Last round for Formula 1 before the summer break. This year, the Hungarian GP celebrates its 40th edition, marked by upgrades to the paddock and main grandstand.
Back in 1986, the inaugural GP was a historic milestone, being the first held beyond the Iron Curtain.
Since then, it has been a permanent fixture, making it the second-longest continuously used circuit on the calendar after Monza.
The GP data
According to Brembo engineers who work closely with all Formula 1 drivers, the 4.381 km Hungaroring is classified as a medium-demanding circuit for braking systems.
On a scale of 1 to 5, it earns a difficulty index of 3, despite brakes being in use for 20% of the lap. There are 10 braking zones: 2 Hard, 4 Medium, and 4 Light.
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The toughest corner
The most demanding braking point on the Hungaroring is Turn 1, right after the start/finish line.
This is the only section where cars exceed 300 km/h, hitting 307 km/h before dropping to 95 km/h in just 2.65 seconds over 122 meters. Drivers endure a deceleration of 4.4 g and apply 156 kg of pressure to the brake pedal, with braking power peaking at 2,243 kW.
Not just pole
Despite being a tight, twisty circuit where overtaking is notoriously tricky, few drivers have managed to win here from pole position.
Over the last 6 editions, only Lewis Hamilton did so in 2020.
Extending the analysis to the past 20 races, pole-to-win occurred just 6 times, 5 of them courtesy of the seven-time world champion, twice with McLaren and three times with Mercedes.
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French fiesta
The start of the 2021 Hungarian GP was among the most chaotic in recent memory. A chain-reaction pile-up wiped out many front-runners, sparing only Lewis Hamilton.
Valtteri Bottas triggered the incident, and Esteban Ocon capitalized, jumping from 8th to 2nd in a matter of meters, then inheriting the lead when Hamilton pitted for tires.
The Frenchman clinched his maiden GP win, also delivering Alpine’s first-ever Formula 1 victory. His A521 was equipped with Brembo 6-piston calipers and carbon discs, 32 mm thick at the front and 28 mm at the rear.
Braking evolution
In just four years, F1 braking systems have evolved significantly, thanks to Brembo’s advancements in customizing calipers to match car characteristics.
The 2022 increase in tire size prompted larger brake discs: from 278 mm to 325/330 mm at the front and from 266 mm to 275/280 mm at the rear, with a uniform thickness of 32 mm on both axles. Cooling hole diameters have also grown, from 2.5 mm in 2021 to 3 mm today.