Autosport writers’ favourite F1 Hungarian Grands Prix

The first Formula 1 race to be held behind the Iron Curtain, the Hungarian Grand Prix at the Hungaroring has become a well-established event that this year is being staged for a 37th consecutive year.

The tortuous sequence of corners at the Budapest track places a premium on a high-downforce set-up and gives the drivers a workout, but it has produced no shortage of intriguing races despite the ostensibly limited opportunities to overtake.

Autosport compiled a list of the top 10 Hungarian GPs in 2020 but, for this list, Autosport’s team of journalists have chosen their favourite races.

1986, Piquet treats new race to stunning passes – Marcus Simmons

“This is a historic occasion – the first ever world championship grand prix behind the Iron Curtain: the Hungarian Grand Prix, here at Mogyorod, which is about 20 kilometres away from the beautiful and historic city of Budapest on the river Danube.”

So intoned head-bobbing British national treasure Murray Walker as the intro to the BBC’s highlights from the 1986 race, which unexpectedly produced a memorable battle for the lead between the two Brazilian superstars of the decade.

‘Unexpectedly’, because the new Hungaroring was ridiculously tight and twisty. Such was its slow layout (for its first three years, the circuit featured a right-left-right complex where the Turn 3 sweeper is today) that the race would become time-limited to two hours. Surely there would be little scope for overtaking.

Not if you were Nelson Piquet. A man whose political allegiance is the polar opposite to the socialism of the former Eastern Bloc was on utterly inspired form to defeat his compatriot and bitter rival Ayrton Senna.

Senna qualified his Lotus-Renault on pole, with Piquet lining up alongside in his Williams-Honda. But it was the sister Williams of Nigel Mansell that burst through from fourth on the grid into second place at the start. Piquet wasted little time in asserting himself over Mansell, and it soon became apparent that the Briton was struggling.

Piquet had tried two differential set-ups in practice and qualifying, selected his preference, and it was reported that this wasn’t made known to Mansell, who struggled for traction throughout the race…

Piquet made an audacious dive on Senna into Turn 1 on the 12th lap to take the lead, which he held until his tyre stop. Senna stayed out much longer, nursing the Lotus’s rubber, and when he pitted…