Has there been a Hungarian F1 Driver?
Hungary has been on the Formula 1 calendar for 40 years, but how many drivers has this Central European nation had in F1? Here's who has competed in their home race in Hungary!
Video Transcript
It's race week once again, guys, and we've got the Hungarian Grand Prix on this weekend.
But which drivers have been the superstars around the Hungaroring over the decades?
The track has been revamped, but the layout has remained almost the same ever since it first joined the calendar back in '86.
Being a landmark event in Formula One, the first ever Grand Prix held behind the Iron Curtain during the Cold War while it was still raging, and also the first in Eastern Europe as well.
And to this day, it's still the only track that's properly in Eastern Europe, in my opinion.
The Russian Grand Prix has come and gone.
Azerbaijan, some people might say that's Eastern Europe, but for me, it's not even really Europe, personally.
But which drivers have done the best round here over the decades, guys?
I've got all the multiple winners here to make a top five and beyond.
There are three drivers that have won three or more times, but there are over half a dozen that have won two times.
I'm gonna quickly run through the two-time winners, then get into the guys who've won three or more.
So going in the order that they achieved this feat, the first was Nelson Piquet, who won the first two Hungarian Grand Prix back-to-back in 1986 and 1987.
Damon Hill won for Williams in 1993 and in 1995.
Jacques Villeneuve also winning in '96 and '97, also for Williams.
Damon Hill, of course, famously missing out in 1997 driving for his Arrows.
Villeneuve swept in to get the victory on that day.
Mika Hkkinen made it back-to-back wins as well for himself in 1999 and 2000, driving for McLaren.
Jenson Button got his first ever Formula One victory here in 2006, driving for the BAR Honda.
And it was wet conditions again in 2011 for his second victory, this time for McLaren.
Sebastian Vettel won here twice for Ferrari in 2015 and 2017.
And the most recent to achieve this feat is Max Verstappen, who won back-to-back for Red Bull Racing in 2022 and 2023, one of only two drivers on this list still currently on the grid.
But let's go back to the past.
Let's go back to the '80s and '90s to find the drivers who To find the only three-time winner currently of the Hungarian Grand Prix.
That is Ayrton Senna.
Senna won here in 1988 on the way to his first title for McLaren, and he also won in 1991 and 1992 as well.
I believe he had a very controversial clash here with Alessandro Nannini.
Was that 1990?
Was that 1989?
One of those two for sure.
But yeah, very controversial clash there.
He could have won more around here, but he was very, very good around here.
He was also leading in the early stages in 1986, driving for Lotus, but his compatriot, Nelson Piquet, pulled off one of the greatest overtakes ever.
Full opposite lock.
Absolutely no prisoners taken with that one.
But yeah, Senna winning here three times.
Puts him third on the all-time list, just behind Michael Schumacher.
Schumacher won the Hungarian Grand Prix on the way to his first title as well in 1994, and he also won in 1998, 2001, and 2004, driving for Ferrari.
1998 was an incredible victory in particular, basically needing to set qualifying lap after qualifying lap for 20 laps or so to overcome the McLarens, who were doing one less pit stop.
Ross Brawn came on the radio, "Michael, we need to do 15 qualifying laps here," or words to that effect.
Michael just responded, "Okay."
And then he very much went to go and do exactly that.
Unbelievable driving.
One of the best victories of his career, and I believe he won the title here in 2004 as well, though do correct me if I'm wrong on that one.
But the most successful driver in the history of the Hungarian Grand Prix, and it's not even close, this guy has double the wins of Michael Schumacher, who is second.
Eight victories around this track, and he'll be looking to make it nine this weekend.
Of course, it's Sir Lewis Hamilton.
Hamilton has been absolutely incredible around Hungary.
Alongside the Canadian Grand Prix and the British Grand Prix, this is without doubt one of his best tracks on the Formula One calendar.
He won in his debut season here in 2007 after the very controversial pit stop fiasco during qualifying with his teammate Fernando Alonso.
He also won in 2009 as well, his only victory that year, in an absolute dog of a McLaren.
He also won for McLaren here again in 2012 as well.
He got his first Mercedes victories here as well in 2013, the following year, and he backed it up with victories for Mercedes also in 2016, 2018, '19, and 2020.
Hamilton always goes well around Hungary.
He looked like he was back on form, at least in the race anyway, at Belgium.
But can he do it again?
Can he make it nine victories at this Grand Prix, match his record overall for the British Grand Prix, which he has also won nine times, which is an outright record for any event in Formula One history?
We'll have to see, guys.
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Have a fantastic day around the world today.
And don't worry, there'll be plenty more content coming your way in the build-up to this weekend's Hungarian Grand Prix.
Have a great time, guys.
See you very soon
