The thirteenth Hungarian Grand Prix of the year taking place this weekend at the Hungaroringon the outskirts of Budapest, already A true ‘classic’ of the Formula 1 World Championshipbut it was a revolution in 1986 when the former communist bloc became the first country to host a first-class race.

Formula 1 on the other side of the iron curtain? On August 10, just a few years before the track on the outskirts of the Hungarian capital, which was the eleventh of that year’s 16 races, was almost unimaginable.

But there was little that seemed impossible to him. Bernie Ecclestonethe genius who designed and developed this monumental sports spectacle derives from a multi-million dollar business. was his property for several decades.

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Long before the term globalization was coined, the former British driver, team manager and businessman was ahead of his time once again by taking a new step in the universalization of F1: penetrating the formerly impermeable territory of the countries that formed the former Warsaw Pact. . Signed in 1955 in the capital of Poland; as a response to NATO, which was formed seven years ago.

It is true that only three years later the Berlin Wall will fall, which marks the beginning of the definitive collapse of the so-called Eastern bloc. And Hungary, once a member of the Austro-Hungarian Empire (1867-1918)—with its capitals Vienna and Budapest inextricably linked by the majestic Danube—was always the country most closely related to the countries of the communist bloc. It was later called Western Europe. But The arrival of F1 in Hungary – violently suppressed by the Soviet Union (USSR) in 1956- It was a big surprise for the day.

Much later, the World Cup in 2004 included China, where it was usually held in Shanghai without pandemics or consequences. In 2014, Russia, now ratified, entered the calendar (Olympic in Sochi) that was the most important of the republics that formed the Soviet Union until its dissolution. And The Arab world is playing an increasingly important role His final goal is in a championship with firm roots in the United States, which is close to being achieved, even more familiar with other motorsport categories.

But the linking of the sickle and hammer to one of capitalism’s greatest sporting symbols, F1, was something few expected when it was announced that Hungaroring would host one of the World Cup events. Since that time, He never missed an appointment. And this weekend, Hungary will host the thirty-seventh Grand Prix.

His first race in Hungary was given to him by Nelson Piquet, the father of ex-F1 driver (who was the teammate of the Spaniard Fernando Alonso) ‘Nelsinho’ and also the winner of the electric championship Formula E, which was unimaginable 36 years ago. Kelly Piquet, who is customary on circuits next to the current champion, and first class leaderDutch Max Verstappen (Red Bull).

Nelson won on August 10, 1986 ahead of another triple Brazilian world champion, the ill-fated Ayrton Senna, and the 1992 crowned Briton, Nigel Mansell. on a road then it was 4,014 meters (now 4,381) and Frenchman Alain Prost, who would defend his title that year—second of his four crowns—had an accident and left.

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Piquet repeated the victory a year later, but Ayrton developed it in 1992 and won. third time in a country that has little to do with communism right now. And in whose stats The other four world champions count two successes: British Damon Hill, Canadian Jacques Villeneuve, (double crowned) Finn Mika Hakkinen and German (four winners) Sebastian Vettel.

Senna was overtaken by seven-time German world champion Michael Schumacher in his fourth win at the Hungaroring in 2004. seemed unreachable) ‘Kaiser’. These include victories in Hungary, where the magnificent and eccentric Stevenage champion – 103 victories and as many pole positions – achieved his eighth success on one of his talisman circuits two years ago.

19 years ago in Hungary, the world also admired double Asturian world champion Fernando Alonso. in September 2003 it happened youngest winner in history (now Verstappen) and the first Spaniard to climb to the top of the podium in the honors division of motorsport. Earlier this month, Carlos Sainz is single until he adds his first victory in the queen category to the Asturian genius’s 32nd. The scene of the first race in F1 history in 1950, with a win at Silverstone (England).