F1 drivers hit out at new tyre allocation rule in Hungary

Devised ostensibly to improve F1's sustainability credentials by reducing the freight required per event, the tyre allocation for each driver has dropped from 13 sets to 11 for Budapest.

In addition, compounds have been mandated for qualifying. The hard Pirelli will be enforced for Q1, mediums for Q2 and then the softest rubber for the Q3 shootout for pole position.

The alternative tyre allocation was slated for a first rollout at the Emilia Romagna GP before the event was cancelled due to flooding. It is therefore being tested for the first time in Hungary this weekend and will be implemented again at Monza.

Should the experiment prove successful, it will likely be deployed more extensively in 2024.

But initial feedback from drivers has been critical. Max Verstappen and Lewis Hamilton reckon the spectacle has been hurt as teams are likely to complete fewer laps across practice.

Verstappen was asked to evaluate the performance of the new Red Bull upgrades - sidepod inlet, engine cover, floor, brake ducts - making their debut in Hungary after he ran to 11th in FP2.

But the reigning double champion instead took aim at the tyre rules for forcing fans to miss out.

He said: "It's very hard to comment on. We will look through the data to see if everything is correlating well because we haven't used a lot of tyre sets today.

"With this new format, you are just super limited with the tyre sets that you can use, and I didn't want to use them today to at least have a bit more of a better preparation tomorrow.

"But it's a bit of a shame - there are so many people around and you basically don't really run a lot.

"We have to see what we can do to improve that, because we are literally saving tyres, which I think is not the correct thing."

Lewis Hamilton, Mercedes F1 W14

Photo by: Steven Tee / Motorsport Images

Mercedes driver Hamilton, who finished 16th in FP2, backed up the sentiment and reckoned rule makers should instead focus on making savings with the wet tyres.

He said: "I only had [one set of] tyres for the session. So, not really a great format change they made for this weekend. It just means we get less running, so not ideal.

"There's a lot of wet tyres that I think they throw away after the weekend, like a lot.

"Maybe they should look at something like that rather than taking time on track away from the fans."

Haas driver Kevin Magnussen also offered an alternative solution, proposing that if F1 wants to cut down on tyre use to save on transport emissions, the entire timetable should be under review.

He said: "It was a bit of a restricted Friday in a way with the tyre situation. Same for everyone.

"If that's the case [that F1 drops to 11 sets of tyres], they might as well cut down the sessions. Just have maybe one practice or two."