The twisty Hungaroring places a very different stress on Formula One engines to most of the other circuits on the F1 calendar - especially with the typically scorching heat that accompanies the weekend. Renault's engine chief Denis Chevrier explains how an F1 engine must be set-up for this event.
"Historically, Hungary has been characterised by its sporting aspects rather than its technical demands. It is a circuit at which overtaking is notoriously difficult, and modifications to the layout last year have not significantly changed this situation. While not as important as in Monaco, pole position still represents a major advantage," he explained.
"With a layout that includes 16 corners in just over four kilometres, this is a circuit where a low percentage of the lap (51%) is spent at full throttle, and where the maximum speed is also relatively low, at just over 300 kph. Five of these corners are taken at less than 100 kph, and just two see speeds of more than 200 kph. However, the other interesting factor is that unlike in Monaco, there are no what might be termed unusually slow corners, and the slowest turn is the first corner, taken at 90 kph."
"Consequently, the range of engine performance is not as wide as at some other circuits, and during the race weekend we concentrate on optimising acceleration between 90 kph and 250 kph. We have made significant progress with in-gear performance during the season, and this will allow us to capitalise on the generous torque curve of the RS24."
"The circuit is also renowned for a very dusty atmosphere. However, this does not give us any major problems as the density of this air-borne pollution is not particularly high, and not significantly different from other circuits during the season. One other factor to bear in mind is the comparatively high weight penalty for carrying a heavy fuel load at this circuit (0.41s per 10kg). This means that an engine with good fuel consumption will provide a greater relative advantage than at some other venues."
"Finally, the other factor to be taken into account is the ambient temperature. Of course, this requires special precautions in terms of cooling, but we are familiar with these demands. Rather, high temperatures also have the effect of dislocating an engine's power curve upwards, meaning peak power is produced at higher engine speeds than usual, owing to acoustic changes produced by the lower air density. In this respect, the new D-spec engine which will debut at this race will improve the engine power available throughout the rev range as well as allowing us to run higher engine speeds, and will provide an additional advantage in these circumstances."
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