Jos Verstappen claims historic podium as Mika Hakkinen serves race ban - On This Day

Exactly 32 years ago today, on 14 August 1994, Michael Schumacher dominated the Hungarian Grand Prix at the Hungaroring, extending his championship lead to a commanding 31 points over Damon Hill. 

Yet it was the events surrounding two other drivers, one absent and one very much present, that gave this race its lasting significance.

Schumacher was imperious from start to finish. Starting from pole, he controlled the race throughout and crossed the line 20.8 seconds ahead of Hill, completing a clean sweep of pole, victory and fastest lap for his seventh win of the season. 

Hill, who started alongside on the front row, never threatened the Benetton and had to settle for second.

The real drama, however, played out behind them. Martin Brundle, running strongly in third for McLaren, suffered an electrical failure on the final lap, handing the final podium step to Jos Verstappen. 

The young Dutchman, who had started 12th, drove an aggressive race through the midfield to position himself right behind Brundle at precisely the right moment. It was Verstappen's first F1 points finish and the first podium for a Dutch driver in the sport's history.

Häkkinen's absence and the incidents behind it

One notable absentee from the grid was Mika Häkkinen, who was serving a one-race ban. The Finn's troubles had begun at the British Grand Prix, where he collided with Rubens Barrichello on the final lap while fighting for fourth place. 

The FIA handed Häkkinen a one-race suspension, suspended for three races, for breaching the sporting regulations.

It took just one race for the ban to be activated. At the very next round in Germany, Häkkinen made contact with David Coulthard's Williams at the first corner, spinning across the track and triggering a multi-car pile-up. 

The FIA duly enforced the suspended ban, and Häkkinen accepted the penalty without appeal.

McLaren drafted in test driver Philippe Alliot as a replacement, but the Frenchman's weekend proved underwhelming. He qualified 14th, well adrift of teammate Brundle in sixth, and retired after just 21 laps with a water leak. 

It was Alliot's only race for McLaren and his sole F1 start of 1994, a forgettable afternoon that only underlined what the team was missing in Häkkinen's absence.