Track Repairs Ahead of Practice
Hungaroring’s Turn 1 was repaved overnight before Friday’s practice, following drivers’ reports that uneven pavement threatened sharp overtaking opportunities.
The hot, dry summer accelerated sub‑surface settling, turning previously smooth patches into uneven bumps at Turns 1, 12 and 13. Despite the circuit’s 2019‑2020 resurfacing, minor cracks had widened, creating sections that were prone to break up under racing loads.
Drivers Highlight Bumpy Surface
Mercedes’ George Russell, who missed the first practice session to focus on a mandatory rookie turnaround, described the day as “quite strange” and noted that the track was “breaking up on the racing line.” “Budapest is an amazing track to drive,” he added, while cautioning that the new work made the circuit “strange to drive on.”
Alpine’s Franco Colapinto lost control at Turn 12 – an area that had just been resurfaced – because the freshly laid surface was unexpectedly slick. Piastri, who had also sat out FP1 and was driving a March‑ented McLaren, said the track was “very worn” and “not very grippy,” a state confirmed by Pirelli’s tyre testing, which registered grip levels below last year’s figures.
FIA Patch Work Ensures Safe Qualifying
Following the complaints, the FIA inspected the track overnight and carried out remedial works before the third free practice and Saturday’s qualifying races. Two problematic zones were patched: one side of the line and the adjacent section where overtaking cars would typically pass.
As the 2024 season’s Hungarian Grand Prix approaches, teams have secured a smoother, more predictable racing surface that should preserve the circuit’s reputation for close battles and quick overtakes, even after the hot summer’s impact on the track’s sub‑structure.
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