As the 2007 title fight increasingly hots up – with the smallest gap at the top of the drivers’ standings since Monaco back in May – the
Formula 1 circus gets set to return this weekend to the scene of what was undoubtedly last year’s most exciting and unpredictable race – the Hungaroring.
A regular fixture on the grand prix calendar since 1986, the Budapest-situated circuit was the location of the first grand prix to be held behind the Iron Curtain and was constructed in just eight months. Its tight, twisty and dusty nature does not naturally favour overtaking, but the track has nevertheless witnessed some thrilling grands prix in its 21-year history.
Duels such as those between Nelson Piquet and
Ayrton Senna, Nigel Mansell’s victory charge from twelfth on the grid in 1989, Damon Hill’s near-miss with Arrows eight years later and Jenson Button’s maiden triumph last year in a race rendered chaotic by an extremely uncharacteristic and unseasonable downpour have all gone down in
F1 folklore.
Although there are no Hungarian drivers on the F1 grid, the fans are nevertheless among the most enthusiastic in the world, and the weekend often sees a good number of Finns too make the pilgrimage to Budapest, as the nearest grand prix venue to their home country.
Kimi Raikkonen is a past winner there, while the circuit also holds fond memories for
Fernando Alonso being where he claimed his debut F1 success back in 2003.
Lewis Hamilton will no doubt also be feeling confident, having overcome a troubled qualifying that left him plum last on the grid in GP2 last year to soar through the pack to second place in race two.
Felipe Massa, meanwhile – the final one of the four championship contenders – has never finished higher than seventh in Hungary, a record he will doubtless be keen to change this time around.
FIA F1 WORLD CHAMPIONSHIP NEWS
Despite the FIA World Motor Sport Council electing not to punish
McLaren over the spy row drama that has engulfed the sport in recent weeks and threatened to overshadow the championship fight, the crisis has continued to rumble on. The Woking-based squad was found guilty of being in possession of confidential
Ferrari documents, in breach of article 151c of the International Sporting Code, but escaped any penalty as the FIA deemed there was ‘insufficient evidence that it had been used in such a way as to interfere improperly with the FIA Formula 1 World Championship’.
