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Hungarian Grand Prix

Everything you need to know about the Hungarian Grand Prix

Round 12  - July 21st - 23rd

History

Hungaroring, is a motor racing circuit located near Budapest, Hungary. The circuit was built in 1986 and hosted its first Hungarian Grand Prix in the same year, making it one of the newer tracks on the Formula One calendar.

The circuit is 4.381 km (2.722 mi) long and features 14 turns, including several tight and twisty corners that require precise handling. The track is known for its lack of overtaking opportunities, which can make for a strategic race with a focus on pit stops and tire management.

The Hungaroring is a favorite among drivers, who appreciate the challenging layout and the passionate Hungarian fans who come out to support the race. The circuit is also known for its hot and humid conditions, which can make for a physically demanding race.

The Hungarian Grand Prix has been held annually at the Hungaroring since 1986 and is one of the most popular races on the Formula One calendar. The race is known for its exciting on-track action, particularly in recent years as teams have become more adept at managing tire wear and finding opportunities to overtake.

In addition to hosting the Hungarian Grand Prix, the Hungaroring also hosts a variety of other motor racing events, including the FIA GT World Cup and the FIA European Truck Racing Championship. The circuit is also open to the public for driving experiences, guided tours, and other events throughout the year.

The Hungarian government decided to built a Formula 1 track and work began in Budapest in 1985. Its first ever F1 race was held in 1986, with William's Nelson Piquet winning the inaugural race, after impressively completing a round-the-outside move on Ayrton Senna.

The track is built near Budapest and its Grand Prix is known to be very hot and dry, as it's usually scheduled for the last weekend of July, and the European summer tends to be really hot indeed. Pirelli confirms that track temperatures during free practice last year peaked at nearly 60 degrees.

Bahrain Grand Prix Track.png

Hungaroring

Turns: 14
DRS Zones: 2
Circuit Length: 4.381 km (2.722 mi)
Total Race Distance: 306.63 km (190.53 mi)
Number of Laps: 70
Lap Record: 1:16.627 (Lewis Hamilton, 2020)

What happened at the 2023 Hungarian Grand Prix

Max Verstappen dominantly won once again in 2023 with a 33 second gap to second placed Lando Norris in his McLaren. The winning margin was the largest since Lewis Hamilton's 100th grand prix win at the rain soaked 2021 Russian Grand Prix. Sergio Perez made a statement drive as he fought his way from P9 to P3, it was the first time in five races that the Mexican driver had managed to get into Q3.

The race was won at the start at turn 1 with Lewis Hamilton starting on pole position for the first time since the 2021 Saudi Arabian Grand Prix which was over a year and a half ago. Hamilton took pole by just 0.003s ahead of Verstappen and breaking the record for most poles at a circuit with now nine at the Hungaroring. The British driver managed to get away well in the first phase moving over to cover off an attack from Verstappen but suffered wheel spin in the second phase of the start meaning Verstappen was quickly gaining on him. Into turn 1 Verstappen pushed Hamilton wide and opened the door for both McLaren's to take advantage. Oscar Piastri who start in fourth managed to get through and up into second place and his teammate Lando Norris followed him down to turn 3 going around the outside of the Mercedes.

Further back Zhou Guanyu collided with Daniel Ricciardo who was making his F1 return for AlphaTauri. Zhou was starting from his best ever qualifying position in fifth but had a terrible getaway and into Turn 1 ran into the back of Ricciardo causing a domino effect as the Australian was sent into the Alpine's of Gasly and Ocon. Esteban Ocon ended up going over the top of his teammate Gasly which resulted in both drivers retiring for the second race in a row. The landing caused Ocon's seat to split in half as well as giving the Frenchman minor back injuries.

From there on out it was a fairly straight forward race as Verstappen pulled away from the two McLaren's before the first round of pit stops. Piastri and Perez scrapped it out for a place on the podium with the Red Bull driver forcing the rookie wide at turn 2 and damaged his floor as a consequence. Due to the damage Hamilton managed to pass Piastri and to everyone's surprise managed to hunt down Perez and try to challenge him for the podium but it was too late. The seven time world champion caught Perez with two laps to go but could not do anything. The Mercedes looked really fast on medium with low fuel compared to how the car behaved at the beginning of the race. After the race the Brit commmented on how the balance of the car at the start was all over the place but once the fuel loads started to come down the car suddenly got quicker with Hamilton setting similar lap times to Verstappen at the front according to Toto Wolff.

F1 heads to Spa-Francorchamps next weekend for the Belgian Grand Prix where Verstappen and Red Bull will look to break McLaren's record of 12 consecutive victories in a season by a constructor, a record that has stood since the 1988 season with the MP4/4.

Last 5 Winners

2023: Max Verstappen, Red Bull
2022: Max Verstappen, Red Bull
2021: Esteban Ocon, Alpine
2020: Lewis Hamilton, Mercedes
2019: Lewis Hamilton, Mercedes

FORMULA 1 HUNGARIAN GRAND PRIX 2023 SCHEDULE

Friday July 21st:
Practice 1 (FP1) : 12:30 - 13:30 (Finished)
Practice 2 (FP2): 16:00 - 17:00 (Finished)

Saturday July 22nd:
Practice 3 (FP3): 11:30 - 12:30 (Finished)
Qualifying: 15:00 - 16:00 (Finished)

Sunday July 23rd:
Race Start: 14:00 (Finished)

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