Many people may see the Hungarian Grand Prix as one of the “traditional” Formula One races. However, Hungaroring’s addition was surprising when F1 added it to the calendar during the mid-1980s.
It became the first race behind the “Iron Curtain,” showing F1’s continued global expansion, and has been a track of firsts for numerous drivers. Hungary is where Fernando Alonso and Esteban Ocon recorded their first F1 wins, and others like George Russell snagged their maiden pole.
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Last time out at Silverstone, Lewis Hamilton made history after securing his ninth British Grand Prix victory, and he has a similar opportunity in Hungary. He’s won eight times at Hungaroring — could he do it again, particularly with Mercedes’ recent performance improvement?
Nestled in the small village of Mogyoród, just over 12 miles (20 km) outside Budapest, the Hungaroring presents a familiar challenge for drivers navigating the summer heat. Here’s what you need to know about the circuit known as “Monaco without the walls.”
Karting in the bowl-like landscape
The key to mastering the high-downforce Hungaroring is finding a rhythm, particularly in the middle sector, given the changes in direction. There’s only one lengthy straight (along the pits), so the circuit is often compared to karting tracks.
It’s a narrow, bumpy circuit that makes track position and qualifying key. Overtaking is fairly difficult. The best spot is arguably Turn 1, a hard braking point into the right-hand corner that opens into a DRS zone, but drivers have to start thinking about that moment as they leave Turn 14, the last corner. It’s rare for overtakes to happen elsewhere.
Track evolution is another essential talking point at Hungaroring between the dust and summer heat. It becomes faster as the weekend progresses and rubber residue builds up, but drivers will have to keep dusty surroundings in mind when tackling corners as they try to find maximum grip. The heat taxes the brakes, particularly considering the lack of straights and low average speed. The latter limits airflow, so it’s harder to cool down the brakes.
“It’s one of the most demanding circuits on the calendar because it keeps the driver busy on the full lap,” Lewis Hamilton said, per redbull.com. “It’s like a go-kart circuit: there are a lot of winding passages and turns, and the only place to relax is the pit straight, which is quite short. The layout is also not very adherent, which makes overtaking adventurous. It’s a circuit that rewards consistency and precision: pushing too hard means losing time.”
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Strategy potential
Get ready for a hot weekend.
The 2023 race weekend saw a record track temperature of the season at 53° C (127.4° F), and this weekend is set to be another hot one. The area had an excessive heat warning earlier in the week. As a result, tire degradation could be higher at Hungaroring, and teams will need to keep the tires from overheating, which can become difficult between the track temperature and layout. The last two corners are 180-degree turns, with only one real straight.
Pirelli chose the three softest compounds for this race weekend, just like last year, and this means there could be varying strategies in a multi-pit stop race.
The Hungaroring is very twisty with only one real straight that includes the start-finish line. It provides the most likely, if not the only, overtaking opportunity. There are 14 corners, six to the left and eight to the right, some of them being 180° turns. #HungarianGP #F1 pic.twitter.com/eo8YgB6Nl1
— Pirelli Motorsport (@pirellisport) July 15, 2024
Trivia corner
- Hungaroring is the eighth most visited circuit in F1 history. This year marks the 39th edition of the race.
- The pole sitter has won 16 out of the last 38 editions of the Hungarian GP, which shows the importance of a solid qualifying performance.
- A driver who has started lower than the second row has only won the race four times.
- Five drivers won their maiden F1 victories here over the years: Damon Hill (1993), Jenson Button (2006), Heikki Kovalainen (2008), Fernando Alonso (2003) and Esteban Ocon (2021).
- Most pole positions: Lewis Hamilton (9)
- Most wins: Lewis Hamilton (8)
- Most successful team: McLaren (11)
This is an updated version of a story that first ran in July 2023.
(Track video courtesy of EA Sports F1 —learn more about “F1 24″ here.)
(Lead image: Rudy Carezzevoli/Formula 1, Robert Szaniszlo/NurPhoto via Getty Images; Design: Drew Jordan)
Madeline Coleman is a Staff Writer for The Athletic covering Formula One. Prior to joining The Athletic, she served as a writer and editor on Sports Illustrated’s breaking and trending news team. She is a graduate of the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill. Follow Madeline on Twitter @mwc13_3
