Hungaroring Vs. A1-Ring

[Skam85]

IMO, the FIA should have cut Hungary instead of Austria. The A1-Ring at least has provided a few decent races in the past, where overtaking is possible. Hungary has been on the calender far too long IMO and it is a rare race I do not look forward to at the beginning of the season. Yesterday's race just cemented that IMO. I say Hungary out for 2005, Austria and Turkey in. What do you think?

[twig]

I have to agree, but i think the reason for removing the A1 Ring from this year's calandar was not due to the actual racing, like Spa.

The A1 Ring is a very good track, it may be a right angle-hairpin-hairpin kind of track - but it made for good racing, and the scenery was great.

[Attila]

Hungaroring just got a contract till 2011. It was announced before the race. the prime minister of Hungary was negotiating with Bernie on the issue. He said that the contract is very lucrative for both parties.

[alfasud]

I remember passing at the A1 ring.... last lap of 2002 I think it was - opps!

Umm, but seriosly I missed most of the Hungaroring race after falling asleep last night, not long after the Massa vs Pantano dice.... I'm told that not much happened after that anyway, although I do remember some pictures of refuelling hose, which much have been considered more exciting than whatever was happening on the track at the time.

Not sure how it helps Bernie, to have the TV viewers sleep through one race a year until 2011... I'd have thought the sponsorship only really works when the viewers are awake.

[Dick Spanner]

The A1 ring nearly always gave a good race unlike the Hungaroring which nearly alway's doesn't. Let's be under no illusion though, Austria was dropped for financial reasons and nothing more. Hungary makes Bernie more money, end of story

[BootsOntheSide]

Austria was seen as beign too close to Germany to be viable (a shame, as it produces better raaces than the Nurburgring), whereasHungary is the only Eastern European option, which counts for a lot. It's a sad situation. A lot of people udner-rated the A1 Ring, but it produced a lot of action.

[GP Racer]

The crowd looked pretty thin yesterday, and those poor souls that were there, looked rightly bored to tears. Imagine paying for that? That would hurt.

Also, I'm quite sure that many TV's were turned off, so how is this "race", and I use that term lightly, a money maker?

[Kicking-back]

The race is a money maker because the organisers have a contract to pay millions for the right to stage a Grand Prix.


And the A1-ring does indeed offer much better racing than the Hungaroring.

[Attila]

The Hungaroring is the brainchild of Bernie. Back in the communist era, Bernie wanted an "Esternblock" race and only Hungary wanted to invest some money. The track design was given by Bernie so it is his track. I remember that an English desing team came to Hungary and they were in charge of Hungaroring. A friend of mine was the translator of this team that is how I know that. Also, Bernie is always wellcomed in Hungary, whenever he comes the actual prime minister is always ready to meet with him. He gets the whole diplomatic procedure as would the head of any foreign state get. Maybe he likes that... Anyway as a Hungarian I see no reason for the Hungarian GP at all, the track is terrible, we are EU now, so tobacco advertising won't be allowed. I just don't understand the situation...

[f1manoz]

A1-Ring produced some fantastic racing and the highlights of the season.

The Hungaroring produces...

[006_007]

The biggest problem with the A1 ring is that it has a tobacco ban on it. The Hungaroring does not. All about the $$$

[Teretonga]

Well that says it all then, doesn't it?

[climb]

Of course.

[Don K]

As long as we cannot have a Grand Prix in Eastern Europe, I think we should at least have one in the Eastern part of Central Europe.
So that should be either Hungary or Czech Republic.

Hungary looks like a decent choice to me.

---

If Hungary were to be dropped, it should be replaced by a race somewhere in Africa.
And South America needs (at least) a second race, of course.

[Dani Filth]

Brno .. much better track .. at least for bikes

[Attila]

Dani I have been to the Brno track and I am sure it would not be wide enough and good enough for a good F1 race. It would be another Hungaroring. I think that Slovakia, Hungary and Austria should build a track on the border of the three countries :-). The cost would be less and all countries would have their own GP.

[Panzer]

I think the A1 Ring is a better race track.

[Skam85]

Erm....Adelaide? Not quite Eastern European, but a damn good track IMO!!!

[BootsOntheSide]

Brno isn't really suited to car racing, although it's fantastic with bikes.

It's a shame Bernie puts his own greed and scheming above providing the best racetracks he can. There's no doubt that Austria was better than several remaining tracks, and that Hungary is the worst of the lot.

[Dani Filth]

Hungary will host Bernie Ecclestone's grand prix circus for at least seven more years, Prime Minister Peter Medgyessy revealed. He said after last Sunday's Formula One race at the Hungaroring, 19kms north of Budapest, that a new agreement has been signed. Medgyessy said Ecclestone signed a five-year extension to the current contract, which guaranteed a race until 2006, on Sunday.

Media reports claimed the government contribution to this year's Hungarian Grand Prix was $13 million, down on 2003's $15 million. News of Hungary's contract extension is unlikely to go down well with the Formula One fraternity who frowned on a 'boring' race.

London's 'The Times' headlined a story on Sunday evening as claiming Michael Schumacher left F1 'yawning' near Budapest. "Sunday's race sounded a thousand alarm bells," added the Independent, "but ... only those outside (F1) can hear them."

Circuit spokesman Sandor David claimed 160,000 spectators, about the same as last year, attended last weekend's grand prix event. The twisty Hungaroring is situated at Mogyorod.

[Mike_Wooshy]

personally i dont mind the track okay its one of the most boring but it still chucks a few suprises at us ..... 97 hill nearly won.
last year MS being lapped :O
okay not rich in history but i think it should stop untill another eastern european country can host ...... or maybe if russia can get a gp but untill then i think it should stay. budapest is a nice city, from what i hear anyway and it welcomes F1 or so i hear.

[luke]

The Hungaroring shouldn't have been built they should of raced at the street circuit they where planning in Buda-pest, but I understand it was to dangerous!

[N I Tram]

Who designed the Hungaroring? The change they made to the first corner has helped from an overtaking perspective, but clearly not by enough.

[luke]

It was only breifly designed after the canclation of the proposed street circuit. It had to be under 3 miles long had to have elavation changes ang good viewing shame the guy who designed it didn't originaly design any overtaking areas, anyway the new track is much better but still could have some better corners and straight-a-ways.