. The Dutchman suffered from understeer on corner entry and struggled with braking, a trend seen throughout the Budapest weekend. At the end of the stint, the world champion reported an average degradation of 250 milliseconds per lap, compared to race winner Oscar Piastri’s 85 milliseconds. Mercedes relied solely on their single arrow, Lewis Hamilton. The seven-time Formula 1 world champion’s pace allowed him to extend his lead over Charles Leclerc lap by lap. The British driver was averaging 0.3 seconds faster than the Monegasque.

F1, Hungarian GP 2nd stint: Ferrari flies on Hards, Sainz shows limited degradation

Lewis Hamilton opened the pit stop sequence, attempting an undercut on Max Verstappen, who was 1.9 seconds ahead. In his initial laps on Hard tires, the Mercedes man maintained a pace similar to the two McLaren drivers but then suffered from excessive tire wear. As reflected from the telemetry data, the Briton experienced the worst tire degradation, about 0.8 seconds per lap. Despite this, his average stint time was similar to that of the McLarens. Charles Leclerc’s pace on the white-marked Pirelli was the best among the leading drivers. The Ferrari driver was particularly fast in the middle part of his stint.

However, a similar situation to Lewis Hamilton’s applied to Charles Leclerc. The Ferrari driver pushed too hard in the early part, leading to a noticeable increase in lap times just before his pit stop. Carlos Sainz was slower than his Maranello teammate due to a more conservative start. His pace at the beginning of the stint was marked by tire management. Being more conservative in the early laps allowed the Spanish driver to then significantly reduce degradation, although overall he was slower than his Maranello teammate.

Max Verstappen had an excellent pace in the early laps, but his progress was halted by Lewis Hamilton, who acted as a roadblock. This factor forced the Dutchman to extend his middle stint in order to later exploit fresher tires than his rivals in the final part of the Hungarian Grand Prix. Oscar Piastri and Lando Norris had almost identical middle stints. The McLaren drivers, in addition to lapping at the same time, experienced very similar tire wear. The Australian was faster in the early part but faced a comeback from his teammate before the pit stop.

The final part of the race began with simultaneous stops for Lewis Hamilton and Charles Leclerc, a situation that forced them into a 30-lap final stint. Charles Leclerc used worn medium tires, having no more Hards available. This put him at a greater disadvantage, resulting in lap times averaging 0.75 seconds slower than Lewis Hamilton’s. However, the Monegasque driver managed his tires well, limiting wear from the start to the end of the stint. Max Verstappen maintained a good pace, especially in the early part of the third stint.

After the collision with the W15 of Lewis Hamilton, the Dutchman could not regain his rhythm, losing the chance to challenge Charles Leclerc. Nevertheless, the Red Bull driver lapped only 0.3 seconds slower than Oscar Piastri and struggled with degradation. McLaren decided to pit Lando Norris first to protect him from a potential Lewis Hamilton comeback. Due to this decision, Oscar Piastri found himself behind his teammate after the stop. The undercut by Lando Norris was unintended by the team, so the position was returned to the Australian.

Overall, the two Woking cars maintained the best pace even in the final part of the Hungarian Grand Prix, consistently lapping around 82.3 seconds. In summary, Ferrari showed a slight improvement compared to recent performances. The performance on Hard tires in the middle of the race was very good, with the reds being faster than all competitors for a few laps. However, McLaren remains far ahead at the top of the category. It is clear that the Ferrari SF-24 single-seater needs adjustments to become more stable and competitive as soon as possible.

Source: FUnoanalisitecnica

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— see video above —

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Lando Norris was stopped early to protect his position from Lewis Hamilton, but this allowed him to ‘snatch’ the lead from Oscar Piastri. The team, after significant insistence, convinced the Briton to relinquish the lead, rejoining in second place. Carlos Sainz, who was Lando Norris’ teammate at McLaren in 2019-2020, also shared his opinion on the matter when questioned by Spanish journalists at the end of the Hungaroring race:

Carlos Sainz’s opinion on the McLaren team order at the Hungaroring
Carlos Sainz, however, sided with Oscar Piastri in this instance, deeming the team order imposed by McLaren to be correct: “From what they told me, they did what needed to be done. If you get a free undercut on your teammate, you have to give it back.” Then the Spanish driver concluded with what seemed to be a jab at Ferrari: “Something not all teams have done in the past.”

Last year in Hungary, Carlos Sainz was indeed a victim of an undercut by the Maranello team that ‘favored’ Charles Leclerc at his expense. After that race, however, the Spanish driver justified the Maranello team – at least in front of the media – explaining that Charles Leclerc was ‘compensated’ for a slow pit stop.

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In the last four races, the Italian side’s best result was Carlos Sainz’s third-place finish at the Red Bull Ring in the Austrian Grand Prix, while Charles Leclerc has struggled to break into the top five since his victory at the Monaco Grand Prix, only managing to secure a fourth place last weekend in the Hungarian Grand Prix at the Hungaroring circuit in Budapest.

This decline is alarming, especially considering Ferrari started the 2024 Formula 1 championship as favorites to challenge Red Bull for the F1 title. However, it is now Lando Norris and McLaren putting pressure on Max Verstappen and the Milton Keynes team.

In the Hungarian Grand Prix, Carlos Sainz started from fourth and Charles Leclerc from sixth on the grid, as both struggled to match the pace of McLaren and Red Bull, with their lap times nearly half a second off Lando Norris’ pole lap. The Monegasque driver also faced a significant setback due to a heavy crash in the second free practice session at the Hungaroring circuit, affecting his preparations for the rest of the Budapest weekend.

Former F1 world champion Nico Rosberg, speaking on Sky Sports, attributes Ferrari’s recent struggles to a recent upgrade made before the triple-header.

Rosberg points out that teams have been hastily implementing upgrades in the last few races after noticing an opportunity when Red Bull faced issues with its update introduced at the Emilia Romagna Grand Prix..

While Red Bull’s winning margin has decreased over the past seven events, with McLaren closing in and Mercedes making strides with the W15, Ferrari seems to be backtracking. The former F1 driver feels that the aero upgrade introduced at the Circuit de Catalunya did not yield the expected results, causing Ferrari’s current difficulties.

“It’s really got away from them, it’s all about that update that went wrong. Now they have to backtrack and understand while everyone else is pushing ahead, especially McLaren. In the space of so few races, so far behind now, it’s really disappointing for them.”

The Issues Stemming from Ferrari’s Recent Updates

The turning point for the Maranello team came at the Spanish GP when the Italian side introduced significant updates to the SF-24 single-seater , focusing on the rear wing, sidepods, and floor to enhance rear downforce and improve performance through high-speed corners.

While these updates succeeded in increasing downforce, they also created an excess that overloaded the rear suspension, leading to instability and bouncing issues for both drivers. This problem is reminiscent of the ‘disaster’ seven-time Formula 1 world champion Lewis Hamilton once described at Mercedes.

All teams aim for aerodynamic stability, a crucial aspect of the current ground effect cars, but achieving this balance can be challenging when adding downforce through updates.

The team led by Fred Vasseur now needs to reassess its approach, understand the missteps with the recent updates, and make necessary adjustments to rejoin the battle with Red Bull and McLaren.

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However, the SF-24 single-seater is still not able to compete with McLaren and Red Bull, even though in the final part of the race, Charles Leclerc held off Max Verstappen for several laps. The Dutchman was clearly much faster and had fresher tires at that moment, undoubtedly aided by the track’s layout, but it was a Sunday that gave Charles Leclerc solid impressions, a situation that was needed after the recent troubles.

It was not the best race of the season for Carlos Sainz. The Spanish driver, who finished sixth, started fourth but completely botched the start, likely due to a clutch problem. His race effectively ended immediately, as it took him too many laps to overtake Fernando Alonso, allowing the top five to escape and become unreachable.

The race in Budapest was beautiful nonetheless: Oscar Piastri won for the first time in his Formula 1 career, Lando Norris came second amid controversy, Lewis Hamilton achieved his 200th career podium, and there is hope that the best is yet to come. Meanwhile, a very nervous Max Verstappen spent most of the race cursing his team for what he saw as a wrong strategy, only to be admonished by his engineer, Gian Piero Lambiase, who told him to stop behaving childishly.

Returning to Ferrari, Charles Leclerc’s performance, as previously stated, was excellent because the Monegasque maintained a great pace with hard tires in the middle stint of the Hungarian Grand Prix. Unfortunately, the Maranello team did not have another set of hards available, so the final part on slightly used mediums did not allow him to battle with Lewis Hamilton, who eventually finished third after the contact with Max Verstappen.

Charles Leclerc noted that they had turned the situation around compared to the previous day, describing their race as solid with good tire management and a consistent pace, and suggesting there was even a chance to think about the podium. He acknowledged that a fourth place was not the desired result and recognized that much work remained, but he felt their form on Sunday afternoon was indeed better than expected. The Monegasque driver also mentioned the difficulty of overtaking on the track and the challenge of managing overheating when following Lewis Hamilton closely in the final stint, which complicated their efforts. Despite this, he believed they took advantage of all the opportunities and positively viewed the good haul of points for the Maranello team.

As for Carlos Sainz, the Spaniard has regrets about the very poor start that effectively put him out of contention for the rest of the race. Starting fourth, he found himself seventh, even behind the slow Aston Martin of Fernando Alonso. The battle with his fellow countryman, which lasted a few laps, did not allow him to stay in touch with the top five, who irreparably escaped.

The Spanish driver admitted that it was a difficult race for him, citing the poor start as crucial in Hungary, which compromised his first two stints because he had to overtake other cars to climb back to sixth place. From there, it was a rather solitary race on a disappointing afternoon for the driver who will leave Ferrari at the end of the 2024 Formula 1 championship.

For Ferrari, there is clearly still a lot of work to be done. Team principal Frederic Vasseur himself believes that progress has been made in terms of drivability, and now the focus must be on performance. The challenge at the Spa-Francorchamps circuit will be completely different. We will see if the SF-24 single-seater will feature the development aerodynamic package introduced in Budapest, which is the same as the one from Barcelona, or if they will revert back to the setup used at Silverstone.

— see video above —

Source: FUnoanalisitecnica

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