Hungaroring
Hungarian Grand Prix
Is the Hungarian Grand Prix Good for Overtaking?
Not really. The Hungaroring gets called Monaco without the barriers, and the pole lap shown here explains why. It’s at full throttle for only 46% of the lap and brakes 10 times, so most of the lap is a linked run of corners.
Passes come when tires differ. Lando Norris caught and passed Kimi Antonelli for the 2026 lead on lap 46, seven laps into a fresh set while Antonelli’s hards were 24 laps old. F1 still counted 69 overtakes in 2025, but on a lap this twisty, track position is worth a lot.
Hungaroring
Strategy Factors
2026 Hungarian Grand Prix
What to Look Out for at the Hungarian Grand Prix
The start is the best chance to gain places. Pole sits 476m from the Turn 1 braking point, one of the longest runs on the calendar, and the downhill Turn 2 gives a second go. Oscar Piastri took the 2026 lead there with a cutback on the opening lap.
A stop costs about 20.56s. The Safety Car is rare, out in just 13% of the eight races before 2026, while a Virtual Safety Car is likelier at 25%. One in 2026 let Max Verstappen stay out and jump to second. The track also hit around 55°C that day.
F1's 2026 preview with the pit loss figure, the Safety Car and VSC record and Pirelli's strategy view.
Race summary covering Piastri's opening-lap cutback, the Virtual Safety Car and the track temperature.
2026 Hungarian Grand Prix Results and Pay
Select A Row To Explore Details
22 Drivers
| # | Details | ||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 |  Lando Norris McLaren | McLaren | $30m | $69.5m | $80m | 25 | |
Lando Norris Salary
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| 2 |  Max Verstappen Red Bull | Red Bull | $70m | $90m | $200m | 18 | |
Max Verstappen Salary
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| 3 |  Kimi Antonelli Mercedes | Mercedes | $3.4m | $15.4m | $18m | 15 | |
Kimi Antonelli Salary
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| 4 |  Charles Leclerc Ferrari | Ferrari | $34m | $46m | $70m | 12 | |
Charles Leclerc Salary
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| 5 |  Lewis HamiltonFerrari | Ferrari | $60m | $70m | $580m | 10 | |
Lewis Hamilton Salary
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| 6 |  Isack HadjarRed Bull | Red Bull | $7.5m | $9.5m | $1m | 8 | |
Isack Hadjar Salary
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| 7 |  George RussellMercedes | Mercedes | $34m | $50m | $40m | 6 | |
George Russell Salary
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| 8 |  Liam Lawson Racing Bulls | Racing Bulls | $1m | $2m | $2m | 4 | |
Liam Lawson Salary
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| 9 |  Nico Hülkenberg Audi | Audi | $7m | $9.9m | $10m | 2 | |
Nico Hülkenberg Salary
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| 10 |  Arvid LindbladRacing Bulls | Racing Bulls | $500k-1m | $1m-1.5m | $1m | 1 | |
Arvid Lindblad Salary
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| 11 |  Gabriel BortoletoAudi | Audi | $2m | $3m | $3m | 0 | |
Gabriel Bortoleto Salary
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| 12 |  Pierre Gasly Alpine | Alpine | $18.2m | $29.6m | $33m | 0 | |
Pierre Gasly Salary
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| 13 |  Lance Stroll Aston Martin | Aston Martin | $12m | $13.5m | $50m | 0 | |
Lance Stroll Salary
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| 14 |  Fernando AlonsoAston Martin | Aston Martin | $20m | $22.5m | $260m | 0 | |
Fernando Alonso Salary
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| 15 |  Franco ColapintoAlpine | Alpine | $500k-1m | $1.5m-2m | $5m | 0 | |
Franco Colapinto Salary
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| 16 |  Esteban Ocon Haas | Haas | $7m | $9m | $21m | 0 | |
Esteban Ocon Salary
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| 17 |  Alex Albon Williams | Williams | $12m | $15m | $15m | 0 | |
Alex Albon Salary
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| 18 |  Carlos SainzWilliams | Williams | $13m | $16m | $50m | 0 | |
Carlos Sainz Salary
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| 19 |  Oliver BearmanHaas | Haas | $1m | $1.5m | $1m | 0 | |
Oliver Bearman Salary
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| 20 |  Oscar PiastriMcLaren | McLaren | $13m | $40.5m | $50m | 0 | |
Oscar Piastri Salary
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| 21 |  Sergio Pérez Cadillac | Cadillac | $10m | $11.5m | $50m | 0 | |
Sergio Pérez Salary
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| 22 |  Valtteri BottasCadillac | Cadillac | $5m | $7m | $40m | 0 | |
Valtteri Bottas Salary
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Select A Row To Explore Details
11 Teams
| # | Details | ||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Red BullVerstappen, Hadjar | Verstappen, Hadjar | $4.9bn | $618m | $77.5m | 26 | |
Red Bull F1 Team Value
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| 2 | McLarenNorris, Piastri | Norris, Piastri | $5.2bn | $647m | $43m | 25 | |
McLaren F1 Team Value
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| 3 | FerrariLeclerc, Hamilton | Leclerc, Hamilton | $7.1bn | $670m | $94m | 22 | |
Ferrari F1 Team Value
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| 4 | MercedesAntonelli, Russell | Antonelli, Russell | $6.4bn | $839m | $37.4m | 21 | |
Mercedes F1 Team Value
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| 5 | Racing BullsLawson, Lindblad | Lawson, Lindblad | $2.4bn | $318m | $1.5m-2m | 5 | |
Racing Bulls F1 Team Value
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| 6 | AudiHülkenberg, Bortoleto | Hülkenberg, Bortoleto | $2.6bn | $240m | $9m | 2 | |
Audi F1 Team Value
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| 7 | AlpineGasly, Colapinto | Gasly, Colapinto | $2.6bn | $316m | $18.7m-19.2m | 0 | |
Alpine F1 Team Value
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| 8 | Aston MartinStroll, Alonso | Stroll, Alonso | $3.5bn | $353m | $32m | 0 | |
Aston Martin F1 Team Value
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| 9 | HaasOcon, Bearman | Ocon, Bearman | $1.9bn | $150m | $8m | 0 | |
Haas F1 Team Value
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| 10 | WilliamsAlbon, Sainz | Albon, Sainz | $2.7bn | $323m | $25m | 0 | |
Williams F1 Team Value
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| 11 | CadillacPérez, Bottas | Pérez, Bottas | $1.6bn | Not Yet Filed | $15m | 0 | |
Cadillac F1 Team Value
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Hungarian Grand Prix Tire Strategy
Nine of the top 10 stopped at least twice in 2026, and Norris, Charles Leclerc, and Lewis Hamilton all made a third stop with 14 laps left. Six of the top 10 took the flag on softs.
Arvid Lindblad was the only one-stopper in the top 10. He ran 49 laps on hards and finished 10th, behind Liam Lawson and Nico Hülkenberg, who switched to softs for their last 27 and 30 laps.
Pirelli brought the C3, C4 and C5. Heat, rear overheating and soft-tire graining usually keep one and two stops close here.
Stint lengths and compounds for the top 10 finishers of the 2026 Hungarian Grand Prix, used for the tire chart.
Official event page with the circuit specification, race distance and race lap record.
Hungaroring Sector by Sector and Corner by Corner
Speeds, gears and braking points below come from Lando Norris‘s 1:17.207 pole lap in 2026 qualifying. He spent 16 seconds on the brakes, 21% of the lap, and reached 331 km/h on the pit straight. The slowest point was 92 km/h at the Turn 1 hairpin, with Turn 13 close behind at 98 km/h.
FastF1 timing data for Lando Norris's 1:17.207 pole lap, used for the speeds, gears, braking points and sector figures
Turn 1 as Brembo's hardest stop at 4.8 g and 151 kg, and the four short braking zones from Turn 11 to Turn 14
The 2026 corner names and Lewis Hamilton asking for Turn 2
History of the Hungaroring
Forty years after its first race, the Hungaroring has a deal to host Formula 1 until 2032. The layout’s two biggest changes came in 1989 and 2003.
Construction in eight months from October 1985, the 1989 chicane removal, the 2003 changes and the contract to 2032.
History timeline and layout changes, including the 2015-2016 resurfacing and curb changes.
The official names for all 14 corners announced in July 2026 and the reasons behind each one.
How Much Does the Hungaroring Cost?
The Hungarian state pays both the hosting fee and the rebuild. A government decree set the F1 fee at $45.04m for 2021, rising 4% a year, which by our calculation means about $56.98m in 2027, and the deal now runs to 2032. The biggest upgrade is the new main building and grandstand, bid at HUF 79bn ($246m) in 2023. There's no reliable figure for what the original circuit cost in 1985-86.
How Much Did the Hungaroring Cost to Build?
There's no reliable figure for the original circuit, which opened in 1986 and is owned by the Hungarian state through Hungaroring Sport. The big spending is recent. Phase one of a rebuild widened what the circuit called the smallest paddock in the championship and finished in May 2024. Phase two, a new main building for the pits, race control and media plus a covered 10,000-seat main grandstand, was bid at HUF 79bn ($246m) before contingency in 2023, all of it state money. It was due to be finished for the 2026 race, and the final cost hasn't been published.
How Much Is the Hungarian Grand Prix Hosting Fee?
Unusually, the figure is official. Government decree 1398/2020, signed by Prime Minister Viktor Orbán, sets the 2021 fee at $45.04m, written down to the cent, to be paid by the state-owned Hungaroring Sport to Formula One World Championship Ltd, and adds 4% each year to 2027. By our calculation that comes to about $54.79m in 2026 and $56.98m in 2027. The state covers it with a central budget grant. A 2023 extension runs the race to 2032, and we couldn't find the fee for those later years, which is set in a separate decree. Chief executive Zsolt Gyulay said in 2024 that four renegotiations in 15 years had saved about HUF 101bn ($315m).
The $45.04m fee for 2021, the 4% yearly increase to 2027 and the state budget support
The five-year extension to 2032 and the new pit building and grandstand
Decree 1115/2023 on extending the race to 2032
Phase one of the rebuild and the widened paddock, finished in May 2024
The HUF 79bn phase two bid before contingency and the 10,000-seat grandstand
Phase two due to be finished for the 2026 race
Zsolt Gyulay's claim of about HUF 101bn saved over four renegotiations
How Much Are Hungarian Grand Prix Tickets?
General admission for all three days of the 2027 race costs €170 ($194), and grandstands start at €240 ($274) in the Chicane stands at Turns 5 and 6. The covered Hungaroring stand opposite the pits tops the regular range at €650 ($741), or €740 ($844) for its Platinum rows. Hospitality starts at €1,950 ($2,224) in the F1 Fan Lounge. On 2027 prices Hungary is the 7th cheapest of the 23 races in our ticket price table, level on price with Austria.
Hungaroring and Hungarian Grand Prix Questions
Overtaking at the Hungaroring is hard because 14 corners are packed into 4.381km, and the layout rewards downforce, braking and traction far more than straight-line speed. Turn 1 is the one dependable passing spot, and a move there usually needs fresher tires or a much better exit from Turn 14.
The Hungaroring needs high downforce because the lap is a chain of linked corners with little straight-line running to punish drag. Grip through the middle sector is worth more than top speed. Stable braking and good traction out of the slower turns matter almost as much, and teams set the car up around all three.
Track evolution at the Hungarian Grand Prix is big because the circuit sees little use through the year and its sandy soil leaves the surface dusty. Grip starts low and improves strongly across the weekend as rubber goes down, so the track is far quicker by qualifying than it was in first practice.
At the Hungaroring, Turn 14 leads onto the pit straight, the longest flat-out stretch of the lap. A good exit decides whether a driver can attack into Turn 1, and a poor one leaves them exposed to the car behind all the way down to the braking zone.
At the Hungarian Grand Prix it depends on the heat. Rear tire overheating and graining on the soft bring the two plans close, and in the hot 2026 race every podium finisher stopped at least twice. The winner, Lando Norris, stopped three times.
Hungary paid $45.04m to host the Hungarian Grand Prix in 2021, according to a government decree, and the fee rises 4% a year, which works out at about $56.98m by 2027. The state-owned Hungaroring Sport pays it with money from the central budget, and the current deal runs to 2032.
There’s no reliable figure for the original Hungaroring, which opened in 1986. The biggest spend since then is the rebuild of the main building and main grandstand, which a construction consortium bid at HUF 79bn ($246m) before contingency in 2023. The Hungarian state is paying for the work.