Hungaroring

The Hungaroring attracted an estimated crowd of 200,000 spectators in 1986 for the first Grand Prix to be held behind the Iron Curtain. Unfortunately, the circuit offered precious few overtaking opportunities, and its tight layout resembled a street circuit more than a purpose-built facility. Under those circumstances, Nigel Mansell’s 1989 victory from twelfth on the grid was especially impressive. In contrast, Thierry Boutsen held off a train of quicker cars for the entire race to win for Williams a year later. It was here that Mansell won the World Championship in 1992, and Michael Schumacher clinched a fourth title in 2001. It was also the scene of first victories for Damon Hill (1993), Fernando Alonso (2003), Jenson Button (2006), Heikki Kovalainen (2008), Esteban Ocon (2021) and Oscar Piastri (2024). The Hungarian GP has been the last event before Formula 1’s annual summer break in recent years.