Hungaroring
4.381 km of tight, twisting track in a valley outside Budapest. The Hungaroring has one real straight and corner after corner, which makes qualifying vital and overtaking hard. Learn how the lap works, then open it in the designer and make your own version.
The track at a glance
The Hungaroring is at Mogyoród, just outside Budapest in Hungary. It is 4.381 km long with 14 turns, runs clockwise, and a Grand Prix there is 70 laps. It opened in 1986 with the first Grand Prix to be held behind the Iron Curtain.
The track sits in a natural valley, so spectators can see about 80% of the lap from almost anywhere. There is only one long straight, and the rest of the lap is a run of slow and medium-speed corners with few places to pass.
Little racing happens there for most of the year, so the track is often dusty, and grip improves a lot over a race weekend.
A lap of Hungaroring, corner by corner
Several corners at the Hungaroring were recently named after drivers. Turns 1, 2, 4, 5, 6, 11, 12 and 14 are marked on the map.
- T1The first hairpin. A tight, downhill right at the end of the only long straight, named after Nelson Piquet. The best place to overtake.
- T2A long left. A downhill left-hander that leads into the twisty middle section.
- T4The fast left. A blind, quick left over a crest, named after Nigel Mansell.
- T5A long right. A long, tightening right-hander at the far end of the circuit.
- T6–7The chicane. A slow right-left chicane in the middle of the lap.
- T11The fast right. A quick right-hander with a dip on the exit, where mistakes end in the gravel.
- T12The second hairpin. A slow right at the end of a short straight, another chance to pass.
- T14The final corner. A long right onto the pit straight. A good exit is vital for the run down to Turn 1.
Grand Prix racing in Hungary
The Hungaroring was built in less than a year and has hosted a Grand Prix every year since 1986.
- 1986The first Hungarian Grand Prix is held, the first Grand Prix behind the Iron Curtain.
- 1989The layout is changed, removing a chicane and shortening the lap.
- 2003The main straight is lengthened by about 200 m, and Turns 1 and 12 are tightened to help overtaking.
- 2020The race lap record is set at 1:16.627.
Designed for a valley
The Hungaroring was laid out to fit its valley and to let spectators see as much as possible. The result is a short, twisty lap with one straight and many linked corners, often compared to Monaco without the walls.
Because overtaking is so hard, races are often decided by qualifying and pit stops. For more, read our guide to overtaking zones or race track design principles.
Ideas for your remaster
The Remaster button opens the traced layout in the designer. You can move any point and the lap time, speed trace and corner analysis update as you go. A few places to start:
Create a second straight. Can you add another long straight and braking zone to make passing easier?
Speed it up. Open up some of the slow middle corners and see what happens to the lap time.
Name your turns. Group and name the turns in the designer, and they will show on your exports and share link.
Finish it properly. Add track width, kerbs, run-off and a pit lane so it reads like a real venue.
When you’re happy with it, share your version with its own link. The original stays here for the next person to remaster.
Frequently asked questions
How long is the Hungaroring?
It is 4.381 km (2.722 miles) long with 14 turns. A Grand Prix there is 70 laps.
Why is it hard to overtake at the Hungaroring?
There is only one long straight, and the rest of the lap is a run of linked, slow and medium-speed corners. Cars struggle to follow closely enough to pass.
Which way does the Hungaroring run?
Clockwise. The lap heads down the main straight into the Turn 1 hairpin, winds through the valley and returns through the final corner to the pits.
When was the first Hungarian Grand Prix?
In 1986. It was the first Grand Prix held behind the Iron Curtain.
Is the remastered Hungaroring an exact copy?
It is a close trace of the centreline using 71 editable points, within a few metres of the real layout. Track width, kerbs, run-off and the pit lane are left for you to design.
Layout traced from the open circuit data in bacinger/f1-circuits (MIT licence). Circuit facts: Wikipedia. RaceTrackDesigner is not affiliated with the circuit, its owners or any racing series.