Hundreds of Thousands Visit Hungary during Formula 1 Grand Prix

Defending champion and two-time world champion Max Verstappen could lead Red Bull to a record-breaking victory at this weekend’s 38th Hungarian Grand Prix. It will also be worth to pay attention to two-time world champion Fernando Alonso and seven-time world champion Lewis Hamilton, who has a record eight victories at the Hungaroring racetrack.

The 25-year-old Verstappen has perhaps an even more convincing lead this season than last, with 99 points ahead of Mexican Sergio Pérez. Verstappen has won each of the last six Grand Prix, starting from pole position in the last five, and is fifth in the all-time F1 race winners’ standings with 43 victories.

If Verstappen – or possibly his teammate, Sergio Pérez – wins Sunday’s race at Hungaroring, Red Bull will set a new record and become the first team in Formula 1 history to win 12 races in a row. Red Bull could even celebrate a jubilee, with one or both of its drivers finishing in the top three, giving the team its 250th podium finish in its history.

However, over the last 37 years, the Hungarian Grand Prix has often been full of unexpected twists and turns, with only six of the last 18 races at Mogyoród, near Budapest, having been won by drivers starting from pole position.

The weather has also played tricks on the field on more than one occasion, and the forecast is for a change in conditions over the three days of the weekend, with temperatures of 32 degrees Celsius forecast for Sunday’s race, with no precipitation.

Fernando Alonso, who celebrates his 42nd birthday next Saturday, is enjoying his umpteenth season at the wheel of an Aston Martin and it is not unlikely that he will have the chance to fight for victory at the Hungarian event.

Lewis Hamilton, who has won eight times at the Hungaroring, is also a Hungarian Grand Prix specialist and holds the record. If the British star manages to set the fastest lap in qualifying, he would become the first driver in F1 history to start from pole position nine times at a single venue.

Last year, George Russell, Mercedes’ young British driver, took pole position at the Hungaroring, but he could not convert that into victory as Verstappen, starting from 10th on the grid, triumphed in the 70-lap race and won for the first time in his career at Mogyoród.

The 38th Hungarian Grand Prix of Formula 1 is expected to be a sell-out event.

The program will start on Friday with free practice and spectators will be able to watch the Formula 2 and Formula 3 as well as the Porsche Supercup field racing at Mogyoród. Formula 1 qualifying will take place on Saturday at 4 p.m. and the race on Sunday at 3 p.m.

During the race weekend, the MÁV-VOLÁN public transport company will offer visitors a joint “Hungaroring ticket” with Budapest Transport Center, valid for one trip at a reduced price of HUF 750 (EUR 2). There is also the “Hungaroring flexi-ticket”, valid for the return trip. It can be purchased for HUF 1,500 (EUR 4) for trips on 21, 22 and 23 July and can be used on HÉV commuter train lines, train and bus services. Organizers say the best way to get to the Hungaroring is to use the extended HÉV lines and the free special buses.

Season tickets for this year’s Sunday race sold out faster than ever before.

Moreover, the competition is not only a sporting experience, it is also an important event in terms of tourism and the image of the country, reports Turizmus.com. According to the National Tourist Information Center, more than 150,000 advance bookings have already been registered by the capital’s accommodation providers for the race weekend. More than 70 percent of the overnight bookings in Budapest between 21-23 July were made by foreigners. Traditionally, the highest numbers of visitors come from the UK, Germany, the Netherlands and Poland during the race.

Via MTI, Featured photo via Facebook/Hungaroring