1986 Hungarian Grand Prix

The 1986 Hungarian Grand Prix was a Formula One motor race held at the newly constructed Hungaroring on August 10, 1986. It was the eleventh round of the 1986 Formula One season.

1986 Hungarian Grand Prix
Race 11 of 16 in the 1986 Formula One World Championship
Race details
Date	August 10, 1986
Official name	POP 84 Magyar Nagydíj
Location	Hungaroring, Mogyoród, Hungary
Course	Permanent racing facility
Course length	4.014 km (2.494 mi)
Distance	76 laps, 305.042 km (189.544 mi)
Attendance	200,000[1]
Pole position
Driver	Ayrton Senna	Lotus-Renault
Time	1:29.450[2]
Fastest lap
Driver	Nelson Piquet	Williams-Honda
Time	1:31.001 on lap 73[3]
Podium
First	Nelson Piquet	Williams-Honda
Second	Ayrton Senna	Lotus-Renault
Third	Nigel Mansell	Williams-Honda
Lap leaders

It was the first Formula One Grand Prix to be held behind the Iron Curtain, the first Hungarian Grand Prix in 50 years and was attended by a record of 200,000 spectators from everywhere from the Eastern European communist countries. This would remain as the record attendance for a World Championship Grand Prix until 210,000 attended the 1995 Australian Grand Prix in Adelaide.[4]

The race was notable for the battle between fierce Brazilian rivals Nelson Piquet in his Williams-Honda and Ayrton Senna in his Lotus-Renault. Piquet, after an unsuccessful attempt on the previous lap, managed to pass the Lotus driver around the outside as they went into the first corner, and on opposite lock. He also came in for some criticism following the race, especially in the British press, as he had allegedly neglected to tell his team-mate Nigel Mansell about the benefits of a new differential which provided better grip on the slippery, dusty surface (however, it later came to light that Mansell had in fact tried the new diff in practice but had preferred the older one).

Mansell finished 3rd and a lap down in his Williams with Stefan Johansson (Ferrari), Johnny Dumfries (Lotus) and Martin Brundle (Tyrrell-Renault) rounding out the points finishers. Reigning World Champion Alain Prost qualified 3rd in his McLaren-TAG, but an accident on lap 23 saw him as a non-finisher in what was his 100th Grand Prix start.