What F1 teams do well at Hungarian Grand Prix with McLaren successful in Budapest

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The Hungarian Grand Prix debuted on the Formula 1 calendar in 1986 and has seen a flurry of dominate spells, so F1 Oversteer looks at what teams do well near Budapest.

F1 revived the Hungarian GP name during the late 1980s as the series finally staged a round behind the Iron Curtain. It had laid dormant for 50 years after a one-off Grand Prix was held in 1936. But the Hungarian GP has been on every F1 calendar since the debut event in 1986.

Honda power even saw Williams with Nelson Piquet Sr driving win the first two runnings of the Formula 1 Hungarian Grand Prix. While Honda power took another Brazilian to the top of the Hungaroring podium in 1988 as Ayrton Senna gifted McLaren their first of many wins.

Williams won the first Hungarian GP with Nelson Piquet Sr in 1986

No Formula 1 team, in fact, has won the Hungarian Grand Prix more often than McLaren so far. Williams may have won the first two with Piquet Sr but the Grove squad trail their rivals from Woking. McLaren enjoyed great success at the Budapest track in the 1990s and 2000s.

Ferrari even matched Williams for the silver medal spot with their last win at the Hungarian GP in 2017. Williams have remained on seven wins around the Hungaroring since the team took Jacques Villeneuve to back-to-back wins in 1996 and 1997 after Damon Hill’s 1995 win.

READ MORE: Five unforgettable Hungarian Grand Prix including Alonso and Hamilton’s spat

Formula 1’s turbo-hybrid power unit era since 2014 has also seen Mercedes become one of the most successful teams at the Hungarian GP. Lewis Hamilton gave the Silver Arrows their first win at the Hungaroring in 2013 and added four more victories in the next seven years.

McLaren are the most successful F1 team at the Hungarian Grand Prix

Senna ensured McLaren only had to wait until the third Hungarian Grand Prix in 1988 to get the team’s first win. He edged Nigel Mansell driving with Williams to pole position by 0.108s and ultimately came home in a McLaren one-two with Alain Prost only 0.529 seconds apart.

McLaren continued to prosper at the Hungarian GP during the 1990s as Senna secured two further wins with the team. Mika Hakkinen also sealed two Hungarian GP wins before Kimi Raikkonen, Hamilton, Heikki Kovalainen and Jenson Button enhanced the team’s top status.

Mercedes are the most successful engine manufacturer at the Hungarian GP

Hamilton emerging as the most successful Formula 1 driver over the Hungarian GP’s history has also helped Mercedes to emerge as its most winningest engine manufacturer. The Silver Arrows powered eight of McLaren’s record 11 wins before adding five of their own, as well.

The first four of Mercedes’ 13 wins as an engine manufacturer at the Hungarian Grand Prix also came during their time in collaboration with Ilmor. While Honda engines secured eight wins at the Hungaroring, with the most recent two coming as Red Bull-badged power units.