For 40 years, the Hungaroring’s tight corners were identified mainly by numbers. Now, every turn tells a story from Formula 1 history.
Lewis Hamilton stands at the centre of the new map, with Turn 2 officially carrying the name of the circuit’s most successful driver. The seven-time World Champion has won eight Hungarian Grands Prix and claimed nine pole positions at a venue that has repeatedly brought out his best.
Hamilton had previously chosen Turn 2 when asked which part of the Hungaroring he would want named after him. The circuit has now made that preference permanent as the Hungarian Grand Prix celebrates 40 years since its first Formula 1 race in 1986.
Across all 14 corners, the finished map honours champions, historic overtakes, painful defeats and the Hungarian landmarks surrounding the circuit.
Hamilton’s Record Made Turn 2 The Natural Choice
The panel did not give Hamilton a corner simply because of his wider Formula 1 success. His record in Hungary made the decision almost unavoidable.
Hamilton won at the Hungaroring in 2007 during his remarkable rookie season with McLaren. Further victories followed for the team in 2009 and 2012, proving his early success was not tied to one car or one title campaign.
His Mercedes years turned an excellent record into sustained control. Hamilton won in 2013, 2016, 2018, 2019 and 2020, mastering different cars, tyre demands and race situations along the way.
Some victories came through raw speed. Others required patience, strategy and complete trust in the pit wall.
The 2019 race remains one of the clearest examples. Mercedes called Hamilton in for a second stop while Max Verstappen stayed out. Hamilton returned to the circuit about 15 seconds behind, attacked on fresher tyres and completed the winning pass with four laps remaining.
His nine pole positions matter just as much at a circuit where overtaking has traditionally been difficult. A flawless qualifying lap can shape the entire weekend, and Hamilton has repeatedly produced one when the margins were smallest.
Turn 2 therefore represents more than one brilliant Sunday. It carries memories from his McLaren breakthrough, his Mercedes dominance and a relationship with the Hungaroring that has lasted almost 20 years. That history explains why the internet reaction focused less on surprise than on status, with one supporter writing, “That’s Sir Lewis Hamilton.” For a driver still competing in Formula 1, the honour carries unusual weight. Hamilton remains on the grid, yet part of the circuit already belongs permanently to his legacy.
One Lap Now Passes Through Several Formula 1 Eras
Hamilton is the modern centrepiece, but the complete lap stretches back to the first Hungarian Grand Prix.
Turn 1 honours Nelson Piquet, winner of the opening two races at the circuit. It was there in 1986 that Piquet slid around the outside of Ayrton Senna in one of the most celebrated overtakes in Formula 1 history.
Mansell follows at Turn 4. His relationship with Hungary included both frustration and triumph. A loose right rear wheel nut cost him a likely victory with five laps remaining in 1987. Just two years later, he charged from 12th on the grid and passed Senna in traffic on his way to victory.
The circuit later became the place where Mansell secured the 1992 World Championship.
Turn 11 carries Jean Alesi’s name. Hungarian supporters had used the name informally for decades after the Ferrari driver crashed there during practice in 1995. His car left the circuit at speed through the fast right-hand corner, creating an image that remained part of local racing memory long after the wreckage was cleared.
Michael Schumacher takes Turn 12. He won four times in Hungary and secured his fourth Drivers’ World Championship there in 2001. Ferrari also sealed the Constructors’ Championship during the same weekend, turning the Hungaroring into a celebration of the team’s most dominant period.
Senna receives Turn 13. He claimed pole for the inaugural race in 1986 and later won at the circuit in 1988, 1991 and 1992.
A single qualifying lap can now move from Piquet’s 1986 powerslide to Hamilton’s modern record, passing through the careers of Mansell, Alesi, Schumacher and Senna along the way.
The Circuit Also Honours Its Hungarian Roots
Not every name comes from a Formula 1 driver. The Hungaroring has also placed its local identity directly onto the racing line.
Turn 3 becomes Spring because the circuit sits in the Valley of the Three Springs. Turn 5 takes the name Mogyoród, the community that houses the venue despite its close association with Budapest.
Turns 6 and 7 are called Driving Centre after Hungary’s first driver training facility, which opened at the circuit in 1998.
The linked Turns 8 and 9 become Buda and Pest, joining the two halves of the Hungarian capital through one section of the lap. Turn 10 honours the Danube, the river that runs through Budapest and across Hungary.
At the end of the circuit, Turn 14 carries the name Szisz.
Ferenc Szisz was a Hungarian engineer who headed Renault’s testing department and won the first Grand Prix in motor racing history in France in 1906. His position at the final corner connects the modern Formula 1 venue with Hungary’s much earlier contribution to the sport.
These local names give the circuit more than a collection of famous drivers. They place the Hungaroring within its own landscape, linking every race weekend to the towns, waterways and history surrounding the track.
A Project That Took Shape Across 12 Months
The initiative began when supporters submitted ideas during the 2025 Hungarian Grand Prix.
Thousands of suggestions were gathered before a panel of circuit veterans, motorsport professionals and specialist journalists reviewed the options. The final selections were revealed during the 2026 anniversary celebrations, completing a process that developed across roughly 12 months.
That timeline gave supporters a voice while leaving the final decisions with people familiar with the circuit and its history.
The next test will be whether commentators, drivers and fans begin using the names regularly. Some may need time to become part of Formula 1 language. Others have such clear historical connections that adoption should come quickly.
Hamilton Corner should face little difficulty. The name belongs to the driver with more Hungarian Grand Prix victories and pole positions than anyone else.
The tribute will not exist only on a circuit map. Hamilton, Mansell and Alesi have also left handprints that will be cast in concrete and installed permanently at the venue. Those impressions give the anniversary project a physical legacy beyond the painted kerbs and official corner signs.
Every future lap will now pass through a track shaped by its past. Hamilton has Turn 2. Piquet, Mansell, Alesi, Schumacher and Senna occupy other parts of the racing line. Hungary itself fills the spaces between them.
The Hungaroring no longer has a circuit map made only of numbers. It has a lap where Formula 1 history unfolds corner by corner.
READ MORE: Lewis Hamilton Tames a Tricky Hungaroring to Put Ferrari on Top in Practice
FAQs
Which Hungaroring corner is named after Lewis Hamilton?
Turn 2 is now Hamilton Corner. The circuit chose it to honour his unmatched Hungarian Grand Prix record.
Why did the Hungaroring name Turn 2 after Hamilton?
Hamilton has eight wins and nine pole positions at the circuit. He had also said Turn 2 would be his preferred corner.
Which other Formula 1 legends have named Hungaroring corners?
Nelson Piquet, Nigel Mansell, Jean Alesi, Michael Schumacher and Ayrton Senna also have corners named after them.
When did the Hungaroring corner naming project begin?
Fans submitted ideas during the 2025 Hungarian Grand Prix. Organisers revealed the final names during the circuit’s 2026 anniversary celebrations.
Who was Ferenc Szisz?
Ferenc Szisz was a Hungarian engineer and racer who won the first Grand Prix in 1906. Turn 14 now carries his name.
