Hungaroring

Circuit guide by Chris Pollitt · dates updated 2 November 2026

The Hungaroring opened in 1986 for the first Formula One race behind the Iron Curtain, and it's been on the calendar ever since. It sits in a shallow valley at Mogyoród, about 20 km north-east of Budapest, with the track dropping around 36 metres from the paddock to its lowest point. That bowl shape means you can see most of the circuit from the grandstands. The 4.381 km layout dates from 2003, when the main straight was stretched and the first corner tightened.

It's often called Monaco without the barriers, and that's fair. There's barely a straight worth the name after the pit straight, so the lap is about rhythm, kerbs and keeping the car or bike balanced through one corner into the next. That makes it a good place to learn, and less frightening than the fast tracks, but it's busy and it'll find out a car that overheats its brakes or tyres. The circuit runs its own monthly open days, mostly midweek, and the paddock and pit building were rebuilt for 2026.

A lap of Hungaroring

Layout: Grand Prix, 4.381 km (2.72 miles)

The pit straight runs slightly downhill to Turn 1, a tight right-hand hairpin and the biggest stop of the lap. Brake in a straight line, take a late apex and get the car rotated, because the exit runs straight down the hill to Turn 2. That's a long left that falls away and feels off camber, and it's easy to carry too much speed in and drift wide. Turn 3 is a quick right, flat or nearly flat in most cars, then the road climbs to Turn 4.

Turn 4 is a fast left over a crest, blind on the way in, and the apex is hard to pick out until you've done a few laps. It was named after Nigel Mansell, who lost a wheel there in 1987. Turn 5 is a long right that seems to go on for ever. Be patient with the throttle, because you need a decent exit for the short run to the chicane.

Turns 6 and 7 are a slow right-left chicane, bumpy and not much changed since the 1980s. Ride the kerbs too hard here and the car will bounce or step out, especially on the inside of 7. Then comes the twisty middle section: a left at 8 where you give up the exit for the right at 9, a flat left at 10 where you hug the inside, and Turn 11, the fast right named after Jean Alesi, who had a big crash there in 1995. Run wide on the exit kerbs at 11 and you'll scrub off speed.

The track then drops into Turn 12, a 90-degree right with a lot of run-off. It feels slow at the apex, but carry more speed in and you'll run wide. The last two corners, 13 and 14, are long right-handers that climb back to the straight. Both tempt you to get on the throttle early, and the bumpy surface at 14 punishes that. A clean exit from 14 matters, because the pit straight is the only real chance to stretch the engine.

Track day tips

• Noise limits on the circuit's open days are 105 dB for cars and 102 dB for bikes. They're measured all day, so a car that passes in the morning can still be pulled off later.
• August in Budapest is often well over 30°C. Brakes and tyres get hot with so few straights, so watch pressures and give the car a cool-down lap.
• The circuit's own car open days split cars into under and over 150 hp groups. A tow eye is mandatory, and drifting is banned.
• The circuit's bike open days were suspended during the redevelopment, so check the site or use a private organiser.
• The circuit can be dusty, especially off the racing line. Expect less grip early on, and stay on the line if you go off for a moment.
• Turn 4 is blind on entry. Use the first sessions to find a reference point before you commit to it at speed.

Getting there

The Hungaroring is right next to the M3 motorway at Mogyoród, about 20 km north-east of central Budapest. Budapest Ferenc Liszt airport has direct flights from London and several regional UK airports, and it's about half an hour by car from the circuit. Most visitors stay in Budapest, where hotels are cheap outside the Grand Prix weekend, with a few options in Gödöllő and Mogyoród. Driving from Calais is around 1,500 km, so most people fly and hire a car.