Hungarian Grand Prix 2026

Hungary for more

Appropriately known as ‘Monaco without the walls’, the Hungaroring is a tight, twisting circuit on the outskirts of Budapest, and while it is not quite a Monaco replica, it is very much a maximum downforce circuit, with a strong qualifying bias.

Teams will set up with a strong front end to counter plenty of understeer – but also soften their suspension settings to allow drivers to ride the kerbs through the middle of the lap.

The Hungarian Grand Prix has been ever-present on the calendar since 1986, and although the circuit has more corners than was originally the case, the original character remains intact. For Formula 1, the Hungaroring is like a scaled-up karting circuit: an excellent challenge for a qualifying lap, but sometimes frustrating in a race situation where overtaking opportunities are few and far between.  

But drivers love the challenge that it presents, and in recent years we've seen several dramatic and entertaining races, despite how difficult it is to overtake. The circuit supports a variety of tyre strategies, which has made for tense and very watchable races.

We have a record 13 wins in Hungary, including three for Lewis Hamilton, one of which was F1’s first hybrid engine victory in 2007. The Hungaroring was the site of Oscar’s first F1 victory in 2024 and hosted McLaren’s 200th Grand Prix win the year after, as Lando Norris and Oscar Piastri finished first and second for our 49th 1-2.