Held at the height of the European summer, the relatively slow but technical Hungaroring has served up some intriguing races for the past three decades as host of the Hungarian Grand Prix.
FIRST F1 RACE | 1986 |
TRACK LENGTH | 2.722 miles |
NUMBER OF LAPS | 70 |
NUMBER OF TURNS | 14 |
MOST POLES | Lewis Hamilton (9) |
MOST WINS | Lewis Hamilton (8) |
The Hungaroring is located 12 miles to the north-east of Budapest. After plans for a race in Moscow fell through, Bernie Ecclestone brought the series to Budapest instead and the race made history by being the first to be held behind the Iron Curtain. A city street race was mooted but the communist government instead wanted a new track, and so one was built within eight months. The Hungaroring was designed by Istvan Papp.
The winner of the first ever Grand Prix in 1906 was the Hungarian driver Ferenc Szisz. Hungary’s motorsport history goes back to 1936, when a Hungarian Grand Prix was first held in Nepliget. It had 100,000 spectators, which is an impressive figure for that time. With the onset of World War II, focus shifted away from racing, and there was not another Hungarian Grand Prix until F1 first came to the Hungaroring, near Budapest, in 1986. The inaugural event was attended by 200,000 fans.
The Hungaroring is tight and twisty and it’s difficult to overtake, so the track has taken a reputation of producing somewhat boring racing. In recent years, however, the races have been more entertaining. The Hungaroring isn’t used too often throughout the year, so it is usually dusty when the cars take to the track at the start of the first practice session.
What the track lacks in overtaking opportunities, it more than makes up for that with its setting. The Hungaroring is one of the best of the year for spectators to attend as there’s good viewing right around the track, due to the track being in a valley.
The Hungaroring hasn’t changed much through the years. One of the S bends was changed in 1989, shortening the track by a small amount, and in 2003, the main straight was extended by twenty metres. In 2016, the track was resurfaced and had new kerbing. There were also new run-off areas.
The Hungaroring holds a contract to host the Hungarian Grand Prix until 2026. The circuit has undergone big renovations since the 2024 Hungarian Grand Prix, with the pit building and main grandstand having been demolished and upgraded.
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HUNGARORING FAST FACTS
- Until 2006 there had never been a wet Grand Prix at the Hungaroring. The rain in 2006 aided Jenson Button to his first victory from 14th on the grid.
- Despite the lack of overtaking, less than half of the World Championship races at the Hungaroring have been won from pole.
- Due to under-use, the Hungaroring is often slippery at the beginning of the Grand Prix weekend. Parts of the track that are off the racing line can remain slippery throughout the event.
- McLaren are the most successful team at the Hungaroring , having won 12 Hungarian Grands Prix.
- Turn 4 is the quickest at the Hungaroring, taken at 132mph. Turn 1 is the slowest, taken at just 58mph. 12 of the 14 corners are taken at low-ish speed, which gives an advantage to cars with better mechanical grip.
- The largest winning margin at the Hungaroring is Damon Hill’s 72 second lead in 1993.
- 44% of the lap at the Hungaroring is spent at full throttle.
- Zsolt Baumgartner is the only Hungarian driver to have competed in his home Grand Prix.
- The Hungaroring has crowned two F1 champions over its history. In 1992, Nigel Mansell won the title at the Hungaroring and in 2001 Michael Schumacher took the championship victory.
2024 HUNGARIAN GRAND PRIX RECAP
In McLaren’s first 1-2 result since 2021, Piastri became a Grand Prix winner at the 2024 Hungarian Grand Prix, where team radio discussions were the talk of the afternoon.
After topping the timesheet in the last two practice sessions, Lando Norris secured pole position for the 2024 Hungarian Grand Prix. Sergio Perez crashed out in Q1 for the second race weekend running and started well down the order, while George Russell was a surprise name to exit in the first stage of qualifying. It was an action-packed hour, in which Yuki Tsunoda crashed out in Q3, bringing an early end to the competitive action.
McLaren locked out the front row for the 2024 Hungarian Grand Prix and at Turn 1 the top three starters – Norris, Oscar Piastri and Max Verstappen – went side by side. The three escaped unscathed, with Piastri taking the lead and Verstappen running off track and rejoining ahead of Norris. Verstappen allowed the McLaren back by on Lap 4.
Hamilton, running fourth, was first of the frontrunners to pit on Lap 17 – and moved ahead of Verstappen as a result of the undercut when the Red Bull driver pitted on Lap 22. The two battled over third position as the race reached the halfway mark before Hamilton pitted for a second time on Lap 41.
While the undercut proved effective, Norris pitted before his race-leading team-mate. When Piastri pitted two laps later, the McLarens had swapped positions, with Norris assuming the net lead. There followed some awkward team radio discussions, in which Norris was instructed to allow Piastri to re-pass. After plenty of back and forth, Norris finally moved aside two laps from the end.
Awkward radio discussions were the order of the day, as Verstappen and his race engineer had a public disagreement over their race strategy, with the three-time champion branded “childish” by his team. Verstappen and Hamilton resumed their battle for third place on Lap 63 but the duo made contact in a clumsy move, which saw the Red Bull launch into the air slightly.
Piastri became Formula 1’s newest winner in McLaren’s first 1-2 result since 2021. Hamilton took the final position on the podium – the 200th of his career – while Charles Leclerc finished ahead of Verstappen.
2023 HUNGARIAN GRAND PRIX RECAP
Hamilton took his first pole position since 2021 but Verstappen gave Red Bull a record-breaking 12th consecutive win at the 2023 Hungarian Grand Prix.
The big news ahead of the 2023 Hungarian Grand Prix weekend was that Daniel Ricciardo was to return to Formula 1 in place of Nyck de Vries at AlphaTauri. With rumours that the Australian could be promoted to Red Bull as soon as 2024, the Hungaroring weekend got off to the worst start for Sergio Perez, who crashed out in his RB19 in the opening minutes of Free Practice 1 after putting a wheel on the grass.
Damp conditions in Free Practice 1 also saw Carlos Sainz bring out the red flags with a spin but the remainder of the practice sessions passed in dry conditions without incident. A new qualifying format was trialled at the Hungaroring, in which drivers had to use hard compound tyres in Q1, mediums in Q2 and softs in Q3.
George Russell, who had taken pole for the Hungarian Grand Prix one year previously, was a shock exit in Q1, qualifying only 18th, while Carlos Sainz exited in Q2. Max Verstappen led the lap times after the first runs in Q3 but failed to improve on his second attempt. While Lando Norris missed out on bettering the Red Bull by just 0.082 seconds, Lewis Hamilton secured his first pole position since 2021 by 0.003 seconds, becoming the first driver to take nine poles at a single venue.
On the run to Turn 1, Verstappen was able to get ahead of Hamilton as Oscar Piastri made up positions to run second. Hamilton also dropped behind the other McLaren of Norris. Towards the back, a slow starting Zhou Guanyu ran into the back of Ricciardo, who then forced the Alpines into one another, leading to a disappointing early double DNF for the Enstone-based team.
Norris was first of the frontrunners to pit, doing so one lap before his team-mate. With a speedy outlap, Norris was able to move ahead of Piastri. Sergio Perez, meanwhile, pulled off a spate of overtaking moves and came very close to contact with the Mercedes of Russell as the pair scrapped over fifth place.
Charles Leclerc picked up a time penalty for speeding in the pit lane, while Perez found his next target in Piastri and the pair went wheel-to-wheel. Hamilton pitted from second place on Lap 50, which moved Perez up another position to third.
Verstappen led every lap and won for a seventh consecutive race weekend, with Red Bull setting a new record for most consecutive victories in F1. Norris finished as runner-up for the second race in a row as McLaren’s mid-season turnaround continued, while Perez completed the podium. Polesitter Hamilton finished just behind in fourth, with Piastri fifth.
2022 HUNGARIAN GRAND PRIX RECAP
On the weekend that Vettel announced his retirement from Formula 1, Russell secured the first pole position of his career and Verstappen won from tenth on the grid.
Ahead of the Hungarian Grand Prix weekend, Sebastian Vettel announced that he was to retire from Formula 1 at the end of the 2022 season. While Friday’s running at the Hungaroring took place in dry conditions, the weather turned on Saturday morning – leading to Nicholas Latifi setting the pace in final practice.
The track dried in time for the start of qualifying, where Mercedes impressed and George Russell secured the first pole position of his career. Max Verstappen was left unable to compete at the end of Q3 due to engine issues.
At the start of Sunday’s Grand Prix, Carlos Sainz went wheel-to-wheel with polesitter Russell on the run to Turn 1, but the Mercedes prevailed. Verstappen began to make progress from tenth on the grid and climbed to sixth place after passing both Alpines in quick succession. Verstappen was soon challenging Lewis Hamilton for fourth place.
As the leaders made their first stops, Russell stayed ahead of the Ferraris but Charles Leclerc was able to overcut team-mate Sainz. By Lap 30, Leclerc closed in on Russell using his fresher tyres. Leclerc passed for the lead at Turn 1 on Lap 31.
Verstappen made his second stop earlier than those ahead of him. At the second stop, Leclerc took on hard tyres – which had proved to be suboptimal for other drivers in the race. Verstappen, on mediums, was soon past the Ferrari for third place. Verstappen’s work was undone when he spun on Lap 41 – though he soon regained the position.
With 15 laps to go, the frontrunners had completed their scheduled pit stops, leaving Verstappen in the lead, Leclerc second and polesitter Russell third. Russell passed the Ferrari at Turn 1 – a favourite overtaking spot for the drivers in the race. Leclerc made yet another stop late on in the race, as Ferrari’s strategy calls baffled onlookers.
The two Silver Arrows battled for second place on Lap 65, with Hamilton coming out on top. Verstappen won the race by almost ten seconds, with seventh place starter Hamilton finishing as runner-up. Russell completed the podium in the final race before the summer break.
2021 HUNGARIAN GRAND PRIX RECAP
Esteban Ocon took his maiden Formula 1 win at the 2021 Hungarian Grand Prix in a thrilling wet weather race.
Only nineteen drivers competed in qualifying for the Hungarian Grand Prix following a heavy crash for Mick Schumacher in Free Practice 3. Carlos Sainz suffered a crash in Q2 and was unable to progress to the final stage of qualifying. Lewis Hamilton took pole position as Mercedes locked out the front row.
On Sunday, the race began in damp conditions, with Valtteri Bottas making a slow start which dropped him to fifth. Bottas then lost control at the first turn and smashed into the McLaren and two Red Bulls in front of him. Chaos ensued, with Lance Stroll missing his braking point and taking out the other McLaren and Charles Leclerc’s Ferrari. The race was red-flagged as a result, with no fewer than five drivers retiring.
As the red flag period ended, the weather had dried up. The drivers took to the track and almost every driver decided to pit for slick tyres ahead of the race. Everyone, that was, apart from Hamilton, who lined up on his own on the starting grid. The race resumed, with Hamilton soon deciding he was on the wrong tyre. His pit stop gave the race lead to Esteban Ocon. Nikita Mazepin was added to the list of retirements following a collision in the pit lane with Kimi Raikkonen.
Both Hamilton on his new tyres and Max Verstappen with damage sustained on the opening lap were left to fight through the field for the rest of the race. Verstappen fought back to ninth, while Hamilton was charging. His storming drive was slowed by Fernando Alonso, who was keen to hold his former team-mate back in order to help Ocon maintain his lead. Hamilton eventually found his way by and went about overtaking Carlos Sainz for third place.
Ocon himself came under pressure from Sebastian Vettel, but the Aston Martin driver was unable to find a way past. Ocon secured his maiden Grand Prix victory and Hamilton was promoted into second place following Vettel’s post race disqualification for failing to provide a fuel sample. It saw Sainz take the final podium place.
2020 HUNGARIAN GRAND PRIX RECAP
Lewis Hamilton took a record-equalling eighth Hungarian Grand Prix victory, as Max Verstappen recovered from a near-calamitous pre-race error.
There was drama before the lights went out at the Hungarian Grand Prix as, in damp conditions, Max Verstappen crashed on his way to the grid. Luckily, the Dutchman was able to get his car to the grid and his mechanics fixed the suspension damage just in time. On the formation lap, both Haas drivers pulled into the pits to switch to dry tyres – attempting to get an advantage on the drying track.
Lewis Hamilton started from pole position and maintained his advantage on the opening lap as team-mate Valtteri Bottas had a poor start, being overtaken by five cars. The Finn soon pitted for dry tyres, as did most of the field. That allowed the Haas drivers to climb up to third and fourth having pitted prior to the race start.
A busy pit lane led to damage for Nicholas Latifi, who had to pit again after contact with Carlos Sainz at the pit exit gave him a puncture. The rest of the race passed without much in the way of incidents. Charles Leclerc had close encounters with Bottas and Lando Norris while Latifi suffered a further spin.
Hamilton had enough of an advantage over Verstappen to pit again for soft tyres and take the Fastest Lap of the race. He led the Red Bull driver home by almost nine seconds, while Bottas challenged Verstappen in the closing stages but was unable to pass. After the race, both Haas drivers were handed ten second penalties for breaching the rules on the formation lap.
2019 HUNGARIAN GRAND PRIX RECAP
Max Verstappen took the first pole position of his career, but couldn’t resist a late race charge from Lewis Hamilton, who took his seventh Hungarian Grand Prix victory.
Saturday in Budapest saw Max Verstappen secure the first pole position of his career, much to the delight of his contingent of Dutch fans in the grandstands. He started alongside Valtteri Bottas on the front row, with the Red Bull maintaining the advantage after going three-wide with the two Mercedes into Turn 1. Bottas locked up at the next corner, and Hamilton passed him for second place. Charles Leclerc also passed Bottas, the two making slight contact and the Finn requiring a change of front wing. The Mercedes driver eventually finished the race in a relatively lowly eighth place.
Lap 18 saw an epic wheel to wheel battle between the two Toro Rossos, Daniil Kvyat ultimately winning that fight. Verstappen was first of the frontrunners to pit, and held a six second lead over Hamilton after both had pitted. Hamilton had closed in on the back of Verstappen by Lap 38, but failed to successfully pass the Dutchman. Instead, Mercedes opted for a different approach and pitted Hamilton. On fresh medium compound tyres, Hamilton began to reel in the Red Bull, as Verstappen admitted his tyres were “dead” on Lap 63.
Four laps later, Hamilton made his way past into the lead, with Verstappen unable to stop him. Hamilton celebrated his seventh victory in Hungary, while the two Ferrari drivers fought in the closing stages, with Sebastian Vettel overtaking Leclerc for the final podium spot. Verstappen pitted for fresh tyres and secured the additional point for Fastest Lap.
2018 HUNGARIAN GRAND PRIX RECAP
On a weekend where Ferrari had been expected to excel, Lewis Hamilton dominated both a wet qualifying session and the Grand Prix.
The Qualifying hour on Saturday was frantic due to the weather conditions. Lewis Hamilton took pole in the wet weather, with his team-mate starting alongside him on the front row. Ferrari had looked the stronger team throughout the practice sessions, but were on the back foot after the mixed conditions of the qualifying session.
The Mercedes stayed ahead on the opening lap, as Sebastian Vettel overtook his team-mate for third. Max Verstappen was out on the sixth lap with power unit issues, while his team-mate got up to fifth with impressive overtakes on Kevin Magnussen and Pierre Gasly, having started from twelfth on the grid.
A slow pit stop cost Vettel, as he emerged from the pits behind Valtteri Bottas. Vettel attempted an overtake on Bottas in the closing stages, but the move ended in contact. The Mercedes driver continued on a warpath as he slid into the side of Daniel Ricciardo at the first turn, eventually being forced to concede his fourth position.
Hamilton dominated the race, winning by almost twenty seconds. The two Ferrari drivers finished alongside him on the podium.
HUNGARORING WINNERS AND POLESITTERS
Year | Polesitter | Team On Pole | Winner | Winning Team |
|---|---|---|---|---|
1986 | Ayrton Senna | Lotus | Nelson Piquet | Williams |
1987 | Nigel Mansell | Williams | Nelson Piquet | Williams |
1988 | Ayrton Senna | McLaren | Ayrton Senna | McLaren |
1989 | Riccardo Patrese | Williams | Nigel Mansell | Ferrari |
1990 | Thierry Boutsen | Williams | Thierry Boutsen | Williams |
1991 | Ayrton Senna | McLaren | Ayrton Senna | McLaren |
1992 | Riccardo Patrese | Williams | Ayrton Senna | McLaren |
1993 | Alain Prost | Williams | Damon Hill | Williams |
1994 | Michael Schumacher | Benetton | Michael Schumacher | Benetton |
1995 | Damon Hill | Williams | Damon Hill | Williams |
1996 | Michael Schumacher | Ferrari | Jacques Villeneuve | Williams |
1997 | Michael Schumacher | Ferrari | Jacques Villeneuve | Williams |
1998 | Mika Häkkinen | McLaren | Michael Schumacher | Ferrari |
1999 | Mika Häkkinen | McLaren | Mika Häkkinen | McLaren |
2000 | Michael Schumacher | Ferrari | Mika Häkkinen | McLaren |
2001 | Michael Schumacher | Ferrari | Michael Schumacher | Ferrari |
2002 | Rubens Barrichello | Ferrari | Rubens Barrichello | Ferrari |
2003 | Fernando Alonso | Renault | Fernando Alonso | Renault |
2004 | Michael Schumacher | Ferrari | Michael Schumacher | Ferrari |
2005 | Michael Schumacher | Ferrari | Kimi Raikkonen | McLaren |
2006 | Kimi Raikkonen | McLaren | Jenson Button | Honda |
2007 | Lewis Hamilton | McLaren | Lewis Hamilton | McLaren |
2008 | Lewis Hamilton | McLaren | Heikki Kovalainen | McLaren |
2009 | Fernando Alonso | Renault | Lewis Hamilton | McLaren |
2010 | Sebastian Vettel | Red Bull | Mark Webber | Red Bull |
2011 | Sebastian Vettel | Red Bull | Jenson Button | McLaren |
2012 | Lewis Hamilton | McLaren | Lewis Hamilton | McLaren |
2013 | Lewis Hamilton | Mercedes | Lewis Hamilton | Mercedes |
2014 | Nico Rosberg | Mercedes | Daniel Ricciardo | Red Bull |
2015 | Lewis Hamilton | Mercedes | Sebastian Vettel | Ferrari |
2016 | Nico Rosberg | Mercedes | Lewis Hamilton | Mercedes |
2017 | Sebastian Vettel | Ferrari | Sebastian Vettel | Ferrari |
2018 | Lewis Hamilton | Mercedes | Lewis Hamilton | Mercedes |
2019 | Max Verstappen | Red Bull | Lewis Hamilton | Mercedes |
2020 | Lewis Hamilton | Mercedes | Lewis Hamilton | Mercedes |
2021 | Lewis Hamilton | Mercedes | Esteban Ocon | Alpine |
2022 | George Russell | Mercedes | Max Verstappen | Red Bull |
2023 | Lewis Hamilton | Mercedes | Max Verstappen | Red Bull |
2024 | Lando Norris | McLaren | Oscar Piastri | McLaren |