The Eau Rouge is probably the most extreme corner in F1: 5G of lateral acceleration PLUS 1G of vertical compression (due to the progressive increase in road slope).

The result? Around 10,000N (one tonne) on EACH outer tyre! 🛞🔥

The tyre deformation is even higher than that shown here!

📸: Jonathan Ghesquiere

HUNGARIAN GP - WING THURSDAY:

Teams running Monaco-spec maximum downforce wings - and 🟠McLaren’s looks like a barn door! (Furthermore, the car already produces significant drag and downforce on its own.)

Possibly optimal for pace, but they’ll be sitting ducks on the straights.

Let’s see how this plays out!


📸 @AlbertFabrega

HUNGARIAN GP - PRACTICE 2
AERO CHART (Best lap on softs)

🟢 Sauber/🔵 RBR/🟢 Aston/🔴 Ferrari/🟠 McL all reached 318km/h in their best lap - downforce and the mechanical setup determined the order, not drag.

🟢 Mercedes had the lowest drag by far (+4km/h vs next best).

🟣 Alpine's only reached 314km/h, yet their downforce didn't impress.

Different engine modes could mask drag a bit: for example, NOR seems to have been running slightly more power than PIA (+2km/h, no sign of less downforce).

BEST SECTORS

🔴 HAM was quickest in S1 (the fastest one, which includes the 2 DRS straights). Alpine's high drag made them slowest there.

🟠 NOR was out of reach in S2 (endless series of medium-speed corners) where McL's high downforce shined.

🟠 McL 1-2 in S3, too, where PIA was quickest.

🔵 VER struggled massively in sectors 1 and 3: he was 2nd slowest in both!

All the analyses from FP2 👀👇

https://buymeacoffee.com/f1dataanalysis/hungarian-gp-analyses-repository-3892658

HUNGARIAN GP
📊 FP2 LONG RUNS

McL vs Ferrari: similar pace on 🟡 Mediums:
🟧 NOR quickest;
🟧 PIA +0.065s/lap;
🟥 LEC +0.082s/lap.

ALB impressed: very consistent, pace similar to the top cars!

Only HAM ran 🔴 Softs and had high deg.

ANT: 2 tenths off.

VER doesn't impress even after removing his slow laps.

What's YOUR F1 quali and race prediction? 👀

HUNGARIAN GP - QUALIFYING ANALYSIS

🔴 LEC got pole by having the most well-rounded performance!

🟠 McL (PIA): best cornering (both low and high speed), but hurt by high drag.

⚫️ Mercedes (RUS): best top speed, but also worst low-speed cornering.

🟢 Aston (ALO): Similar to Ferrari, but slower in the fast corners.

The closest Q3 session in F1's history (0.543s separating the top 10)!

McL will struggle overtaking with that top speed...

HUNGARIAN GP - RACE

LEC had a plank wear issue - here’s how it ruined his race ⚠️ (Data-backed theory) 👇

1️⃣ Lap 9: Bozzi calls for 'FS1' PU mode➡️top speed drops to ~280km/h❌ (ERS cut abruptly).
🔴 LEC was faster than 🟠 PIA before, slower after; pace still decent.

2️⃣ Still bottoming at Turn 11 (FS1 had no effect there). He’s told to back off there, further losing pace. ❌

3️⃣ Despite these measures, wear remained excessive. Final blow? Sky-high pressures on his final set➡️destroyed pace ❌
(~2s/lap slower than PIA, undriveable, even slower than his 1st with ~70kg more fuel)!

He finished. But at what cost?

Made via @JMP_software

HUNGARIAN GP - RACE PACE 📊

🟧 NOR's bad start was a blessing in disguise: was forced to rely on an alternate strategy (one-stopper) to make places, and it worked!

Not only was 🟦 VER 1s/lap slower than 🟧 PIA on the same strategy, he was barely quicker than ALO/BOR/STR/LAW despite using one more tire set!

🟥 LEC’s pace was dominant until L9, then his issues began. Still decent until his last pit (L40), then it collapsed: only 4 drivers were slower by the end, including both Alpines.

Can VER fight back?

Will we ever know the truth about LEC's issue?

Do you remember the JMP Summer Challenge, the motorsport-related data analysis challenge? 🏎📊

I made a video walking you through the dataset, explaining the meaning of its many variables and also giving you some ideas for an analysis! 🛠

Don't miss it!

So... I did something😬

I'm teaming up with JMP to organise an F1-themed data analysis summer challenge!🤩

You'll analyse the data from an F1 race: laptimes, compounds, pit stops, speed traps, you name it!🏎

Same data for everyone: may the best among you win!
Info in comment👇

The time to join the challenge is running out!

Here’s how to join:
1️⃣ Sign up
2️⃣ Download the free JMP trial + dataset
3️⃣ Submit your visualisation in JMP
4️⃣ Join the live webinar

Click here to join:

https://www.jmp.com/en/offers/summer-challenge/motorsport?utm_source=fdanalysis&utm_medium=social&utm_campaign=701Ki000000EZJgIAO

HUNGARIAN GP - START ANALYSIS

Albon was quickest, right in front of his teammate. The Softs aided Williams' traction (SAI was quickest to 100km/h).

The two Haas cars were quickest among those who started on Mediums.

HAM was quickest on Hards.

RUS had to back off not to rear-end NOR. 😬

Same data, showing the compound used through colour.

As expected, 🟥Softs had the highest potential, then 🟨Mediums, then ⬜️Hards.

Performance gains in the ground-effect era have been wild:
~3% less drag, ~12% more high-speed acceleration 😳

📍 Ferrari in Hungary quali:
2022 ➡️2025
✅-2.195s laptime‼️
✅+3km/h top speed
✅+4km/h minimum speed
✅+13km/h in Turn 11‼️

Each year, laptime improved and top speed was higher or equal, but downforce improved the most.

Ferrari cut drag while massively boosting downforce:
- Increasing the top speed from 312 to 315km/h means a ~3% reduction in drag {(312/315)^3 - 1}.
- Increasing the minimum speed in T11 from 228 to 241km/h is a ~12% increase in lateral acceleration {(241/228)^2}, or ~0.5g more!

Made via @JMP_software

What's the best looking F1 car ever? 🤔
Comment below!

I will start: McLaren MP4-20 🫠

Also:

https://x.com/FDataAnalysis/status/1956330445844459743

400+ beauties here! Check them out!

The most powerful naturally-aspirated #F1 engine ever was... Japanese, likely 🇯🇵

Peak power reached in 2005 (end of 3000cc, 'V10' era)!

Renault ~900hp
Cosworth 915hp
Mercedes ~930hp
Ferrari 920-940hp
Honda >965hp (Last power step in Suzuka)
Toyota >1000hp, detuned to ~960hp for reliability

The straight-line acceleration of these cars was insane, much higher than the current ones' (and did so 20 years ago)!

Compared to current cars:
- Similar peak power;
- Higher end-of-straight power (No ERS, always full power);
- 200kg lighter (600kg, including driver!);
- 20cm narrower track, reducing drag.

Crazy!

The pictures are inverted: Toyota produced ~1000hp but had to be detuned.

In 2014 in Barcelona, Caterham’s F1 car was SLOWER than their GP2 car! 🤯

- 1.30.3 for the F1 car.
- 1.29.8 for the GP2 car(0.5s faster)!

#F1 cars became terribly slow in ‘14, and Caterham’s car was terrible all-around!

I explain this strange result in this thread👇