Formula 1 heads straight to the vibrant city of Budapest for the Hungarian Grand Prix – the final round prior to the championship’s summer break. Motorsport Week previews the event and provides the key information.
History
A Hungarian Grand Prix was held in 1936 in the south-eastern Budapest district of Nepliget and 50 years later Formula 1 visited the country for the first time, as it broke under the Iron Curtain.
A purpose-built venue was constructed in a small valley close to the village of Mogyorod, a short drive to the north-east of the centre of Hungary’s capital.
The Hungaroring opened its doors to Formula 1 in 1986 and it has established itself as a firm fixture on the calendar, its central European location and summer date (it has always been held in late July or August) making it a popular event for spectators.
Only two circuits – Monza and Monte Carlo – have a longer unbroken spell on the calendar.
The future of the event remains bright – it holds a contract through to 2026, while crumbling facilities are set for an overhaul after this year’s Grand Prix.
Circuit
The Hungaroring layout has remained largely unchanged since its construction in 1986, albeit with gradual tweaks to certain sections through the 1990s.
The last major change came in 2003, when the pit straight was extended and half of the final sector modified, lengthening the circuit length to its current 4.381km state.
The timing of the Grand Prix in mid-summer, allied to the Hungaroring’s infrequent use, often results in a dusty track surface, adding to the challenge of a deceptively tricky circuit.
Much of the layout is composed of medium-speed corners, with one turn leading into the next, and the relatively narrow nature of the circuit means there is little margin for error.
There are a few of low-speed corners – including the Turn 1 hairpin, Turn 6/7 chicane and sharp Turn 12 right-hander, while the high-speed blind short-apex Turn 4 and sweeper at Turn 11 can easily catch out unwitting drivers.
The circuit places an emphasis on high-downforce, with the relative absence of long straights lessening the importance of power units, while thermal degradation of tyres is high.
It is a difficult circuit at which to overtake, raising the importance of a good grid position and a well-executed strategy.
“It’s a very tight track, similar to Monaco in a way but obviously without the barriers,” says Renault’s Carlos Sainz Jr.
“It’s a track I like, especially in qualifying, where you have to be on it. A lap is very intense and busy with a lot of corner combinations you have to get right. It’s a difficult circuit to overtake, but Turn 1 is probably the best opportunity.”
What happened in 2017?
Ferrari held the advantage at the high-downforce Hungaroring and converted a front-row lockout into a 1-2 finish, with Sebastian Vettel ahead of Kimi Raikkonen.
Ferrari’s win was nonetheless far from straightforward as a steering problem slowed Vettel’s SF71-H and he was fortunate to have the conducive Raikkonen as his rear-gunner.
A radio communication issue thwarted Lewis Hamilton’s charge for much of the race but he was eventually given free rein to attack Raikkonen for second – but was unable to usurp the Finn.
Hamilton consequently gave back the gifted position to Mercedes team-mate Valtteri Bottas, while Red Bull’s Max Verstappen was fifth, following a penalty for causing a first-lap clash with team-mate Daniel Ricciardo, who retired.
Vettel’s win was his second in three years at the event, having also triumphed for Ferrari in 2015.
The four-time champion nonetheless trails adversary Hamilton, who has savoured the winner’s champagne five times, including his first triumph as a Mercedes driver in 2013.
Hamilton was victorious for McLaren in 2007, 2009 and 2012, and controlled the 2016 event to take a record fifth win, pulling clear of four-time Hungary victor Michael Schumacher.
Of Hamilton’s and Vettel’s opponents on the grid, Daniel Ricciardo succeeded in a spectacular wet/dry race in 2014, while Kimi Raikkonen dominated for McLaren in 2005.
This week’s event marks 15 years since Fernando Alonso captured his maiden win at the 2003 Grand Prix – his sole Hungaroring triumph.
In terms of qualifying Hamilton can match his five wins with five poles (2007, 2008, 2012, 2013, 2015) but he is still two short of the record seven accrued by Schumacher.
Vettel (2010, 2011, 2017), Alonso (2003, 2009) and Raikkonen (2006) are the other polesitters in the current field.
Other details
Tyre supplier Pirelli has nominated the Ultrasoft (purple), Soft (yellow) and Medium (white) tyres for this weekend’s event, missing out the Supersofts, the third time this year it has made a non-linear approach.
Either the Soft or Medium tyres must be run for one stint of the 70-lap Grand Prix, assuming dry conditions prevail.
Antonio Giovinazzi will again run in FP1 for Sauber, this time taking the place of Charles Leclerc.
Formula 2 and GP3 will return to action after missing Germany, with the senior series embarking on its seventh of 12 rounds, and the lesser division holding its fifth of nine rounds.
Formula 1 teams, bar Haas, will stay on in Hungary for two days of post-race testing on Tuesday and Wednesday, with action set to take place from 09:00 to 13:00 and 14:00 to 18:00 local time.
Several young drivers will be in action across the course of the two-day test, as per Formula 1 regulations.
Weather forecast:
Friday: Sunny spells, 29°c
Saturday: Thunderstorms, 28°c
Sunday: Light rain, 29°c
Timetable: (GMT+2)
Friday 27 July
FP1: 11:00 – 12:30
FP2: 15:00 – 16:30
Saturday 28 July
FP3: 12:00 – 13:00
Qualifying: 15:00 – 16:00
Sunday 29 July
Race: 15:10 (70 laps or two hours)
What next?
Spa-Francorchamps will host the 13th round of the season, the Belgian Grand Prix, from August 24 to 26
