Hungarian GP

F1 Hungarian Grand Prix 2021

Since making its first appearance on the F1 calendar back in 1986, the Hungarian GP has been a mainstay in the World Championship.

Monaco without walls is just one of the nicknames given to the 4.381km track that demands a high-downforce package in order to cope with a myriad of sharp corners and hairpins.

Work began on the purpose-built facility in 1985, and it hosted its first F1 race less than a year later, which saw Nelson Piquet overtake Ayrton Senna around the outside of Turn 1 to snatch victory.

With just one straight, overtaking can be difficult, so strategy often plays a vital role in determining the outcome. This was highlighted in 2019 when Mercedes took the bold decision to two-stop Lewis Hamilton, with the Briton going on to pass Max Verstappen in the closing stages for the win.

History of the Hungarian Grand Prix

The first Hungarian GP dates back to 21 June 1936 and was run on the over 5km track laid out in the Budapest park of Nepliget. Although fans flocked to the race with Mercedes-Benz, Auto Union and the Alfa-Romeo equipped Ferrari teams all sending three cars, politics and the Second World War meant that motor racing in the country took a backseat.

F1 heads to the Hungaroring

The Hungarian GP was added to the F1 calendar in 1986, becoming the first race to take place behind the Iron Curtain. Located in Mogyorod near Budapest, the twisty track has remained on the F1 calendar since then.

Around 200,000 fans were in attendance for the first race despite high ticket prices, with Williams' Nelson Piquet battling it out with Lotus' Ayrton Senna. The Williams driver managed to find his way past at Turn 1, keeping his car on track despite opposite lock for one of the most famous passes in F1 history.

The narrow and twisty features of the track have often resulted in processional races, something which isn't helped by the often dusty track conditions. Thierry Boutsen managed to take the chequered flag in 1990 in his slower Williams car, as Senna couldn't find a way past in his faster McLaren.

Schumacher's famous 1998 Hungarian GP win

Strategy often plays into who comes out on top in Hungary, with Michael Schumacher's win for Ferrari in 1998 a prime example. The German started the race 12 points back of Mika Hakkinen and needed a strong result to keep his championship challenge alive. The two McLaren's started on the front row, putting Schumacher at an immediate disadvantage due to how difficult it is to pass around the Hungaroring.

Ferrari technical director Ross Brawn opted to change strategies, with Schumacher switching to a three-stop. The move hinged on the German pulling out 25 seconds from 19 laps, a feat he pulled off to take the chequered flag in stunning fashion.

The Hungarian GP is also known for the high number of drivers that scored their first career wins at the track. That list includes Damon Hill in 1993, Fernando Alonso in 2003, Jenson Button in 2006, in what was the first Hungarian GP held in wet conditions, Heikki Kovalainen in 2008 and Esteban Ocon in 2021.

Hill almost took his third win at the track in 1998 in the inferior Arrows-Yamaha, however his car lost drive on the final lap, forcing him to settle for second behind Jacques Villeneuve. The 2001 race is famous as Schumacher took the chequered flag, equalling Alain Prost's then record of 51 Grand Prix victories.

The Hungaroring was resurfaced for the first time in 2016, while the Grand Prix will be held at the venue until 2027.

Most successful F1 drivers and teams

Lewis Hamilton is the undisputed leader when it comes to Hungarian GP winners, taking the chequered flag on eight occasions. That's double the amount of wins Michael Schumacher has, while Ayrton Senna is the only three-time winner of the event.

As far as Constructors goes, McLaren have won the Hungarian GP on 11 occasions, though their last win dates back to 2012. Williams and Ferrari sit on seven, two more than Mercedes.

The Hungarian Grand Prix 2021

Hamilton started the race on pole, however the race was soon red flagged after a major incident at Turn 1. Valtteri Bottas braked late, hitting the back of Lando Norris' McLaren. Norris' car then damaged Max Verstappen's Red Bull, while Sergio Perez also retired due to damage. A separate incident involving Lance Stroll and Charles Leclerc forced both drivers to retire as well.

When the race resumed, only Hamilton started fro the grid on Intermediates as the rest of field pitted for slick tyres. This opened the door for Esteban Ocon and Sebastian Vettel to battle it out at the front, with the Frenchman crossing the line first for his and Alpine's first victory, while Hamilton finished third.

However, Vettel was later disqualified after stewards couldn't extract enough fuel from his Aston Martin, promoting Hamilton to second and Ferrari's Carlos Sainz to third.

When is the 2021 Hungarian Grand Prix on the F1 calendar?

The Hungarian Grand Prix is scheduled to take place on the weekend of 30 July - 1 August and is provisionally set to be the 11th race of the Formula 1 season.

The first two free practice sessions will take place on 30 July, with qualifying on Saturday 31 July at 15:00 CET.

What time does the Hungarian Grand Prix start?

The Hungarian Grand Prix starts on Sunday 1 August at 15:00 CET. The race can be followed live on RacingNews365’s blog and watched on F1 TV.