The FIA has made a quick pivot to enhance safety at the Hungaroring’s Turn 5 ahead of the 2024 Hungarian Grand Prix. The change comes after Yuki Tsunoda’s dramatic qualifying crash, which left his car battered and him a bit bruised.
Yuki Tsunoda, pushing hard in the final lap of Q3, lost control and crashed into the barriers at Turn 5. The culprit? A troublesome grass strip that had drivers concerned all weekend. Peter Bayer from RB explained, ‘The ground sank a little and there is a wave [created by the bump] that has the effect like a sausage kerb. He found it.’
After inspecting the site, FIA president Mohammed Ben Sulayem instructed his team to take action. They excavated and replaced the last 4 meters of grass with gravel. This change aims to prevent cars from being launched towards the barriers in case they run wide, just like Tsunoda did.
An FIA statement read, ‘Following Yuki Tsunoda’s incident in qualifying, the FIA has reviewed all available data as is customary with any on-track incident. After consulting with the circuit, overnight changes were made, and the last four meters of the grass strip behind the exit kerb at Turn 5 have been replaced with gravel.’
Tsunoda, who qualified 10th, couldn’t improve his position due to the crash, while his teammate Daniel Ricciardo managed to snag 9th place in the final scramble of Q3. Bayer noted, ‘Both were in Q3 for the second time this year. Honestly, after Barcelona, Spielberg and Silverstone, it’s good to be at the front again.’
Bayer also mentioned that the Hungaroring’s lower-speed layout benefitted his team after a tough stretch of races following a problematic upgrade. ‘The slow corners here help us. Daniel’s car, for example, was completely back to Miami spec. It really suited him there,’ he said.
With the newly laid gravel at Turn 5, drivers can now tackle the Hungarian Grand Prix with a bit more confidence, knowing that a safety upgrade is in place. Here’s to a thrilling and safer race day ahead!
Source: Motorsport
