Hungaroring

How it began

The circuit was built in 1986 near the village of Mogyoród, twenty kilometres north-east of Budapest, specifically for Formula 1. The Hungarian Grand Prix on 10 August 1986 was the first World Championship race in an Eastern Bloc country; Nelson Piquet won for Williams after passing Ayrton Senna around the outside.

The round has not missed a season since — in 2020 it even kept its place in the calendar that was redrawn because of the pandemic. The circuit’s contract runs until 2032.

The track

The 4.381 km lap with fourteen corners is narrow and twisty, with hardly any long straights, which is why it is called “Monaco without the walls”. It is usually hot here in summer, and the dusty asphalt off the racing line offers very little grip.

In 2003 the circuit was modified: the main straight was lengthened and the first corner made tighter to create at least one overtaking spot. Passing is still hard, so qualifying and strategy count for more here than race pace.

Memorable races

In 1997 Damon Hill led in his Arrows until the last lap, when his hydraulics failed and the win went to Jacques Villeneuve. On 24 August 2003 Fernando Alonso won his first race, and on 6 August 2006 Jenson Button did the same in the rain, from fourteenth on the grid.

In 2008 race leader Felipe Massa’s engine failed three laps from the end, and Heikki Kovalainen took the only win of his career. On 1 August 2021, after a pile-up at the first corner and a restart at which Hamilton was the only driver left on the grid, Esteban Ocon won — also for the first time.

Between 2007 and 2020 Lewis Hamilton won here eight times. On 21 July 2024 Oscar Piastri took his first win after his team-mate Lando Norris, on team orders, handed the lead back to him in the closing laps.

The 2026 season

The 2026 Hungarian Grand Prix took place on 26 July as the last race before the summer break; Lando Norris won it from pole. The season runs under the new rules: new power units with about half of their power coming from electricity, active aerodynamics and eleven teams — Cadillac joins the championship, and Sauber is taken over by Audi.