Hungarian Grand Prix: Track and Statistics

Formula 1 debuted in Hungary in 1986, but this stage could also have taken place in the USSR. Bernie Ecclestone wanted to run the race behind the Iron Curtain and considered the Soviet Union, China and Yugoslavia as candidates. Ecclestone felt the power of this ‘curtain’ and the bureaucratic difficulties and chose Hungary.

Tamás Frank became the promoter of the stage – he and Bernie were friends for many years, until Tamás passed away in the summer of 2012. A contract was signed on September 10, 1985, construction began three weeks later and on August 10, 1986 the debut stage of Formula 1 took place at the Hungaroring.

“Tamás was a man of action, very direct and sincere. Despite the small budget that the organizers had at the time, he did an excellent job. I am proud that I started this race in 1986, when Hungary was still behind the Iron Curtain,” Ecclestone said a few years ago.

Nowadays the Hungarian stage can safely be called historic, the Hungaroring is the oldest circuit on the calendar this season, specially built for Formula 1. This is one of the few circuits that has always been present on the calendar since its opening.

In 2021, the contract for the Hungarian Grand Prix was extended until 2037. At the Hungaroring, new grandstands will be built along the straight and the paddock will be completely reconstructed.

Features of the route

In terms of average speed, the Hungaroring is only surpassed by Monaco; it is a very slow circuit where it is not easy to find the right settings. Overtaking is difficult, although the wide safety zones allow you to take risks, and two dependent DRS zones make it easier to fight for positions.

The cars are set up for maximum downforce, with aerodynamic settings similar to those in Barcelona or Monaco. The suspension must be soft enough and provide stable contact with the track. It is essential to keep your tires working well and avoid overheating problems on the track.

Twelve of the fourteen corners are taken at speeds approaching 200 km/h, which requires optimum aerodynamic balance and good mechanical grip. Engine power and the efficiency of recuperation systems are not as important here as on many other circuits.

High demands are placed on the physical condition of the racers, who spend almost all the time in braking zones and in bends, without the possibility of resting, except on the straight. Braking is not very powerful, but the wear on the brakes is high because they do not have time to cool down.

Usually the Hungarian weekend is accompanied by warm and sunny weather. The Hungaroring is not often used for racing, so on Friday the track condition leaves much to be desired and the Saturday training is more suitable for working with tires.

At the Hungaroring it is important to have a good start, as the peloton tends to stretch out in the slow second and third corners. At the same time, the straight to the first corner is quite long: 400 meters from the pole to the braking point.

The weekend in Hungary in 2009 was remembered for an unpleasant incident during qualifying, when on the straight a spring from Rubens Barrichello’s car hit Felipe Massa’s helmet – the Brazilian suffered a head injury and missed the end of the season. The design of the helmets was modified after the incident: on the upper edge of the visor appeared a 50 mm strip made of the strongest carbon fiber Zylon.

Diego IovernoFerrari engineer: “We have been competing at the Hungaroring for almost forty years. The stage takes place in the middle of summer, it is usually warm on the track, but there are also unexpected rain showers.

The track is slow, the same as Monaco and Singapore. Overtaking is difficult, the cars are set up for high downforce, given the large number of slow corners. Even though overtaking is not easy, one pitstop is usually not enough.

In terms of weather, the Hungarian stage is very difficult. There are few straight lines where radiators can cool the power plant, gearbox oil, brakes and other components. Although the maximum power on this track is not so important and the heating is therefore not so strong, it is still necessary to take this point into account.

On Friday it is important to choose the optimal cooling level that guarantees reliability and speed. We will perform a correlation between real data and calculations obtained on the simulator. Monitoring the tire temperature is also very important.”

Weekend Schedule

You can follow the progress of all Formula 1 sessions on our live broadcast page. We have written instructions on how to watch live video broadcasts.

Tire sets issued to teams for the weekend

For the sixth time this season, Pirelli will bring a “soft” trio of compounds to the podium: C3, C4 and C5, named Hard, Medium and Soft. The same combination of compounds was recently used in Austria…

The number of sets of intermediate and rain tyres on the stage in Hungary remains unchanged: four and three respectively.

Current riders’ performances in Hungary

Despite the difficulties in overtaking, only 16 of the last 38 Hungarian Grands Prix have been won by pole-holders. Lewis Hamilton is the all-time leader in the number of victories at the Hungarian circuit, having climbed to the top step of the podium at the Hungaroring eight times.

The lowest starting position for a Hungarian Grand Prix winner was Jenson Button’s 14th place in the wet 2006 race – the first victory of the Briton’s career.

Fernando Alonso: “In Hungary I achieved my first victory in Formula 1. That year we did not have the fastest car, we did not expect the victory, but the circuit turned out to be suitable for it.

Usually this weekend coincides with my birthday, so there are many positive memories, it’s hard to name just one.

The track in Hungary is not easy, narrow and winding – a real challenge for the riders. It is difficult to overtake. Qualifying will be, as always, very important.”

^{* Fernando Alonso set the best time in qualifying, but was penalised by the stewards for holding up his partner by being denied five places on the grid, and Lewis Hamilton started from pole.}