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Hungarian Grand Prix: Formula 1 Teams Gear Up for Mid-Season Showdown
Formula 1 is heating up on and off the track as teams head to Budapest for the Hungarian Grand Prix, the first of two back-to-back races leading into the mid-season break. With scorching temperatures expected all weekend, several teams are bringing significant upgrades to their cars, aiming to gain a competitive edge.
Red Bull Leads the Upgrade Charge
Red Bull arrives in Hungary with the most comprehensive upgrade package. Their focus is two-fold: improving performance and managing the high temperatures. The team boasts a new front wing, revised front lower wishbone shrouds, and aerodynamic tweaks to the rear corners for better overall performance. Additionally, redesigned sidepods, engine cover, and a halo adjustment address cooling concerns specific to the Budapest climate.
Other Teams Aim to Close the Gap
While Red Bull leads the upgrade charge, other teams are not standing still. Aston Martin brings a substantial package featuring a new, aggressive front wing designed to balance the car with their high-downforce rear wing. They've also revised the halo vanes, floor, diffuser, and beam wing for increased aerodynamic load.
Stake Sauber takes the upgrade game a step further with a whopping nine revisions across their car. Their focus lies on optimizing airflow and downforce with a redesigned sidepod inlet, engine cover, floor, floor edge, and rear corner. Additionally, updates to the rear suspension, halo, headrest, and mirrors reflect the extensive changes made to the underbody and engine area.
Cooling Concerns Take Center Stage
With Budapest's high temperatures, several teams prioritize improved cooling. Alpine implements wider ducts on the rear brakes, while Williams enlarges their central engine cover exit duct. Haas follows suit with a larger engine cover cooling exit and additional louvers on the sidepod and engine cover. Red Bull also joins the cooling party with an update to their front brake ducts.
Upgrades in Details
Red Bull Racing
- Coke/Engine Cover (Circuit specific – Cooling Range)
- Halo (Circuit specific – Cooling Range)
- Rear Corner (Performance – Local Load)
- Front Wing (Performance – Local Load)
- Front Corner (Performance – Flow Conditioning)
Mercedes
- Rear Corner (Performance – Local Load)
Ferrari
- Floor Body (Performance – Flow Conditioning)
Aston Martin
- Front Wing (Circuit specific – Balance Range)
- Halo (Performance – Local Load)
- Floor Body (Performance – Local Load)
- Floor Fences (Performance – Local Load)
- Floor Edge (Performance – Local Load)
- Diffuser (Performance – Local Load)
- Beam Wing (Performance – Local Load)
Alpine
- Rear Corner (Circuit specific – Cooling Range)
Williams
- Coke/Engine Cover (Circuit specific – Cooling Range)
RB
- Front Corner (Circuit specific – Cooling Range)
- Rear Corner (Performance – Local Load)
Kick Sauber
- Sidepod Inlet (Performance – Flow Conditioning)
- Coke/Engine Cover (Performance – Flow Conditioning)
- Floor Body (Performance – Flow Conditioning)
- Floor Edge (Performance – Local Load)
- Rear Corner (Performance – Local Load)
- Rear Suspension (Performance – Flow Conditioning)
- Halo (Performance – Flow Conditioning)
- Mirror (Performance – Flow Conditioning)
- Headrest (Performance – Flow Conditioning)
Haas
- Coke/Engine Cover (Circuit specific – Cooling Range)
- Cooling Louvres (Circuit specific – Cooling Range)