Facts & History – Hungarian Grand Prix

The primary System 1 race to be held behind the Iron Curtain, the Hungarian Grand Prix has been staged on the Hungaroring circuit exterior of Budapest yearly since 1986

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The 2025 Hungarian Grand Prix is ready to happen from August 1-3 on the Hungaroring

Dates are additionally confirmed for the 2026 Hungarian Grand Prix on July 24-26

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The primary Hungarian System 1 Grand Prix, held in August of 1986, was the end result of Bernie Ecclestone’s want for the game to enterprise past the Iron Curtain. After contemplating Moscow, the preliminary Hungarian plan was for a race to be held on the streets of the capital Budapest. Ultimately, the communist authorities in Hungary determined to assemble a purpose-built observe 19km exterior of the capital. The Hungaroring circuit was accomplished in simply eight months and the primary race drew an estimated 200,000 followers from all around the Japanese Bloc.

The tight, twisty Hungaroring circuit is situated in a valley, which offers wonderful visibility for followers. From increased vantage factors, it’s potential to see round 80% of the circuit. At 4.381km, the Hungaroring is the third shortest System 1 circuit on the present calendar and the second slowest after Monaco. The tight format of the circuit makes overtaking tough, one purpose why many drivers and followers don’t fee the observe extremely. The race is held every year on the top of the European summer season, usually in stifling warmth. Because the race was first held over thirty years in the past, rain has solely fallen through the race 3 times, in 2006, 2011 and 2014; whereas the 2020 race started in damp situations.

Estimated race-day crowds hovered across the 100,000 mark within the 2010s. Throughout Robert Kubica’s first stint in F1, the Hungarian occasion grew to become the defacto Polish Grand Prix, with as many as 25,000 Polish followers making the journey to the race every year. Together with his return to the grid in 2019, the determine as soon as once more grew by round 20,000 in comparison with the earlier 12 months. The Hungarian Grand Prix attracted a weekend crowd of 290,000 in 2022, earlier than rising to 303,000 in 2023 and a brand new excessive of 310,000 in 2024.

Hungary stays a well-liked F1 vacation spot for followers from throughout Europe. A contract extension was signed in 2016 which assured the Hungaroring’s place on the System 1 calendar till a minimum of 2026. The contract was prolonged to 2027 in June 2020, because of the 2020 race being held with out spectators. The contract was prolonged as soon as extra forward of the 2023 Hungarian Grand Prix. The Hungaroring will now stay on the calendar till a minimum of 2032, with the venue set to bear main renovations within the coming years.

The 2020 Hungarian Grand Prix was moved ahead two weeks from its provisional date and was held behind closed doorways on account of the coronavirus pandemic. It was gained by Lewis Hamilton, who secured a then-record-breaking eighth win on the venue. One 12 months later, with followers again within the stands, Esteban Ocon secured his maiden Grand Prix victory in a chaotic moist to dry race. Max Verstappen was the Hungarian Grand Prix winner for 2 consecutive years in 2022 and 2023, earlier than Oscar Piastri grew to become the sixth driver to safe a maiden win in Hungary in 2024.

Hungarian Grand Prix: Did You Know?

Lewis Hamilton has gained extra Hungarian Grands Prix than another driver, along with his tally at the moment at eight.

Hamilton holds the document for many poles on the observe, having taken his ninth Hungarian Grand Prix pole in 2023. It’s the document for essentially the most pole positions at a single venue.

McLaren have loved extra wins on the Hungarian Grand Prix than another workforce, with 13 – together with the final two.

Jenson Button took his first F1 victory on the 2006 Hungarian Grand Prix, successful the race from 14th on the grid. On the time, it was certainly one of solely two instances that the race had been gained from additional again than fourth on the grid, the opposite being Nigel Mansell in 1989. Since then, Esteban Ocon gained from eighth on the grid in 2021, whereas Max Verstappen gained from tenth in 2022.

Damon Hill, Fernando Alonso, Jenson Button, Heikki Kovalainen, Esteban Ocon and Oscar Piastri all took their first F1 victories on the Hungarian Grand Prix.

The Hungaroring has seen F1 attain two century milestones. Heikki Kovalainen grew to become the one hundredth F1 driver to win a World Championship Grand Prix right here in 2008, whereas Max Verstappen grew to become the one hundredth driver to begin from pole place at a Grand Prix on the 2019 Hungarian Grand Prix.

READ MORE: When Op Artwork Met System 1 on the First Race Behind the Iron Curtain

Whereas many drivers can boast a 100% end fee on the Hungaroring, it’s Ralf Schumacher’s run which is essentially the most spectacular. He completed the race on all ten of his Hungarian Grand Prix appearances. Kevin Magnussen made 9 appearances right here his profession with out recording a retirement.

In each season from 2005 to 2017, the winner of the Hungarian Grand Prix did not go on to win the Drivers’ Championship. In actual fact, in its historical past there have been solely 12 events on which the winner of the occasion has gained the title in the identical 12 months.

Zsolt Baumgartner is the one Hungarian driver to have competed within the Hungarian Grand Prix because it joined the F1 calendar in 1986.

Two drivers have been disqualified from the Hungarian Grand Prix. Robert Kubica, on his Grand Prix debut, completed seventh however was later disqualified as his automotive was 2kg underweight. Sebastian Vettel was disqualified having completed second in 2021 as his automotive was unable to produce a gasoline pattern.

Ferrari have been current at each Hungarian Grand Prix since 1986, however it took till 1999 for each of their vehicles to achieve the chequered flag in the identical race right here!

Nigel Mansell and Michael Schumacher are the one drivers to have claimed a World Championship in Hungary. Mansell took his solely title on the observe in 1992, whereas Schumacher took his fourth on the 2001 occasion.

Felipe Massa was the sufferer of a freak accident throughout qualifying for the 2009 race. He was struck on the pinnacle by a suspension element which broke away from Rubens Barrichello’s Brawn GP automotive. Massa suffered a critical eye harm and was dominated out of racing for the rest of the 2009 season.

Memorable Moments within the Hungarian Grand Prix

1986 Hungarian Grand Prix: Piquet overtakes Senna

Nelson Piquet handed Ayrton Senna across the exterior of Flip 1 (on reverse lock!) on his method to victory within the inaugural Hungarian Grand Prix in 1986. Many think about this to be probably the greatest overtakes of all time!

READ MORE: When System 1 ventured behind the Iron Curtain

1992 Hungarian Grand Prix: Lastly Mansell

After years of virtually clinching the championship, Nigel Mansell lastly secured the title in 1992 on the Hungaroring with 5 races to spare. Mansell completed a distant second to Ayrton Senna within the race, however it was all he wanted to do to develop into the seventh British World Champion. Watch the highlights.

1997 Hungarian Grand Prix: A Mirace for Hill

In 1997, driving the unfancied Arrows, Damon Hill got here inside three laps of a well-known victory on the circuit, earlier than a hydraulic subject pressured him right down to second. The Arrows automotive was each uncompetitive and unreliable, however that didn’t cease the reigning champion from comfortably main the race. Together with his failing automotive, Hill was handed on the penultimate lap by former team-mate Jacques Villeneuve. Regardless of the frustration, Hill secured the ultimate podium end for the Arrows marque. Watch the higlights.

2006 Hungarian Grand Prix: Button’s first win

Jenson Button gained the 2006 Hungarian Grand Prix from fourteenth on the grid. The 2006 race was the primary on the Hungaroring to be held in moist situations. Title rivals Michael Schumacher and Fernando Alonso additionally began from the decrease half of the grid together with Button. The trio’s combat by the sector equipped a lot of the afternoon’s leisure, however each Alonso and Schumacher in the end retired from the race. Button stored his cool, and even carried out a brave overtake on Schumacher, to assert his maiden win. It was the ultimate victory for a Honda-powered automotive till Max Verstappen gained the 2019 Austrian Grand Prix. Watch the highlights.

2007 Hungarian Grand Prix: Qualifying drama

All of the headlines from the 2007 Hungarian Grand Prix got here from qualifying. Lewis Hamilton did not let McLaren team-mate Fernando Alonso by on observe. The Spaniard retaliated by tactically stopping within the McLaren pit field as Hamilton waited behind him. Alonso waited for lengthy sufficient to stop Hamilton from setting a lap time, thus making certain pole could be his. It was Hamilton was finally awarded pole, as Alonso obtained a five-place grid penalty for the incident.

2021 Hungarian Grand Prix: Ocon wins within the moist

The 2021 Hungarian Grand Prix started in damp situations and the pink flag was quickly proven as Valtteri Bottas brought on chaos at Flip 1. The chain response of occasions eradicated no fewer than 5 drivers from the race.

The observe dried out over the pink flag interval, resulting in an odd scenario the place each driver besides one pulled into the pits on the finish of the second formation lap to modify to slick tyres. Lewis Hamilton was the motive force who didn’t observe swimsuit and he took the standing begin on his personal.

When Hamilton pitted, Esteban Ocon took the lead of the race. The Alpine driver would stay there, regardless of coming beneath growing stress from Aston Martin’s Sebastian Vettel. Hamilton’s comeback drive meant that he too was a risk within the closing levels, however Ocon’s Alpine team-mate Fernando Alonso slowed Hamilton’s cost with some spectacular defensive expertise.

Ocon claimed the primary victory of his profession and the Enstone workforce’s first win since 2013. He grew to become the primary French driver to win with a French workforce utilizing a French engine since Alain Prost, who did so with Renault on the 1983 Austrian Grand Prix.

READ MORE: Chosen Tales from 35 years of the Hungarian Grand Prix