Hungary brings softer Pirelli tyres and fresh asphalt to the Hungaroring

Formula 1 arrives in Hungary with Pirelli’s three softest dry compounds. Drivers receive the C3 hard, C4 medium and C5 soft tyres.

The Hungaroring also has new asphalt at Turns One and Twelve. Warmer conditions are expected after a cooler opening practice day.

Tyre sets for every Formula 1 driver

Each driver receives two hard sets, three medium sets and eight soft sets. Qualifying finalists also receive another set of soft tyres for the last session.

The C3, C4 and C5 selection is one step softer than several earlier races. Pirelli placed the three compounds next to each other in its current range.

The hard tyre carries the white marking throughout the weekend. The medium uses yellow, while the soft carries the familiar red marking.

A dry race requires two different slick compounds. Wet-weather tyre use removes that requirement under the sporting regulations.

The same allocation was used at Hungary in the previous season. Pirelli reported a close race-time difference between one-stop and two-stop routes.

The Hungaroring has fourteen turns

The Hungaroring measures 4.381 kilometres and contains fourteen corners. Sunday’s Grand Prix covers seventy laps and 306.630 kilometres.

Long sequences of bends dominate the middle part of each lap. The tyres remain loaded with only short recovery periods between corners.

The main straight leads into the heaviest braking zone at Turn One. A second short straight follows before the tighter Turn Two.

Sector Two contains several linked direction changes. Cars spend much less time at full throttle than at faster European circuits.

The narrow layout often places several cars close together during qualifying. Lap preparation becomes important before drivers begin their timed runs.

New asphalt changes two braking areas

Fresh asphalt covers Turn One and Turn Twelve before the 2026 weekend. Both corners begin with significant braking and a clear change of direction.

Turn One follows the longest full-throttle section on the circuit. Its surface will receive heavy braking loads during every competitive session.

Turn Twelve is a slower right-hand corner near the lap’s end. Drivers approach it after the fast Turn Eleven exit.

Friday practice gives drivers their first meaningful laps on both resurfaced areas. Braking traces and lap times provide a direct grip comparison.

The remaining asphalt keeps the established Hungaroring surface. This creates a direct comparison between old and new sections during practice.

Temperatures rise across the weekend

Friday’s forecast places air temperatures between fourteen and twenty-six degrees. Dry sessions and a northerly wind are expected during track running.

Saturday brings warmer air, with a maximum near twenty-nine degrees. The forecast keeps qualifying dry during the afternoon.

Sunday may reach thirty-two degrees before the race begins. A later rain risk remains outside the main expected Grand Prix window.

Pirelli expects track temperatures near forty degrees on Friday. Saturday and Sunday surfaces may approach fifty degrees during the hottest periods.

The warmer weather changes conditions between practice and the race. Engineers sort tyre data by compound, run length and track temperature.

Pirelli schedule a tyre test after the race

Pirelli remains at the Hungaroring after the Grand Prix for tyre development work. Aston Martin, Audi and Alpine are scheduled to provide cars.

The programme concerns future Formula 1 tyre products. It is separate from the compounds selected for the Hungarian race weekend.

Sustained cornering gives Pirelli repeated data across complete runs. The circuit also provides several braking loads and changing corner speeds.

Race-weekend data covers practice, qualifying and seventy competitive laps. The following test adds controlled mileage under a separate programme.

The event closes the first half of the season

Hungary is the final Grand Prix before Formula 1’s summer break. Friday contains two one-hour practice sessions at 13:30 and 17:00.

The third practice begins at 12:30 on Saturday. Qualifying follows at 16:00 local time on the same afternoon.

Sunday’s race starts at 15:00 and has a two-hour maximum. The scheduled distance remains seventy laps in dry conditions.

The 2026 race is the forty-first Hungarian Grand Prix at this circuit. Every edition since 1986 has used the Hungaroring.

Lewis Hamilton holds the circuit record with eight Grand Prix victories. McLaren lead the constructors’ list with thirteen wins.

Fernando Alonso, Esteban Ocon and Oscar Piastri earned maiden Formula 1 victories here. Those wins came in 2003, 2021 and 2024.