Hamilton is close to an all-time record of most wins at a single circuit, Verstappen recorded his first F1 pole in Hungary and four drivers have a 100% finish record here. Here’s everything you need to know about each driver’s history at the Hungarian Grand Prix!
Max VERSTAPPEN
Max Verstappen secured the first pole position of his career at the 2019 Hungarian Grand Prix. Despite qualifying only tenth in 2022, Verstappen secured his first victory at the circuit. It was his third podium finish at the circuit, having also finished on the podium in Hungary in both 2019 and 2020, finishing as runner-up – doing so in 2020 despite crashing on his way to the grid. He won again in 2023, this time from second on the grid.
2018 is the only time that Verstappen has failed to score at the Hungarian Grand Prix, retiring with power issues after just five laps. His ninth place in 2021 is the only other time he has finished outside of the top five here.
Verstappen has never failed to reach Q3 at the Hungaroring, and 2016 is the only season that the Dutchman has been out-qualified by his team-mate at the track. In addition to his drive from tenth to the win in 2022 and from second to first in 2023, 2015 and 2020 are the only other years that Verstappen has finished the event in a better position than where he started.
MAX VERSTAPPEN’S HUNGARIAN GRAND PRIX HISTORY
Quali Battle |
Qualified |
Grid |
Finished |
Pos Change |
|
2015 |
WON |
9 |
9 |
4 |
5 |
2016 |
LOST |
4 |
4 |
5 |
-1 |
2017 |
WON |
5 |
5 |
5 |
0 |
2018 |
WON |
7 |
7 |
DNF |
– |
2019 |
WON |
1 |
1 |
2 |
-1 |
2020 |
WON |
7 |
7 |
2 |
5 |
2021 |
WON |
3 |
3 |
9 |
-6 |
2022 |
WON |
10 |
10 |
1 |
9 |
2023 |
WON |
2 |
2 |
1 |
1 |
2024 |
WON |
3 |
3 |
5 |
-2 |
Yuki TSUNODA
After securing a third place finish here in the Euroformula Open Championship in 2019, Liam Lawson returned just a month later to race here in Formula 3. He endured back luck at the track in F3, failing to score in either race in 2019 and failing to finish in either race in 2020. Lawson was back in 2022, this time scoring points in both Formula 2 races – with a best result of sixth in the Sprint Race.
Lando NORRIS
Lando Norris finished on the podium at the 2023 Hungarian Grand Prix, finishing as runner-up to Max Verstappen. He finished runner-up again, this time to his team-mate Oscar Piastri, in 2024.
Norris has scored points on four of his six appearances at the Hungaroring. In addition to his two podium finishes, he finished ninth in 2019 and seventh in 2022. He finished 13th in 2020 and was taken out at the first corner in 2021.
Norris has reached Q3 on all six appearances at the Hungaroring, securing his first Hungarian Grand Prix pole position in 2024. Norris is yet to be out-qualified by a team-mate at the circuit. 2023 was the first time that Norris did not lose positions from where started at the Hungarian Grand Prix.
Norris previously competed at the Hungaroring in Formula 3 and Formula 2. In 2017, he completed all three races of the F3 meeting at the track, finishing a best of third at the final race. In F2, Norris finished as runner-up in the Feature Race and in fourth place in the Sprint Race.
LANDO NORRIS’ HUNGARIAN GRAND PRIX HISTORY
Quali Battle |
Qualified |
Grid |
Finished |
Pos Change |
|
2019 |
WON |
7 |
7 |
9 |
-2 |
2020 |
WON |
8 |
8 |
13 |
-5 |
2021 |
WON |
6 |
6 |
DNF |
– |
2022 |
WON |
4 |
4 |
7 |
-3 |
2023 |
WON |
3 |
3 |
2 |
1 |
2024 |
WON |
1 |
1 |
2 |
-1 |
Oscar PIASTRI
Oscar Piastri became Formula 1’s newest winner at the 2024 Hungarian Grand Prix, leading home a McLaren 1-2 having started one position behind his team-mate on the front row of the grid.
After qualifying in the top four, Piastri finished fourth on his first Hungarian Grand Prix appearance in 2023.
Piastri has experience in multiple junior categories at the Hungaroring. He has taken a win at the track, in the Renault Eurocup series in 2019. Prior to F1, he last raced here in Formula 3 in 2020, where he finished as runner-up in both the Feature Race and the Sprint Race.
OSCAR PIASTRI’S HUNGARIAN GRAND PRIX HISTORY
Quali Battle |
Qualified |
Grid |
Finished |
Pos Change |
|
2023 |
LOST |
4 |
4 |
5 |
-1 |
2024 |
LOST |
2 |
2 |
1 |
1 |
Lewis HAMILTON
Lewis Hamilton is on the cusp of a record-equalling ninth Hungarian Grand Prix victory. He has won the race five times during his tenure at Mercedes, having already won three times while racing with McLaren. In the last four years, he finished as runner-up in both 2021 and 2022 before coming home third in 2024.
Since 2012, there have been only three occasions on which Hamilton has not finished on the Hungarian Grand Prix podium. Aside from his only DNF here in 2010, Hamilton has never finished outside of the top six at the track.
Hamilton has taken eight pole positions at the circuit – including his first F1 pole in almost two years in 2023 – and has started from the front row on 12 occasions. He has actually started from pole nine times here, as Fernando Alonso was penalised after holding up then McLaren team-mate Hamilton in the pit-lane in 2007.
2014, when his car set alight during qualifying, is the only occasion that he has failed to reach Q3, but he made up for that by gaining 19 places from his pit-lane start. 2022, when he qualified seventh, is the only other time he has qualified outside of the top five at the track. Again, he made up for it in the race by gaining five places and finishing on the podium.
From his 17 appearances, 2010, 2015, 2017, 2023 and 2024 are the only seasons that Hamilton has not led a lap at the Hungarian Grand Prix.
LEWIS HAMILTON’S HUNGARIAN GRAND PRIX HISTORY
Quali Battle |
Qualified |
Grid |
Finished |
Pos Change |
|
2007 |
LOST |
2 |
1 |
1 |
0 |
2008 |
WON |
1 |
1 |
5 |
-4 |
2009 |
WON |
4 |
4 |
1 |
3 |
2010 |
WON |
5 |
5 |
DNF |
– |
2011 |
WON |
2 |
2 |
4 |
-2 |
2012 |
WON |
1 |
1 |
1 |
0 |
2013 |
WON |
1 |
1 |
1 |
0 |
2014 |
LOST |
22 |
22 |
3 |
19 |
2015 |
WON |
1 |
1 |
6 |
-5 |
2016 |
LOST |
2 |
2 |
1 |
1 |
2017 |
LOST |
4 |
1 |
4 |
-3 |
2018 |
WON |
1 |
1 |
1 |
0 |
2019 |
LOST |
3 |
3 |
1 |
2 |
2020 |
WON |
1 |
1 |
1 |
0 |
2021 |
WON |
1 |
1 |
2 |
-1 |
2022 |
LOST |
7 |
7 |
2 |
5 |
2023 |
WON |
1 |
1 |
4 |
-3 |
2024 |
WON |
5 |
5 |
3 |
2 |
Charles LECLERC
Charles Leclerc has scored points four times from seven appearances at the Hungarian Grand Prix. His best result here is fourth place, recorded in both 2019 and 2024. He finished sixth in 2022 and seventh in 2023. Leclerc retired from the race in both 2018 and 2019, and finished 11th in 2020.
Leclerc recorded his best qualifying result at the track in 2022 with third place. He has reached Q3 in all of the last six seasons, qualifying sixth in the last two years.
CHARLES LECLERC’S HUNGARIAN GRAND PRIX HISTORY
Quali Battle |
Qualified |
Grid |
Finished |
Pos Change |
|
2018 |
LOST |
17 |
16 |
DNF |
– |
2019 |
WON |
4 |
4 |
4 |
0 |
2020 |
LOST |
6 |
6 |
11 |
-5 |
2021 |
WON |
7 |
7 |
DNF |
– |
2022 |
LOST |
3 |
3 |
6 |
-3 |
2023 |
WON |
6 |
6 |
7 |
-1 |
2024 |
LOST |
6 |
6 |
4 |
2 |
George RUSSELL
George Russell scored points in Hungary for the first time in 2021, finishing in eighth place. In 2022, he recorded his first podium result at the track, finishing third. He holds a 100% finish record here, scoring more points in 2023 and 2024 with fine comeback drives to sixth and eighth place finishes respectively.
Russell impressed in qualifying in both 2019 and 2020. He set the 16th fastest time – his best qualifying result of the year – in 2019, before reaching Q2 and qualifying 12th in 2020. He failed to make it out of Q1 here in 2021 but in 2022 took the first pole position of his Formula 1 career. He recorded another disappointing Q1 exit in 2023, where he was out-qualified by a team-mate at the track for the first time. Another Q1 elimination followed in 2024.
Russell raced in Hungary in F3, GP3 and F2, but has never had much luck at the Hungaroring. He retired from two of the three F3 races in 2016, finishing fourth in the second race. In GP3 in 2017, he failed to start the first race and finished only eleventh in the second event. In F2 in 2018, Russell retired from the Feature Race and finished eighth in the Sprint Race.
GEORGE RUSSELL’S HUNGARIAN GRAND PRIX HISTORY
Quali Battle |
Qualified |
Grid |
Finished |
Pos Change |
|
2019 |
WON |
16 |
15 |
16 |
-1 |
2020 |
WON |
12 |
12 |
18 |
-6 |
2021 |
WON |
17 |
17 |
8 |
9 |
2022 |
WON |
1 |
1 |
3 |
-2 |
2023 |
LOST |
18 |
18 |
6 |
12 |
2024 |
LOST |
17 |
17 |
8 |
9 |
Kimi ANTONELLI
After recording two top six results at the Hungaroring in the Formula Regional European Championship in 2023, Kimi Antonelli returned to the track in 2024 in Formula 2. Starting fourth on the grid in the Sprint Race, Antonelli finished only 14th. It was a different story in the Feature Race, however, which he won having started seventh.
Fernando ALONSO
Fernando Alonso recorded the first victory of his career at the 2003 Hungarian Grand Prix. That’s the only time that he has won at the Hungaroring – though he has recorded a further four podium finishes at the track.
He finished fourth here in 2021 (a year in which his team-mate won the race), eighth in 2022 and ninth in 2023. Finishing 11th, 2024 marked the first Hungarian in which Alonso competed but did not score a point since 2009. He retired from the race in 2001, 2006 and 2009, while his 11th place finish in 2005 is the only other time he has finished a race here in a position outside of the points.
Alonso has set the fastest qualifying time on three occasions at the circuit, but started from pole only twice, in 2003 and 2009. He was penalised in 2007 for blocking McLaren team-mate Lewis Hamilton in the pit-lane. His sixth place in 2022 was his best qualifying result at the track since 2014.
Since 2007, 2015 and 2017 are the only years in which the Spaniard has not reached Q3 at the circuit. 2006, 2011, 2021 and 2022 are the only years in which he has been out-qualified by his team-mate at the track.
Of the races he has finished here, 2005 was the only time until 2022 that he finished in a worse position than where he started – but he has now done so in all of the last three seasons.
FERNANDO ALONSO’S HUNGARIAN GRAND PRIX HISTORY
Quali Battle |
Qualified |
Grid |
Finished |
Pos Change |
|
2001 |
WON |
18 |
18 |
DNF |
– |
2003 |
WON |
1 |
1 |
1 |
0 |
2004 |
WON |
5 |
5 |
3 |
2 |
2005 |
WON |
6 |
6 |
11 |
-5 |
2006 |
LOST |
15 |
15 |
DNF |
– |
2007 |
WON |
1 |
6 |
4 |
2 |
2008 |
WON |
7 |
7 |
4 |
3 |
2009 |
WON |
1 |
1 |
DNF |
– |
2010 |
WON |
3 |
3 |
2 |
1 |
2011 |
LOST |
5 |
5 |
3 |
2 |
2012 |
WON |
6 |
6 |
5 |
1 |
2013 |
WON |
5 |
5 |
5 |
0 |
2014 |
WON |
5 |
5 |
2 |
3 |
2015 |
WON |
15 |
15 |
5 |
10 |
2016 |
WON |
7 |
7 |
7 |
0 |
2017 |
WON |
8 |
7 |
6 |
1 |
2018 |
WON |
11 |
11 |
8 |
3 |
2021 |
LOST |
9 |
9 |
4 |
5 |
2022 |
LOST |
6 |
6 |
8 |
-2 |
2023 |
WON |
8 |
8 |
9 |
-1 |
2024 |
WON |
7 |
7 |
11 |
-4 |
Lance STROLL
Lance Stroll’s 100% finish record at the Hungarian Grand Prix came to an end in 2021, as he crashed out at the first corner. 2020 marked the first time that Stroll scored at the event, finishing in fourth place. He narrowly missed out on points in 2022, finishing 11th. In 2023, he scored a point for the second time at the circuit, with a tenth place finish. He finished tenth again in 2024.
Stroll qualified in third place in 2020, marking his first Q3 appearance at the track. 2024 – when he qualified eighth – was his second top ten qualification here. Stroll has out-qualified his team-mate on half of his eight appearances at the Hungaroring.
LANCE STROLL’S HUNGARIAN GRAND PRIX HISTORY
Quali Battle |
Qualified |
Grid |
Finished |
Pos Change |
|
2017 |
WON |
17 |
17 |
14 |
3 |
2018 |
WON |
15 |
PIT |
17 |
3 |
2019 |
LOST |
19 |
18 |
17 |
1 |
2020 |
WON |
3 |
3 |
4 |
-1 |
2021 |
LOST |
12 |
12 |
DNF |
– |
2022 |
WON |
14 |
14 |
11 |
– |
2023 |
LOST |
14 |
14 |
10 |
4 |
2024 |
LOST |
8 |
8 |
10 |
-2 |
Pierre GASLY
Pierre Gasly has finished in the top six on three of his seven appearances at the Hungarian Grand Prix. He does not have a 100% finish record at the track, having retired in 2020 and in each of the last two seasons. Gasly’s best result at the Hungaroring is fifth, which is where he finished in 2021.
Gasly’s Q1 exit in 2022 was the first time that he has failed to reach Q3 here. He went on to set the slowest lap time of the 20 drivers in qualify for the 2024 race. He has been out-qualified by his team-mate here in all of the last three seasons. Gasly recorded his best qualifying result of fifth at the track in 2021.
PIERRE GASLY’S HUNGARIAN GRAND PRIX HISTORY
Quali Battle |
Qualified |
Grid |
Finished |
Pos Change |
|
2018 |
WON |
6 |
6 |
6 |
0 |
2019 |
LOST |
6 |
6 |
6 |
0 |
2020 |
WON |
10 |
10 |
DNF |
– |
2021 |
WON |
5 |
5 |
5 |
0 |
2022 |
LOST |
19 |
PIT |
12 |
8 |
2023 |
LOST |
15 |
15 |
DNF |
– |
2024 |
LOST |
20 |
PIT |
DNF |
– |
Jack DOOHAN
Jack Doohan has enjoyed successes in the past at the Hungaroring. He secured a podium finish here in Formula 3 in 2021 before stepping up to Formula 2 in 2022. There, he won the Sprint Race in 2022 and the Feature Race in 2023. In addition, Doohan completed a private test of Alpine’s 2021 F1 car at the track in September 2022.
Esteban OCON
Esteban Ocon took his maiden victory at the 2021 Hungarian Grand Prix. It was the first time he had scored at the event since his first appearance in 2017, when he finished in ninth place. He also finished ninth in 2022. Ocon held a 100% finish rate at the Hungaroring until 2023, when first corner contact with his team-mate put him out of the race. He finished only 18th in 2024.
Ocon reached Q3 at the circuit for the first time in 2021, qualifying in eighth place. He bettered that result in 2022, qualifying fifth. 2020 is the only time he has been out-qualified by his team-mate at the track, while 2024 was the first time since 2018 that he was eliminated in Q1.
ESTEBAN OCON’S HUNGARIAN GRAND PRIX HISTORY
Quali Battle |
Qualified |
Grid |
Finished |
Pos Change |
|
2017 |
WON |
12 |
11 |
9 |
2 |
2018 |
WON |
18 |
17 |
13 |
4 |
2020 |
LOST |
14 |
14 |
14 |
0 |
2021 |
WON |
8 |
8 |
1 |
7 |
2022 |
WON |
5 |
5 |
9 |
-4 |
2023 |
WON |
12 |
12 |
DNF |
– |
2024 |
WON |
19 |
19 |
18 |
1 |
Ollie BEARMAN
Ollie Bearman has finished on the podium at the Hungaroring in both Formula 2 and Formula 3. After finishing third in the 2022 Formula 3 Feature Race at the circuit, he returned in F2 one year later and finished third in the Sprint Race. Bearman failed to score points in either of last year’s F2 races at the track. In addition to F2, Bearman competed in Free Practice 1 at the 2024 Hungarian Grand Prix with Haas.
Liam LAWSON
Yuki Tsunoda finished sixth on his first appearance at the Hungarian Grand Prix in 2021. It remains his best result at the circuit, with 2024 marking the first time he finished in the points here since then, coming home ninth He finished only 19th in 2022 and 15th in 2023.
Having been eliminated on all of his first three appearances at the track, Tsunoda reached Q3 in 2024, recording his best qualifying result at the Hungaroring to date with tenth place. He qualified 16th in both 2021 and 2022 before qualifying one position lower in 2023. 2022 is the only season to date in which Tsunoda has out-qualified his team-mate at the circuit.
Tsunoda previously raced at the Hungaroring in F3 and F2. While he scored points in both races in F3 in 2019, with a best finish of sixth in the second race, Tsunoda failed to score here in F2 in 2020.
YUKI TSUNODA’S HUNGARIAN GRAND PRIX HISTORY
Quali Battle |
Qualified |
Grid |
Finished |
Pos Change |
|
2021 |
LOST |
16 |
16 |
6 |
10 |
2022 |
WON |
16 |
16 |
19 |
-3 |
2023 |
LOST |
17 |
17 |
15 |
2 |
2024 |
LOST |
10 |
10 |
9 |
1 |
Isack HADJAR
Isack Hadjar has competed at the Hungaroring in French F4 (in 2019), Formula 3 (in 2022) and Formula 2 (in 2023 and 2024). From his appearances here, Hadjar’s best result is third place in the 2024 F2 Sprint Race – a position which he inherited after original race winner Richard Verschoor was disqualified.
Carlos SAINZ
Carlos Sainz was promoted onto the podium at the 2021 Hungarian Grand Prix following Sebastian Vettel’s disqualification, which remains his only top three finish at the track. A sixth place finish last year made it the ninth consecutive season in which Sainz scored points at the Hungaroring.
His first appearance here, in 2015, when he retired, is the only time that Sainz has failed to score at the event.
2015, 2021 and 2023 are the only seasons in which Sainz has failed to reach Q3 at the track. His best qualifying result here is second, recorded with Ferrari in 2022. 2022 and 2024 are the only times Sainz out-qualified his team-mate at the Hungarian Grand Prix since 2018.
CARLOS SAINZ’S HUNGARIAN GRAND PRIX HISTORY
Quali Battle |
Qualified |
Grid |
Finished |
Pos Change |
|
2015 |
LOST |
12 |
12 |
DNF |
– |
2016 |
WON |
6 |
6 |
8 |
-2 |
2017 |
WON |
10 |
9 |
7 |
2 |
2018 |
WON |
5 |
5 |
9 |
-4 |
2019 |
LOST |
8 |
8 |
5 |
3 |
2020 |
LOST |
9 |
9 |
9 |
0 |
2021 |
LOST |
15 |
15 |
3 |
12 |
2022 |
WON |
2 |
2 |
4 |
-2 |
2023 |
LOST |
11 |
11 |
8 |
3 |
2024 |
WON |
4 |
4 |
6 |
-2 |
Alex ALBON
Alex Albon has finished in the points on two of his five previous appearances at the Hungarian Grand Prix but is yet to score here with Williams.
He finished tenth with Toro Rosso in 2019 and finished fifth with Red Bull in 2020. In 2022, with Williams, he finished only 17th, while he finished 11th in 2023 and 14th in 2024.
Albon is yet to reach Q3 in Hungary, having been eliminated in Q2 in 2019 and 2020 and recording Q1 in 2022 and 2023. He reached Q2 for a third time in 2024. 2020 is the only season in which Albon has failed to out-qualify his team-mate here.
ALEX ALBON’S HUNGARIAN GRAND PRIX HISTORY
Quali Battle |
Qualified |
Grid |
Finished |
Pos Change |
|
2019 |
WON |
12 |
12 |
10 |
2 |
2020 |
LOST |
13 |
13 |
5 |
8 |
2022 |
WON |
17 |
17 |
17 |
0 |
2023 |
WON |
16 |
16 |
11 |
5 |
2024 |
WON |
13 |
13 |
14 |
-1 |
Nico HULKENBERG
Nico Hulkenberg has scored only a single point in his last ten appearances at the Hungarian Grand Prix. His best result here is sixth, which he recorded on his first outing at the track in 2010. His only other point here was the result of a tenth place finish in 2016. He has failed to reached the chequered flag three times – in 2014, 2015 and 2017.
Hulkenberg has never been eliminated in Q1 at the Hungaroring and has reached Q3 on six of his 11 Hungarian Grand Prix appearances, including in 2023. His best qualifying position here is seventh, which is where he qualified with Renault in 2017. However, due to a grid penalty that year, he has never started higher than ninth at the circuit. He started ninth in both 2014 and 2016.
2018 is the only season that Hulkenberg has been out-qualified by his team-mate at this venue.
NICO HULKENBERG’S HUNGARIAN GRAND PRIX HISTORY
Quali Battle |
Qualified |
Grid |
Finished |
Pos Change |
|
2010 |
WON |
10 |
10 |
6 |
4 |
2012 |
WON |
10 |
10 |
11 |
-1 |
2013 |
WON |
12 |
12 |
11 |
1 |
2014 |
WON |
9 |
9 |
DNF |
– |
2015 |
WON |
11 |
11 |
DNF |
– |
2016 |
WON |
9 |
9 |
10 |
-1 |
2017 |
WON |
7 |
12 |
DNF |
– |
2018 |
LOST |
13 |
13 |
12 |
1 |
2019 |
WON |
11 |
11 |
12 |
-1 |
2023 |
WON |
10 |
10 |
14 |
-4 |
2024 |
WON |
11 |
11 |
13 |
-2 |
Gabriel BORTOLETO
Gabriel Bortoleto’s time in the junior series saw him claim two podium finishes at the Hungaroring: a third place in Formula Regional in 2022 and the runner-up spot in the Sprint Race in Formula 3 in 2023.
