Budapest –Budapest hosted a veritable Formula 1 festival this weekend, with almost 200,000 people visiting the track from Thursday to Sunday to watch the 32nd Hungarian Grand Prix. The actual figure is 199,000, which is an increase of 11.5% over the 2016 numbers.
Scuderia Ferrari was the star of the Formula 1 Pirelli Magyar Nagydíi 2017: it locked out the front row of the grid in yesterday’s qualifying and the same two drivers were first past the chequered flag this afternoon, Sebastian Vettel ahead of Kimi Raikkonen. Behind them in third place came Valtteri Bottas (Mercedes AMG Petronas F1 Team.) In the closing stages, the Finn had been let through by team-mate Lewis Hamilton, after he had let Hamilton by earlier on to see if the Englishman could hunt down the Ferrari duo.
Congratulations to Sebastian Vettel and Scuderia Ferrari, who were on convincing form all weekend. Everything seemed set in stone at the start of this afternoon’s race, but the way it evolved proved once again how important it is for every single factor, from the car to the drivers to the team, to operate at 100% if one wants to win. In fact, it didn’t take much to cast doubt over Vettel’s victory, with the race thus building up to a nail biting finale, right down to the final kilometre.”
The great on track show at the Formula 1 Pirelli Magyar Nagydíi 2017, also extended off the track in the team areas and other spectator zones, which were packed with thousands of fans. The “F1 Experience” was particularly popular, allowing a few lucky fans to experience all the excitement that comes from being driven around the track in a two-seater Formula 1 car.
“The second half of the season got underway with a Grand Prix that really surprised me in terms of the great enthusiasm of the huge crowd that flocked to the Hungaroring from all over Europe. They were treated to a tense race that was closely contested right down to the wire. It proves that this sport can really offer great excitement and put on a fantastic show from the first to the last lap. Budapest is a beautiful city, which has welcomed Formula 1 for over thirty years, with warmth and passion and it’s a real pleasure to be here for what is now a regular fixture on the calendar.”
We have witnessed eleven Grands Prix in just a little over four months: it’s been 126 days since the Australian Grand Prix on 26th March. Now the Formula 1 family can pause for breath as we take the usual mid-August break. The 12th of this year’s twenty Grands Prix will take place at the Spa- Francorchamps circuit from 25 to 27 August. In the meantime, as Fernando Alonso suggested this afternoon after the race, we wish all the drivers, team personnel and all the stakeholders in this marvelous sport, a really wonderful holiday!!
Notes to editors:
Norman Howell, Director of Global Communications, Formula 1 E: [email protected]
M: +44 (0)7920 181 929
Formula 1 Press Office E: [email protected]
Edelman Press Office
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