Analysis for 2 of the Most Advanced Driving Styles around Hungary - Short Corners & Tight Lines
(Max Verstappen Vs Lewis Hamilton)

The Short Corner V Tight Line debate is one that goes back to the beginning of Open-Formula Racing.

If you watch the driving styles of Max and Lewis around tracks like Hungary (where there are a lot of constant radius long corners) or where there is significant track width (like Qatar) you’ll quickly observe that Lewis Hamilton is a tight line driver, and Max Verstappen is a short corner driver.

In tennis, this is the equivalent of Roger Federer having a one-handed backhand and Rafael Nadal having a two-handed backhand.

The beautiful thing about our sport is you don’t need to commit to only one.

There are times and places when you can drive a tight line to achieve outcomes A/B/C, and other times (even on the same track) when you can drive a short corner to achieve outcomes X/Y/Z.

Knowing the pro’s and con’s for each style is going to allow you to make these changes and decisions better to get the best of both worlds.

This paper analyses both styles from the perspective of pure lap time, tyre temperatures and tyre wear.

I have chosen to do the analysis for the Hungary F1 circuit in Turns 2, 13 and 14, where these techniques are most applicable.

This paper provides clear direction on:

- The definitions for each style,
- How to execute both styles and drive them effectively,
- Which is faster for pure performance,
- Which looks after the tyres better,
- The advantages of each, and
- When to use which style.z

If you're an open formula driver and want to know how to tackle these corners in both qualifying and the race, you need this paper!