Hungaroring, Racing Circuit

The Hungaroring is a permanent racing circuit at Mogyorod, just northeast of Budapest in Hungary. Constructed in only eight months from October 1985, it opened in March 1986 and holds the distinction of being the first Formula One venue staged behind the former Iron Curtain, with Nelson Piquet winning the inaugural Hungarian Grand Prix before a crowd of nearly 200,000. The circuit is laid out in a natural bowl, which gives spectators excellent views but historically created problems with dust blowing across the track. Tight, twisty and narrow, with a near-constant succession of corners and few real straights, it has long been likened to a Monaco without walls, where overtaking is notoriously difficult and qualifying position is prized. Among its rare famous passes was Nigel Mansell's bold move on Ayrton Senna in 1989. The layout was modified in 1989 when an awkward set of S-bends behind the pits, caused by an underground spring found during construction, was removed, and again more substantially in 2003 when the main straight was lengthened by around 200 metres and several corners were tightened to encourage better racing. The entire surface was relaid over the winter of 2015-16. The Hungaroring's principal event is the Formula One Hungarian Grand Prix, a permanent summer fixture, and it has also hosted touring car, endurance and truck racing championships. Its enduring place on the calendar makes it one of the longest-serving circuits in modern Formula One.

Operated by: Hungaroring Sport Zrt.