By Phil Huff
July 28 2005

The Hungaroring has been a regular fixture on the GP calendar since 1986 when it became the first Formula One event to take place in Eastern Europe. Until recently, the circuit layout had remained the same since 1989, when an unplanned kink around an underground spring was removed, shortening the track and making it the second shortest lap on the current F1 calendar.

The twisty layout, with modifications made in 2003, also makes this the slowest circuit bar Monaco, and three corners (the Turn 2 and 13 hairpins, plus the Turn 6/7 chicane) are all 90 km/h turns. The fastest corner is the relatively modest 170km/h left-hand kink at Turn 4.

Honda-powered drivers have taken victory in Hungary five times, Nelson Piquet taking the chequered flag in 1986 and 1987 and Ayrton Senna winning in 1988, 1991 and 1992.

At last years event, BAR Honda took the second row of the grid, with Jenson Button and Takuma Sato coming home a distant fifth and sixth.

Honda drivers have been on the podium 11 times at the Hungaroring.

Honda Hungary, which is located in Budaors, just 5km from Budapest, was established by Honda Motor Company at the end of 1993, and started as an official operation on 1st April 1994 with just six employees, increasing to 26 as the market developed. There are currently 26 Honda car dealerships and 25 Honda motorcycle dealerships in Hungary. The sales performance of Honda Hungary has been improving year on year. As a result 2,300 passenger cars and 1,600 motorcycles were sold in the Hungarian market in 2003.