[Atticus]

The Hungaroring announced here in Hungary that Bernie agreed with Hungaroring vice-president Peter Gerstl on a five-year contract extension for the Hungarian GP at the track. That would secure the GP till 2021. On the other hand, the parties are only expected to de facto sign the contract during the 2013 event. There’s plenty of time till that and though the state currently supports the race, things are really rocky here in fiscal terms, so I’d not count on a problem-free year ahead with respect to this alleged agreement.

What is more interesting is that the track will be modified to create a second DRS zone. Let the guessing begin where it could be planned.

Also, the entire circuit will be repaved – Hamilton notably said he likes the undulating surface of the track; all the bumps give character to the corners, according to him. The most interesting corner in this respect is the final one: the current tarmac is newer right at and after the apex, giving more grip and kind of rocketing the cars onto main straight, suddenly eliminating that bit of understeer which is the drivers’ main concern during the first half of the turn.

Personally, I’m proud and happy to have a GP in Hungary as a local, but thinking in global terms, I can think of a few similar places with better economic outlook, and other – not similars – certainly with better tracks. Smooth track record (excuse the pun) of doing business is in our favour, I think. I think that’s what makes Bernie seem to like us this much. And money – of course.

[Keith Collantine]

@atticus-2 Any local articles on it?

[Keith Collantine]

I’ve come across one story here:

http://inforadio.hu/hir/sport/hir-528428

But obviously I can only read this using an automatic translator – if anyone who speaks Hungarian can do a proper job please do!

[Atticus]

@keithcollantine Sure, here you go:

http://www.formula.hu/hirek/153/388/74675/meghosszabitjak-a-hungaroring-szerzodeset

This was the first portal to report it, it’s an interview with Gerstl, but it is in Hungarian. You can Google Translate it though for some better understanding.

http://www.hungaroring.hu/?id=20&sub_id=0&hir_id=123&lang=hu

This is the announcement of the track itself. Sadly, it’s Hungarian only as well – I’m surprised that the English version of the page is as outdated and as low on information as it is.

Other points in the latter story:

– Ecclestone reiterated he’d want only traditional European venues to stay in the calendar with further axes on the agenda;
– Fully asphalted run-offs, continuously upgraded tribunes and a new ambulance centre scheduled. The latter for the 2013 event, the former two right after it.
– Alonso, Vettel, Schumacher and Lauda will offer opinions on how to modify the layout.
– Bernie will negotiate the details on the contract with the government until the 2013 event. The track argued the event is in the black, so it is worth supporting it.

I hope I helped. :)

[Atticus]

I speak Hungarian of course, my English is also quite good I think, but I’m extremely busy even at this moment – I’m a macroeconomic analyst and still have reports on my hands. So I can’t quite translate the articles.

But I did mentioned every important thing basically in the previous two posts.

[electrolite]

This is great news! I’ve always thought the Hungaroring is a nice little oddball on the calendar and I’m glad it’s sticking around amongst the Chinas, Americas and Middle East-ers. Might have a crack at the layout when I get the time.

[bag0]

@keithcollantine

The inforadio article:
Vice president of Hungaroring, B.E. agreed with Gerstl Péter on a contract extension of the Hungarian GP, in Abu Dhabi, the GPs place on the calendar is secured until 2021.

“Mr. Ecclestone would like to contuine to reduce the numbers of European races, leaving only the traditional tracks. The negotiation in Abu-Dhabi was successful, the contract will be extended from 2017 to 2021” – said Gerstl.

Ecclestone’s request was to, create more places to overtake. The new layout configuration will be aided by Formula 1 champions SV, FA, MS, NL. The whole track will be repaved, the constructions will start next year.

The government assured the Ring of its full support. “Despite the costs of the construction, the race means significant income for our country on a national level” – explained by Gerstl, why do the government supports F1.

Other sites say the same with different words, no more information on the contract, but I think it is interesting that the government said the Ring has its “conceptual” support, whitch means at least in my view: no money. The other thing which surprised me, in one sentence Grestl says they are considering getting the DTM too.

[bag0]

@atticus

I think for effective DRS zones we have only two chices, connecting T3&T7 or T12&T16 both straights would be about 700 meters long, but the track would lose at least one of my favourite corners, T6 or T13&T14, and would be a lot shorter. In my view without serious redesignig there cannot be another DRS zone.

[Keith Collantine]

Thanks for the info and help @atticus-2 – I’ve also been in touch with the track and they confirmed some details for this article:

Hungaroring plans track tweaks and new deal to 2021

[Tomsk]

Two words are conspicuous by their absence from all these articles: Hermann and Tilke. Is this a new direction for track design?

[Anonymous]

I am stocked the Hungaroring will stay on the calander but even more so with a proposed change in layout.
I have been watching F1 at this circuit for a long time (As alot of us have of course) but here in Australia have found there is a steady increase in popularity in F1 viewing compared to AFL and cricket – not sure if this is that Webber has been amongst it, AFL is fast becoming as soft as soccer, sorry, European Football (piss take before you all respond :) or the fact Aussies now seem shit at cricket again :( but mates I dont think are watching will say “what are race last night” or “shit race last night, you cant overtake there” and Budapest one of the main culprits. Make a few changes (like Silverstone- yes different reasons) and keep the new fans veiwing I say!!

I would love to see more of the old European circuits be upgraded and back on the F1 circuit as well !! But when they say Abu Dhabi was $1 billion unless there is some oil under them may not happen!!

Garns

[Atticus]

@keithcollantine I’m so glad that I have helped. :) The article is of high-standards and informative as usual.

@bag0 I think you mean T4 when talking about losing an exceptional corner. The blind left-hander at the end of the hill. I agree otherwise that those are the possibilities. And I agree that either way, challenging corners will be lost. The other would be the quick right-hander, T11, leading onto the short back straight. I hope Alonso & Co. will give good advices.

@tomsk Thank God, I’d be so glad if we’d see some variety in terms of designers. I’d rather work with Populous, which designed the new Arena section at Silverstone. They also made a study on how to improve overtaking possibilities on the Yas Marina circuit. They had sensible arguments and Silverstone – though lost its original shape even more – is actually a very well-devised in the Arena section.

[Atticus]

I can say that F1 coverage in Hungary is quite lower in quality compared to England. I watch Sky whenever I can. But we do have one guy I appreciate a lot, who is IMO the best expert here and really understands things. He is Gabor Weber, occasionally competing in WTCC and a GPL world champion.

He sketched a draft on how could the Hungaroring could be modified in a sensible way, here it is:

http://kep.index.hu/1/0/350/3504/35041/3504122_ba0e40253fc63527bcb481cf1cb5760e_wm.jpg

He is only an expert, so this is not the official plan by any means, just an idea.

He thinks the T6-T7 chicane would be a prime position for the second overtaking spot. Indeed, it requires quite a hard brake and is a do-or-die situation – there is no option to claw the position pack after it due to the sequence of corners following. The chicane itself would spread the two drivers quite much due to the layout, I think similarly to the Inner Loop on the Glen.

So Weber would increase the length of the straight before the chicane. But he would – sensibly – also keep T4, which is a challenging corner. So the new section would basically grow out of the current T5, that’s why it looks somewhat ‘Mickey Mouse’ style.

Also, he argued that that is the only area around a track, which is relatively empty and would take an extension upon it. The other straight after T11 has a large observer area on its outside.

My opinion is that – above space limitation considered as well – is that the short straight before T3 could also be extended to finish with a 150-160° hairpin and then go back up the hill in a Hockenheimring-like arc to join the straight halfway thorugh – I’d also leave T4 intact, I love it. Or it could go more or less straight back and rejoin the straight with a proper corner. T2 might has to be modified a la the Loop and Aintree in the Silverstone Arena to allow for closer competition out of the corner towards the new hairpin.

[bag0]

@atticus
Looks interesting, I like the longer version, but I think the deciding factor will be money. Im not sure if the Ring can afford adding a whole new section, but if they can that is the only place where they can do it.
Also I dont think the chicane would be an overtaking point, as it is too narrow for two cars, I know Weber was overtaken by Michelisz there this year, but he yielded the place for his teammate, imagine the same scenario with Grosjean & Maldonado, not because they are the new crash kids, but because none of them would yield.
It would be better to move the chicane farther from T8 as Weber said in the index.hu article, and make it wider like Roggia at Monza. But the main thing should be that at any overtaking spot the track should be wider on the rundown and exit, to give the drivers multiple lines through the corner.

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