The 1980s, thanks to the great changes in East-West European relations and to the exacerbation of the political, economic and social contradictions of the countries of the communist bloc, trace an ideal watershed from the previous decade.
These are heavy steps in the history that also involved Hungary. Here, the party and the elite in power, sensing the strong wind that would soon sweep away the socialist system, began a policy of progressive and continuous openings to the democratic opposition, demanding more and more spaces of personal and economic freedom and official recognition through free elections.
It is precisely in the midst of such a revolutionary atmosphere that, in August 1986, Hungarian territory encounters the Formula 1 World Championship for the first time.
A veil of general curiosity surrounds the top motor racing series: people wonder how a nation linked to the “Eastern Bloc” could host a Grand Prix, the first world championship competition organised in Eastern Europe.
The country, however, is pervaded by a certain economic well-being, given above all by the setting aside of the original canons of Communism and by the opening to private initiative.
Furthermore, the Grand Prix is considered a real “business”, the advance ticket sales make it clear that the Formula 1 show is highly anticipated. And in which theater would this… show be staged? On the winding Hungaroring circuit.
The Hungaroring. Created on a rather dusty terrain about twenty kilometers from Budapest, it is 4013 meters long and has a solid and smooth asphalt that offers difficult overtaking and a non-existent ‘grip’.
The Hungarian round is the eleventh of the ’86 season. The McLaren TAGs of Alain Prost and Keke Rosberg represent a winning and dominating reality, but the very powerful Honda engine that equips the Williams makes the team of patron Frank one of the most accredited to take the world championship sceptre from the reigning world champion Prost, with the “Lion” Nigel Mansell and the new arrival Nelson Piquet.
The two-time Brazilian world champion, after a long marriage with Brabham and the titles won in ’81 and ’83, has started his new English adventure well. Nelson arrives at the Hungaroring with two victories and four podiums. Ayrton Senna, the confirmed promise, can also have his say with Lotus-Renault, while Ferrari, with Michele Alboreto and Stefan Johansson, seems to be struggling.
Ayrton Senna, Lotus 98T, Hungarian Grand Prix 1986
Photo by: Sutton Images
Senna knows he can aim to conquer the Hungarian track after having taken pole position with an excellent 1’29”450, leaving Piquet, Prost and Mansell behind him.
On the day of the race, a hot August 10, the success hoped for by the organizers of the Grand Prix was confirmed: the track was teeming with fans, the queue of cars on the highway connecting Budapest to the circuit reached sensational heights for an Eastern European country.
In addition to local fans, there are numerous spectators from Czechoslovakia, East Germany and Poland. There are even Italians, who took advantage of the holiday period to attend the event.
The race promises to be long and difficult, not only because of the tortuous nature of the route, but also because of the fatigue that could attack the drivers given the oppressive heat. At the start, Senna takes the lead followed by Mansell, Piquet, Patrick Tambay’s Lola, Prost, Alan Jones in the Lola, Johnny Dumfries’ Lotus, René Arnoux in the Ligier, Rosberg, Johansson and Riccardo Patrese’s Brabham.
By the third lap, Piquet was already second. He had the black and gold silhouette of Senna’s single-seater in his sights and his attack was not long in coming. Piquet overtook his rival on lap 11. Behind them, meanwhile, Prost seemed to be able to join the fight but was slowed down by a problem with the injection control unit of his McLaren and was subsequently forced to retire due to contact with Arnoux.
Halfway through the Grand Prix, there are no more doubts: the attention of the cameras, spectators and commentators is all focused on the Piquet/Senna duel. The established champion from Rio can’t stand the growing popularity of his young rival from São Paulo and would do anything to humiliate him in a blatant way.
Mansell follows at a distance in third position, which due to the long gap is cut off from the race lead barring any surprises that only the sign on the pit wall can communicate to him.
Ayrton Senna, Lotus 98T Renault, ahead of Nelson Piquet, Williams FW11 Honda
Picture of: Motorsport Images
The stops to change tires begin. Piquet’s Williams changes them on lap 35, Senna overtakes him and pushes his Lotus to the max, successively improving his times. When he builds up about 30 seconds of advantage over his opponent he decides to return to the pits.
Lap 43. Ayrton returns to the track maintaining first place with a margin of over seven seconds over his opponent. The emotion and spectacle dominate the final phase, with Piquet squeezing his car to get close to Senna and overtake him, an operation difficult to repeat on a track like the Hungarian one.
Unexpectedly, however, the turning point comes on lap 56: the Williams driver, who has recovered the disadvantage meter after meter, reinvents an overtaking on the outside in the curve at the end of the main straight, in a controlled skid, accompanied by overwhelming applause. He leaves Senna behind and races towards victory.
Nelson Piquet, Williams Honda
Picture of: Motorsport Images
Piquet becomes the first winner of the Hungarian Grand Prix, the first to be embraced by the noisy crowd of around 200,000 hearts beating with passion at the Hungaroring, direct witnesses of an undertaking that has entered into legend and the history of Formula 1 overtaking, which overshadows Mansell’s podium, Johansson’s fourth place and the points scored by Dumfries and Martin Brundle’s Tyrrell.
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