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The ultimate Hungarian F1 circuit guide
The Hungaroring is set to host the 2022 Hungarian Grand Prix for its 36th consecutive year. Here's everything you need to know about “the Turnstile.”
Summer break is fast approaching, but before the drivers go on vacation for the month of August, they will be competing at the Hungaroring Circuit on July 31st, for the 36th edition of the Hungarian Grand Prix. The Hungaroring is a very demanding circuit and the intense summer heat will be in full effect during the race -- keeping both teams and racers on their toes.
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A track of many firsts
The Hungaroring was built in 1986 in the small traditional village of Mogyoród. It’s inaugural race was held on August 10th, 1986, and it was the first race beyond the “Iron Curtain'' which separated the Soviet zone of influence in the East and the countries of the West. It was a historic event for racing and for sport in general.
Hungaroring
© Getty Images / Red Bull Content Pool
The Hungaroring track has also been the site of many firsts for drivers. Damon Hill won his first victory there in 1993, Fernando Alonso in 2003, Jenson Button in 2006, and Heikki Kovalainen in 2008. In 2019, it was here that Max Verstappen won his first pole position at the wheel of a Red Bull Racing car, and in 2020, Lewis Hamilton tied Michael Schumacher’s record of eight victories in the same Grand Prix.
It's like Monaco without walls
Located 20 kilometres north of Budapest, the Hungaroring is nicknamed the Turnstile. Why? Quite simply because its 4.381 kilometre loop is a series of incessant bends. The track contains only one real straight line, that of the pits, which makes overtaking maneuvers particularly difficult for the drivers. For this reason, the track is also nicknamed "Monaco without walls".
Verstappen in Hungary
© Getty Images/Red Bull Content Pool
In addition to the bends, the route is particularly slow, bumpy, and very narrow. It only measures a maximum of 15 meters wide in the pit straight (opposed to 20 meters on average on the other circuits) and never exceeds 10 meters in the other sections.
Hot, hot, hot
The track also tends to be very dusty due to the summer heat as well as it’s infrequent usage. Often, an underused circuit will become faster over the race weekend as the track surface builds up rubber residue. The Hungaroring, however, is different because of the large amount of dust and residue that is blown in from the surrounding area. Therefore, vehicles must be adjusted accordingly to maintain maximum grip, and drivers have to keep this in mind when cornering.
AlphaTauri in Hungary
© Getty Images/Red Bull Content Pool
"It's such a slow and tortuous circuit that there are two extremely important things to achieve fast laps: good corner entry and good traction", explained Kimi Raïkkönen, an ex racer with twenty years of experience in Formula 1. “If you put that together, you have a competitive car there. It is one of those circuits where it is very difficult to overtake. Obviously, you have to be ahead in qualifying and you also want, ideally, to avoid the dusty part of the track.
“It's one of the most demanding circuits on the calendar because it keeps the driver busy on the full lap,” added Lewis Hamilton, eight-time winner of the Hungarian Grand Prix . “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.”
The 2021 pile up ...
In 2021, instead of a hot and dusty track, racers showed up to a rainy race day. The slick conditions led to major incidents at the first turn of the first lap; when Valterri Bottas braked late, causing a chain reaction that damaged both Red Bull Racing drivers. Sergio Pérez was taken out of the race due to extensive damage to his vehicle while Max Verstappen suffered major damage but was able to continue. The damage to Verstappen’s car proved to hinder his ability to perform and he finished the race in 9th position. Esteban Ocon crossed the finish line first for the Alpine-Renault team, Ocon and Alpine’s first victory, and the first Grand Prix win for the Enstone team since the 2013 Australian Grand Prix.
Hungarian fans at the rendezvous
© Getty Images/Red Bull Content Pool
With both Verstappen and Pérez finishing in poor positions due to the crash in the first lap of the 2021 edition of the Hungarian Grand Prix, they will be hungry to return to Hungaroring before the summer break. See you on race day.
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