Invicta Racing aiming to head into summer break on a high note
The ninth round of the 2024 FIA Formula 2 Championship takes place around the tight and twisty Hungaroring, with the team ready to take on the nuances of the circuit.
After a short break following a triple-header, the team is ready to complete five weekends across just six to round out an intense period of racing in FIA F2.
This round includes a slightly shortened Feature Race – at 160 kilometres, making it the second-shortest on the calendar behind Monaco. Temperatures can be very hot but rain can affect the momentum of the race very quickly.
Track notes
With corners that follow into another all across the circuit, this features a lot of elements similar to a kart track. It is very tricky to overtake on, although that does not prevent the alternative strategy of charging through the field late into a race.
Turn One features a downhill approach into a tight hairpin which can invite contact on the opening lap. A short straight follows into Turn Two, a descending, long left-hander that feeds into Turn Three, before a climb up the hill towards Turn Four.
It is easy to exceed track limits there, but nailing the corner is crucial to lap time. Turn Five is long and punishing on the tyres and feeds straight into the tight chicane of Turns Six and Seven. The corners that follow – Turns Eight through to 11, are intertwined and need to each be perfect to avoid compromising the next.
After Turn 11 is a short straight which can allow some overtaking opportunities into Turn 12 – a tight right-hander, before a pair of very long, winding 180-degree corners to round out the lap back onto the pit straight, which is the key overtaking opportunity on the circuit.
Team formbook
Both of Invicta Racing’s drivers know how to make the podium at the Hungaroring – they did it in FIA Formula 3. Kush finished third in 2022, and Gabriel second a year later.
Hungary traditionally hadn’t been particularly kind to the team in terms of results, but that changed in 2022 when Jack Doohan won the Sprint Race here. He then followed that up by dominating the Feature Race from pole in 2023.
Memorable moment
Charles Leclerc was set to start from pole for the seventh consecutive round in 2017, only to be excluded for a technical breach. That didn’t deter him, as he stormed through the field in the Feature Race to claim a fine fourth around the tight circuit from the very back of the grid.
Team Principal Andy Roche: “The Hungaroring is a circuit we have shown well at in recent years – particularly last year – and we would like to continue that momentum. As ever, it will always be tricky to manage this weekend with the weather and how that affects the tyres throughout. We have consistently shown decent pace throughout the season so far, so it would be great to carry that form into the summer break.”
All local times CEST (UTC +2). Follow Invicta Racing for updates throughout the weekend.
Live timing for all sessions can be found here.
