In the heart of Hungary, a few kilometers from the capital Budapest, there is one of the most particular and technical circuits of the Formula 1 World Championship: theHungaroring. Long 4381 metersthe conformation of the route makes it one of the more slow tracks of all the calendar, with very narrow and demanding curves. Here you have been running since 1986 and this year’s race marks his 40th Apparition in the World Cup calendar. The overtaking are almost impossible to carry out, except that on the main 850 -meter long straight, which in 2003 was stretched in order to see more overtaking on the track. The circuit will host the race of 70 rpm Sunday 3 August 2025 at 15.OO, with the pilots who will have to travel a total distance of 306.63 km.
Hungaroring serves a high aerodynamic load For a very simple reason: it is a very tortuous circuit, with slow and medium-welly curvesvery few straights and almost no point to finish. The configuration of the track resembles a Kartodromo: many changes of direction, curves in sequence and little space for high speeds. You need a precise single -seater e stable in insertionbut also Much traction output of the curvewhere it is easy to lose grip. It takes on vital importance here the qualification of Saturday because of the few ideas for overtaking.
In 2020 Lewis Hamilton he scored the record lap in the race stopping the time trial a 1’16 “627 with an average speed of 218 km/h. Let’s find out better what makes the Hungaroring circuit so demanding.
The characteristics of the Hungarian “Kartodromo”
The Hungaroring route is composed of 14 curves In total: of these, 8 are on the right and 6 on the left. Despite the relatively contained number, the difficulty lies in the close sequence and in the variety of curves, which alternate between very narrow hairpin bends and curves at right angle, but always with rather contained curvature, on average between 30 and 60 meters.
The track develops on a hill that reaches the 238 meters On the sea level and has a maximum difference in height of about 26 meters, with an almost flat surface. To characterize the track there are four sections at relatively high speed: the main straight and three segments between the curves 1-2, 3-4-5 and 11-12. On the other hand, there are also three slow curves (1, 2 and 6) and a very technical chicane that includes curves 6 and 7.
As evidence of how “guided” the track is, on average the pilots spend about the 65% of the lap time with the rotated steering wheel. On such a circuit the top speed passes into the background. Teams mount configurations ad high aerodynamic loadfocusing everything on adherence in corner and on outgoing traction. The suspensions tend to be softer to manage the continuous changes of slope and guarantee stability in the slow stretches.
According to data provided by Brembo, hungaroring is a track medium demanding for brakes: 10 braking per lap, but only two really intense, for a total of 22% of the foot with the foot on the brake pedal. The hardest is the one in corner 1, where it brakes from 310 to 96 km/h just 122 meterswith a deceleration of 4.5 ge a braking power that exceeds 2,200 kW. The biggest problem, however, is the heat. The high summer temperatures combined with the lack of long straights make it difficult to cool the braking system and the power unit. Thermal management thus becomes a decisive factor throughout the weekend.
On the overtaking front, despite the tortuous nature of the track, hungaroring presents Two DRS areas (or in favor of overtaking): the first is positioned on main straightthe fastest point of the track, immediately after curve 14. The second is located between curve 1 and curve 2, a short but useful trait to remain glued to the opponent after the first attempt at attack.
Management of tires and strategy: the real challenge of Hungaroring
Hungaroring, tire management is an aspect crucial. Although the route is not particularly abrasive and not too fast, its brevity causes tires to be stressed constantly and closely. The main problem, however, is not so much the mechanical usury as the thermal degradationthat is, the loss of performance caused by high temperatures, especially to the left front, which suffers from the numerous curves on the right. The asphalt, very dark, in fact tends to overheat easily: in 2024, for example, the 58.6 ° Cthe highest value of the entire season.
For the weekend 2025, Pirelli has selected the same terna of Slick tires of 2024: C3 as Hard, C4 as a medium And C5 as soft. The ideal strategy, in these conditions, is often the one a Two stopsas confirmed also in 2024 13 pilots for departure. Some opted for the soft to try a more aggressive initial Stint, while others left with the hard to delay the first stop.
To Hungaroring, due to the difficulty in overtaking, the strategies in the pits become decisive. The medium pit-stop, including the time taken to enter, change the tires and exit the pits, “costs” about 21-22 seconds. This makes the strategy of theUndercutThat is, stop before an opponent to mount fresh tires and earn ground while the other is still on the track with older tires. If the pilot who makes the Undercut manages to turn fast enough in the next lap, it can be in front of it when the opponent returns to the pits.
On the contrary theovercut It is a more risky strategy, in which you remain on the track longer in the hope that the tires keep and that you can put together quick laps taking advantage of clean air or errors of others. But on a track where the degradation is high and overtaking are rare, the Undercut tends to be the favorite weapon.
Hungaroring in numbers: victories, pole and record of the Hungarian track
From 1986 to today, Hungaroring has given Formula 1 races full of surprises. Here are the numbers to know:
- Pilots with multiple victories: Lewis Hamilton is the king of Hungaroring with 8 wins, an absolute record on this track. Behind him we find Michael Schumacher (4) and Ayrton Senna (3).
- More winning stables: McLaren, who obtained 12 wins here, followed by Williams and Ferrari (7), of little more detached we find Mercedes (5) and Red Bull (4).
- Pole position: Lewis Hamilton also leads in this ranking with 9 poles, followed by Michael Schumacher (7), Sebastian Vettel and Ayrton Senna (3).
- Pilots with multiple podiums conquered: Lewis Hamilton (12), Kimi Raikkonen (9), Ayrton Senna, Michael Schumacher and Sebastian Vettel (7).
- Pilots with multiple laps in the race: Fernando Alonso (1357), Kimi Raikkonen (1222), Lewis Hamilton (1211), Michael Schumacher (1123), Rubens Barrichello (1113).
- Record lap in the race: 1’16 “627, marked by Lewis Hamilton in 2020 with Mercedes
- Record round in qualifying: 1’13 ″ 447 signed by Lewis Hamilton in 2020
On this track, moreover, it is worth remembering that Fernando Alonso In 2003 he obtained his first Formula 1 victory at only 22 years and 26 daysbecoming at the time the youngest winner ever (record then broken by Sebastian Vettel and Max Verstappen). Always citing great champions of this sport, Michael Schumacher Here he won the first of his 68 pole positions of his career in 1994.
