A Quick Hungarian Grand Prix Race Guide

The Hungarian Grand Prix is here, the last race this year before the F1 Summer Break. This race, taking place at the Hungaroring, is often called “Monaco without walls” due to the tight and twisty nature of the track and the precision that driving it demands.

The Hungarian Grand Prix tends to be one of the more affordable races on the F1 calendar (great if you’re looking to do F1 on a budget!), and it takes place near Budapest, which is one of my favorite European capitals to spend a few days in.

Here’s your mini Hungarian Grand Prix race guide, including all you need to know about tickets, where to sit, the fan experience, what you can bring to the track, and more.

Quick race guide to the Hungarian GP

Here’s everything you need to know if you’re headed to the Hungarian Grand Prix this year, or are interested in traveling to the Hungarian F1 race one day in the future.

Official race name

Officially, this is the FORMULA 1 AWS HUNGARIAN GRAND PRIX.

When is it?

The Hungarian GP takes place July 24-26, 2026 (local time). The schedule is:

July 24: Practice 1, Practice 2
July 25: Practice 3, Qualifying
July 26: Race

Race location

The Hungarian GP takes place at the Hungaroring, located in Mogyoród, Hungary. This is a 4.381-kilometer (2.722-mile) circuit set in a natural valley, located just 23 kilometers (about 14 miles) northeast of Budapest. This (relatively short) circuit is known for its many tight turns and lack of long straights. Driver race 70 laps here.

The Hungaroring dates back to 1986, the same year that it hosted its first Grand Prix — it was the first F1 race to ever take place behind the Iron Curtain. The circuit has hosted this race every year since its inception.

Getting to the track

The Hungarian Grand Prix takes place really close to Budapest, meaning you can easily use the Hungarian capital as your base for race weekend. From the city, there are several ways to get to the circuit — but note that this is usually one that people complain about being a bit disorganized when it comes to parking and shuttles, so you should definitely allow some extra time.

If you have a car, you can drive to the Hungaroring. Free parking is available for ticket holders, and they also sell Premium parking tickets with VIP access lanes. You can also take a taxi through the official taxi partner of the race, Főtaxi (there will be a taxi stand set up near Gate 8).

It’s also possible to get to the Hungaroring by public transportation. Fans can take the H8 HÉV train line from Budapest to Kerepes, the closest station to the Hungaroring. From Kerepes, free shuttle buses will go the rest of the way (a seven-minute drive) to Gate 3 of the Hungaroring. For the return journey, shuttle buses will go to Gödöllő, where you can also hop on a direct train back to the capital. (You can also take a train to the Szilasliget HÉV station, and reach the circuit on foot in about 30 minutes.)

Another option is booking a city shuttle. These shuttles run directly from central Budapest to the Hungaroring and can be pre-booked online.

More info on all these options can be found here.

Hungarian GP ticket options

For the Hungarian GP, I recommend buying tickets directly from the host circuit first, or F1 Experiences for hospitality packages:

Hungaroring.hu for general admission and grandstand tickets (they sell through gpticketshop.hu).
F1 Experiences for premium hospitality packages, including Paddock Club.

Tickets for the Hungarian Grand Prix typically go on sale almost immediately after the current year’s race finishes. Tickets here are usually in pretty high demand since prices tend to be more reasonable than tickets for some other European F1 races. Popular grandstands, general admission, and Sunday-only tickets usually do sell out.

For this race, you are usually able to buy single-day tickets or full weekend packages.

Best place(s) to sit

The Super Gold Grandstand is widely considered to offer the best seats at the Hungarian Grand Prix. It’s close to the start/finish line as well as the Fanzone, and offers views of other parts of the track, as well. It’s also the only fully covered grandstand, which is ideal for staying cool on a sunny July day.

Gold Grandstands 1-4 offer good views of the track’s first turn, while Silver Grandstands 3 and 5 provide excellent, wide views of the final turns. Any higher seats tend to offer better views at this race, with much of the track being in a natural bowl shape.

You can also still see a lot of the action with General Admission tickets, although be prepared to sweat as you’ll be standing in the sun without any access to shade!

The fan experience

Budapest is already known for its vibrant nightlife, so the atmosphere gets cranked up even more during the Grand Prix race weekend. Almost everyone attending the race stays in Budapest, and the city’s famous ruin bars are packed with fans all weekend long.

At the Hungaroring, there’s a lively fan experience on race weekend, too.

This is one track that offers a fan package on Thursday before race weekend (you can get a ticket here for Fanzone access), as well as a Thursday Pit Lane Walk (extra tickets required!). You can also get a High Speed Test ticket for Thursday, which includes its own pit lane walk.

During the race weekend itself, the main F1 Fanzone at the Hungaroring offers plenty of entertainment, food, and F1 activations, while the Entertainment Zone is where you’ll find live DJs, stage shows, interactive games, and appearances by F1 personalities. There’s also the Relaxed Zone, where you can enjoy some quieter dining, shopping, and exhibitions, and some rides like a zipline, Ferris wheel, and more.

Be sure to try typical Hungarian street food like lángos (a delicious fried flatbread), or grab a local Dreher beer.

Where to see drivers

The best place to be guaranteed to see F1 drivers is on the main Fanzone stage (near Turn 12) during scheduled times on Friday and Saturday. Get there early to be up close.

And there are usually a few team pop-ups in Budapest surrounding race weekend, some of which might include driver appearances. (In 2026, Alpine had a meet and greet with both drivers at the Time Out Market Budapest on Thursday.)

Many people stake out the hotels in Budapest where drivers tend to stay, but I don’t generally recommend this, as to me it feels like stalking.

What you can/can’t bring

Knowing what you’re allowed to bring to the race and what’s prohibited is important when planning your Hungarian GP weekend. Here’s a quick overview so you know what to expect. (The good news is that the Hungaroring is pretty lenient on what you can bring to the track!)

Hungarian Grand Prix bag rules

You cannot bring a bag larger than 20 liters into the Hungaroring, so you’ll want to pack light and review the list of prohibited and approved items before you go. (And for reference, 20 liters is the size of a small backpack or tote bag.)

Things you CANNOT bring to the Hungarian GP include:

Bags over 20 liters
Any alcoholic beverages
Glass of any kind
Weapons or any other dangerous item
Coolers
Large umbrellas or tents
Seating of any kind (meaning no camp chairs or folding chairs allowed!)
Lasers, fireworks, smoke bombs, etc.
Drones
Bicycles, scooters, skateboards, etc.
Animals
Authoritarian symbols

Things you CAN bring with you:

One plastic bottle per person (1 liter maximum, only non-alcoholic)
Food (you can take the equivalent of 3 sandwiches per person)
Small folding umbrellas (but not to be used in the grandstands)
Cameras for personal use that fit into your 20 liter bag
Strollers
Small flags/signs that don’t block others’ views

Track invasion info

A track invasion is a big tradition at the Hungarian Grand Prix, with fans flooding onto the track after the race concludes to see the podium ceremony. Typically, they open gates at two points along the track, usually near the first turn and the last turn.

Other race weekend events

Outside of the entertainment available at the track throughout race weekend (which includes live DJs and other performers), there is always a lot going on in Budapest.

Many clubs and bars organize Formula 1 after-parties, or you can just celebrate with other fans at many of the nightlife spots around the city.

There are also usually some F1-related pop-ups at local shops. In 2026, you can check out:

Ferrari Boxutca Experience (with a show car display) at Westend Mall July 20-26
Alpine F1 Team Experience at Time Out Market Budapest from July 22-26 (with driver appearances on July 23)
Audi R26 Showcar Display at Széllkapu Park (Millenáris) from July 24–26

What else to do in Budapest

If you’re traveling for the Hungarian Grand Prix and staying in Budapest, here are 5 of the best things to do in Budapest while you’re not at the track:

Take a nighttime boat cruise on the Danube to see all the bridges and buildings illuminated after dark.
Soak in one of Budapest’s famous thermal baths, like the Széchenyi Thermal Bath or the Gellért Thermal Bath.
Explore the history of Buda Castle, a complex of museums in historic buildings on the Buda side of the city (the oldest part of Budapest). Also check out the views from Fisherman’s Bastion.
Enjoy the nightlife at Budapest’s unique ruin bars.
Admire the architecture of the Hungarian Parliament Building (tours of the interior are also available!).

Have you ever been to the Hungarian Grand Prix? If so, what tips would you give people who are going?