It’s almost a tradition that FIA Central European Zone Circuit Championship season will start on Hungarian race track Hungaroring. This track isn’t maybe the oldest in the world but after 30 years of its existence has built solid position not only in Formula 1 calendar.
If it wasn’t some stubborn Englishman the Hungaroring would might never be built. That Englishman was Bernie Ecclestone and he wanted F1 race behind the “iron curtain” in the USSR. But he had also Hungarian friend who had recommended him his homeland.
The first plan was to build a race track in Budapest district Népliget where the first Hungarian GP took place in 1936. City councilors was against this so the track was built outside of Budapest – near the village of Mogyoród.
The track building started in 1985 and the first Hungarian Grand Prix on Hungaroring took place very next year. It took only 8 months to build this track and no other F1 track was built so fast.
Last year we saw unconventional race format from Thursday to Saturday. This year we will race in traditional Friday-Sunday style. Firstly the 1st qualifications will be on Friday 21. April. On saturday will be the first races and also the endurance race. Final day will be reserved for the second qualifications and races.
You can find all the important informations for the first round HERE.
Important facts about circuit:
– Circuit lenght: 4381 m
– Number of turns: 14
– Track width: 11 to 15 m
– Max elevations: 6,2%
– Max ascension: 7%
– Start/finish straigth lenght: 788,9 m
– Circuit record: 1:19,071 (Michael Schumacher, 2004)
Photo: Ondřej Laušman/FIA CEZ
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