© Getty ImagesFive Things To Know About HungaroringWhat you didn’t know about the Hungarian Grand Prix that you can go and impress your friends with...
Withthesummerbreakfastapproaching,we’retryingtosavoureverythingwecanbeforewehavetocopewithAugust–themostboringmonthoftheyear.So,here’sfivethingsyoumightnothaveknownabouttheHungarianGrandPrixtowhetyourappetiteforthelastracebeforethesummerbreak…
OneOfTheFastestCircuitsToBeBuilt
When Hungary got the green light to host a Formula One race in 1986 the original plan was to have a Monaco-style street circuit, however authorities quickly rejected the proposal in favour of a purpose-built track on the edge of the capital city.
Mogyoród was the city chosen for the site, 11 miles outside of Budapest. It’s in a natural bowl offering spectacular views for the spectators. Construction started on 1st October 1985 and was completed in just nine months, which at the time was considerably less than any other circuit had taken to construct. The initial layout had to be modified during construction when an underground spring forced the diversion from the planned course via a series of slow S-bends, slowing the lap considerably. Hungaroring can be considered one of the first circuits that was purpose built for Formula One.
Hungary Has Never Missed A Grand Prix© Getty Images
SecondLongestRunOfHostingRaces
The Hungaroring has the honour of the second longest unbroken run of hosting Formula One races. It has not had a break since its inaugural event in 1986. This year will see the 37th Hungarian Grand Prix in a row held at Hungaroring.
Only one circuit has a longer, unbroken record and that’s Monza which will be hosting its 41st race in a row in September.
TheFirstandOnlyRaceHeldBehindtheIronCurtain
Back in the 80s there was a huge East/West divide between capitalism and communism (which we won’t get into here), the ‘Iron Curtain’ was named as the communist eastern Europe of the USSR was very secretive and not much was known about what was happening behind it. But Bernie Ecclestone knew that if Formula One was to grow, it needed to expand its horizons so a deal was struck for Hungary to host a Grand Prix in 1986. And it was a huge success with more than 200,000 spectators from across the Eastern Bloc showing up to watch Nelson Piquet win the inaugural event. This figure stood as a record for a Formula One race for nearly a decade, until 210,000 attended the 1995 Australian Grand Prix in Adelaide.
Budapest, You Are A Beauty© Getty Images
Being held in July, you wouldn’t expect many drivers to make their Formula One debut at the Hungaroring but both Hungary's Zsolt Baumgartner and Poland's Robert Kubica made their debuts at the circuit.
The track also has a history of hosting maiden victories for drivers. Five drivers have taken their first win at the Hungarian Grand Prix and three of which became future World Champions, they are; Jenson Button, Damon Hill, Fernando Alonso, Heikki Kovalainen and Esteban Ocon.
Max also collected his first pole position in 2019 at the Hungaroring, which also made him the 100th driver in the sport’s history to claim pole.
Let's Hope This Time Round At Hungary Isn't As Dramatic As Last Year...© Getty Images
Don’tWinInHungaryIfYouWantToBeTheChampion
In its long and distinguished history, the driver who went on to be crowned World Champion has only won at the Hungaroring 12 times, that’s around a success rate of 30%. This jinx was at its peak from 2005-2017, not one driver who won in Hungary became the World Champion in the same year.
Also, it should be noted that only two drivers’ titles have been decided at the Hungaroring. As it’s usually hosted in the middle of the season, it’s not really too much of a surprise. The first came in 1992 when Nigel Mansell took the spoils with five races to spare – he finished in P2, but had already won eight out of ten races so had collected enough points to secure his only world title. Then in 2001, Michael Schumacher won the Hungarian Grand Prix and claimed the title with four races to spare.
Hungaroring Is A Track Steeped In History© Getty Images
