Top 5…Hungarian GP Moments
Hello and welcome to another edition of the Top 5, a regular rundown of all things F1. This weeks focuses on this weekends Hungarian Grand Prix, a tight and twisty track that has been a regualr on the calender since 1986. Many first wins have happened at the Hungaroring, including Fernando Alonso (2003), Jenson Button (2006) and Damon Hill (1993). In 2001, Michael Schumacher equalled Alain Prost’s then record 51 Grand Prix wins at the Hungaroring, in the drive which also secured his 4th World Title. Join me as I count down what are, only in my opinion, the top five moments of this great track.
5. 1986 – Piquet Slides into the Lead
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The first race held at the Hungaroring in 1986 is where we start the list. As regular readers will know, I view 1986 as the greatest season in F1. The talents of Nigel Mansell, Nelson Piquet, Alain Prost and Aryton Senna all fought for the drivers title all the way until the final round. In this first race behind the Iron Curtain, the tight and twisty track began to make a name for itself, but in regular fashion these drivers broke away from the expected. In a sight that hasn’t been repeated since, Piquet overtook Senna after a previous bungled attempt by powersliding his way around his Brazilain compatriot. It’s still regarded as one of the best overtaking moments in Formula One history.
4. 2006 – Jenson Button Breaks His Duck
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Before Jenson Button won the world title last year, the Frome racer only had one race victory to his name, at Hungary in ’06. The race was the first wet race in the event’s histry and Sunday was one of the most exciting. Polesitter Kimi Raikkonen took the lead early on. Fernando Alonso and Michael Schumacher made their way through the field with Schumacher up into 6th place from 11th into the first corner, and Alonso climbing from 15th place to pass Schumacher on the outside of turn 5 and reach 3rd place. He then took the lead after the McLarens of Pedro de la Rosa and Raikkonen pitted. Schumacher lost his front wing battling with Giancarlo Fisichella for 5th place and was forced to pit, going a lap down. Soon after Jenson Button overtook Felipe Massa, Fisichella and Schumacher in just under the space of 2 laps. Raikkonen struggled on his second set of tires and ended up crashing into the back of Vitantonio Liuzzi‘s Toro Rosso, vaulting the car and bringing out the safety car. Alonso then pitted, allowing Schumacher to get back on the lead lap. Another beneficiary of the safety car was Jenson Button, who decided not to pit during the safety car period and climbed up to 2nd place behind Alonso. After the period was over Button began to challenge Alonso, but soon had to pit for fuel. Alonso led, but after a pitstop for dry tires his right-rear wheel nut detached, causing the Spaniard to lose control and crash. Button inherited the lead and was never challenged from then on. Schumacher made his way up to 2nd by staying on intermediate tires as others around him pitted for dry weather ones, but this gamble backfired as the cars on dries caught him in the final laps. Schumacher defended his position (including controversially cutting a chicane on consecutive laps without penalty), but Pedro de la Rosa and Nick Heidfeld both ultimately passed him. Whilst he was being overtaken Schumacher banged wheels with Heidfeld, damaging his Ferrari’s suspension and forcing him out of the race with two laps to go. Button won the race despite beginning in 14th place, with de la Rosa scoring his first podium with second place, and Heidfeld getting BMW Sauber‘s first ever podium with 3rd. After 113 race starts Jenson Button was finally a race winner.
3. 1997 – So Close For Damon Hill
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Every World Champion wants a chance to retain his title the following year, but for Damon Hill, it was more of case of saving face while at Arrows in 1997. By holding out for more money from Williams in 1996, he was left with very few competitive seats when Frank Williams ultimately signed Heinz-Harold Frentzen. Struggling all year, the Hungaroring was a welcome relief for the driver and team as the under-powered Yamaha engine wouldn’t be as big as a factor as on other tracks. The use of Bridgestone tyres also helped as Hill qualified an impressive third. At the start, he passed Eddie Irvine to move into second, and by lap seven was harrasing Michael Schumacher for the lead, passing into turn one in a truly surreal moment. The reigning champion then went on to scamper into the distance, holding onto the lead throughout the pit-stops. The chequered flag was within sight, but with two laps to go Hill began to slow as a result of a throttle linkage failure. Second placed man Jacques Villenueve caught and passed Hill, putting two wheels on the grass to do so. Hill still managed second as Johnny Herbert was too far back to capitalise. After the poium celebrations, it emerged that the problem that cost Arrows the victory was a faulty rubber washer valued at a mere 50p. For one afternoon the team was on top of the F1 pile, a champion had a chance to reign supreme after a poor season, and Britain was captivated.
2. 1989 – Nigel Mansell Achieves the Impossible
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The Hungaroring is a place of strong memories and emotions for any Nigel Mansell fan. It was here in 1987 that a faulty wheelnut cost him the race win, and ultimately the title. That low was replaced by the high of sealing a long awaited World Drivers crown by mid-season, a feat that wasn’t matched until Michael Schumacher did the same in 2004. But, the best memory of Nigel Mansell came three years earlier, during his first season at Ferrari. Already a race winner at the opening round in Brazil, by the time the season got to Hungary it was clear that the Ferrari wasn’t as fast as the other teams around them. On the Saturday he qualified 12th, but by the first corner on Sunday he had moved up to 8th. Regular backmarker Alex Caffi had surprisingly qualified in third, but it was clear he was holding up much faster cars as the race wore on. Before long he had been passed by both McLarens of Gerhard Berger and Alain Prost, and was holding up a train of cars consisting of William’s Thierry Boutsen, Alessandro Nannini’s Benetton, Mansell and Derek Warwick’s Arrows. Nannini exited the train when he pulled in to change tyres. This promoted Mansell to 7th, which he quickly turned into 5th by passing Boutsen and Caffi in quick succession. He then set about closing the 17 second gap to the leaders, and was promoted fourth when Berger pitted for tyres. Having caught up to the leading group, Mansell passed Prost for third. Ricardo Patrese’s Williams then began to develop a problem which bunched up the leading group. Eventually, Patrese’s problem became so bad that both Aryton Senna and Mansell were able to pass him in the space of a few corners. Patrese retired form the race shortly afterwards. Mansell now began to pressurize Senna, clearly faster but unable to pass due to the extra power of the McLaren’s Honda engine. Meanwhile, Prost pitted for tyres and rejoined sixth, while Berger only inherited third briefly before he retired with gearbox problems, leaving Senna and Mansell on their own. Eventually, the pair came up to lap Stefan Johansson’s Onyx. Senna caught him at an awkward moment, just at the accelerating zone out of turn 3. The Brazilian uncharacteristically hesitated, briefly lifting off allowing Mansell to draw alongside as they went past and use the Ferrari’s greater momentum to surge past take the lead. After that, Mansell had an unchallenged run to victory from Senna, with Boutsen completing the podium. It was a magnificent victory on a track notorious for no overtaking, but Mansell made it look easy.
1. 1998 – Michael Schumacher Proves His Class
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I remember watching this race and thinking at the time that Michael Schumacher could claim to be the greatest driver of all time off this performance alone. The build up to this race was the same as it had been all season long; the McLaren’s were the fastest car on the grid and everyone else had to perform out of their skin to beat them. Qualifying was the usual far of Mika Hakkinen and David Coulthard on the front row, with Schumacher in third, a feat made more impressive considering it was on the harder tyre compound. At the start of the race Hakkinen built up a lead of around three seconds, while Coulthard found himself under attack from Schumacher’s Ferrari. Eddie Irvine disappeared early in the race with gearbox trouble, which left Damon Hill in fourth place. When the pit stops began it was still unclear which cars were running which strategies but soon afterwards Schumacher’s remarkable pace indicated that he might be stopping three times. The McLaren strategists spotted this and prepared to bring Hakkinen and Coulthard in as soon as Schumacher made a move: in this way the German would be bottled up in the vital laps when he needed to be lapping quickly. Schumacher’s second stop came on lap 43 and immediately the McLarens were called in. Schumacher’s pace in those vital laps was so fast, however, that he was ahead of both McLarens when he re-emerged. The Ferrari star then had to push incredibly hard to build up a sufficient advantage to stay ahead of the McLarens during his third pit stop. As Schumacher charged away Hakkinen began to struggle with a shock absorber problem. Coulthard radioed that he was being held up by the Finn but he was trapped until the team gave him the go-ahead to overtake. This did not happen for four laps during which time David lost vital seconds to Schumacher. The German was pushing so hard up front that at one point he went off the road. Although Coulthard pushed hard, his tyres would not allow him to lap any faster and when Schumacher pitted the Ferrari stayed ahead and won. Absolutely breathtaking stuff.
That’s it for this week’s edition of the Top 5. After this weekend’s race there will be a three-week gap before the next Grand Prix, and in that time I’ll be looking for any ideas for future columns. If you have anything you’d like to see, feel free to add to the comments section underneath. Thanks for reading!
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