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The Hungarian Grand Prix - did you know?

21 Jul 2015

Did you know that only three drivers have won from pole in the last decade at the Hungaroring? Or that the last man to triumph on Hungarian soil and go on to win the title was Michael Schumacher in 2004? Ahead of the Formula 1 Pirelli Magyar Nagydij 2015, we present some of the quirkiest and weirdest stats, facts and trivia...
  • This year the Hungaroring will host its 30th consecutive Formula One Grand Prix, having become a permanent fixture on the calendar since hosting its first race in 1986. Only two circuits have continuously featured in F1 racing for longer - Monte Carlo and Monza.
  • While the current 4.381-kilometre layout is around 300 metres longer than the original version, the Hungaroring is still one of the shortest circuits on the calendar. Only Monte Carlo, Montreal, Spielberg and Interlagos are shorter.
  • Sixteen different drivers have won the Hungarian Grand Prix - with Michael Schumacher the most successful of all with four victories, seven poles and seven podiums to his name.
  • Lewis Hamilton, however, can move above Schumacher on the win count if he triumphs this year. The Briton can already boast four victories (and five podiums) from eight starts in Budapest. Aside from one DNF in 2010, his lowest ever finish here is fifth.
  • In contrast, Sebastian Vettel is yet to taste victory at the Hungaroring. It remains one of just four circuits at which he has competed more than once in his F1 career and not triumphed.
  • In another odd statistical quirk, it has been over a decade since a driver won at the Hungaroring and went on to take the championship. It has happened only eight times in history, and the last man to manage it was Michael Schumacher in 2004.
  • That victory is also the last time Ferrari triumphed on Hungarian soil. The Scuderia have only won five times in total at the Hungaroring - four through Schumacher, and once through Nigel Mansell in 1989. 
  • McLaren in contrast lead the way with 11 victories here. Williams, meanwhile, have seven wins here - they have the honour of triumphing in the first two races here via Nelson Piquet, but their last came in 1997 through Jacques Villeneuve.
  • Four drivers have taken maiden victories in Hungary - Damon Hill in 1993, Fernando Alonso in 2003, Jenson Button in 2006 and Heikki Kovalainen in 2008.
  • In addition, three drivers claimed their maiden Grand Prix podiums at the Hungaroring - Jos Verstappen in 1994 (third), Pedro de la Rosa in 2006 (second), and Timo Glock in 2008 (second). While Verstappen and Glock would score three more podiums collectively, De la Rosa would never again ascend an F1 rostrum.
  • Thierry Boutsen, meanwhile, recorded his first - and what would prove only - F1 pole in Hungary in 1990. He went on to win the race by just 0.288s from Ayrton Senna - it remains the smallest winning margin in history in Hungary.
  • At the other end of the scale is Damon Hill's 1993 triumph. The Briton dominated from the outset, and eventually took the chequered flag almost 72 seconds ahead of the chasing pack.
  • The Hungaroring hasn't always produced the most dynamic or scintillating races, with several drivers leading from lights to flag early on. Recent Grands Prix have bucked the trend, however. In 2014 and '13 there were nine lead changes in total, while the lead swapped hands six times in 2012. It is 2011 that set the benchmark, though, with the lead changing 10 times in total, a circuit record, before Jenson Button finally prevailed. 
  • The 2004 race made history for another reason: the highest finish by a Hungarian driver at their home race. The honour falls to Zsolt Baumgartner, who took the chequered flag in 15th position. He remains the only Hungarian driver to have participated in F1 competition to date.
  • In that race it was Michael Schumacher who triumphed from pole position - not altogether common, given that of the 29 races in Hungary, only 13 have been won by the polesitter. And it has only happened three times in the last decade - and all via Lewis Hamilton, who won from pole in 2007, 2012 and 2013.
  • Two Britons occupy the other end of the scale. Nigel Mansell triumphed from 12th on the grid in 1989, a Hungarian record that stood until 2006, when Button famously came through from 14th to claim his breakthrough F1 victory. 
  • And finally, if Hamilton qualifies on the front row this weekend, he will move ahead of Damon Hill and into second in the list of consecutive front row starts. Both currently sit on 17 - while Ayrton Senna is out front on 24.