1994 Hungarian Grand Prix Explained

Type:F1
Country:Hungary
Grand Prix:Hungarian
Official Name:X Marlboro Magyar Nagydij
Date:14 August
Year:1994
Race No:10
Season No:16
Location:Hungaroring
Mogyoród, Pest, Hungary[1]
Course:Permanent racing facility
Course Mi:2.466
Course Km:3.968
Distance Laps:77
Distance Mi:189.851
Distance Km:305.536
Weather:Sunny
Pole Driver:Michael Schumacher
Pole Team:Benetton-Ford
Pole Time:1:18.258
Pole Country:Germany
Fast Driver:Michael Schumacher
Fast Team:Benetton-Ford
Fast Time:1:20.881
Fast Lap:5
Fast Country:Germany
First Driver:Michael Schumacher
First Team:Benetton-Ford
First Country:Germany
Second Driver:Damon Hill
Second Team:Williams-Renault
Second Country:United Kingdom
Third Driver:Jos Verstappen
Third Team:Benetton-Ford
Third Country:Netherlands

The 1994 Hungarian Grand Prix was a Formula One motor race held on 14 August 1994 at the Hungaroring, Mogyoród, Pest, Hungary. It was the tenth race of the 1994 Formula One World Championship.

The 77-lap race was won from pole position by Michael Schumacher, driving a Benetton-Ford. Schumacher's Drivers' Championship rival, Damon Hill, finished second in a Williams-Renault, with Jos Verstappen third in the other Benetton-Ford after Martin Brundle suffered an electrical failure in his McLaren-Peugeot on the final lap. Brundle was partnered for this race by McLaren tester Philippe Alliot, deputising for a suspended Mika Häkkinen.

The win, Schumacher's seventh of the season, meant that his lead over Hill in the Drivers' Championship stood at 31 points with six races remaining.

Weekend report before qualifying

Benetton and McLaren were both in trouble with issues found by the FIA after the German Grand Prix. Benetton were troubled with the result of Jos Verstappen's fiery pit stop at Hockenheimring, which was caused by the team removing a filter from the fuelling system. The FIA believed it allowed a piece of debris to become lodged within a valve of the nozzle that caused the fuel to spill out onto the bodywork. It was highly criticised by the FIA with the design of the fuel rig, as to which the FIA had required all teams to use with the regulation changes. McLaren were troubled with the result of Mika Häkkinen receiving a one race ban for causing a crash on the first lap of the German Grand Prix and was replaced by Philippe Alliot who made his first grand prix since the French Grand Prix the previous year but had spun off the circuit during first practice which left to take over Brundle's car. This did not bring much satisfaction for the head of Peugeot engineering and fellow Frenchman Jean-Pierre Jabouille, who had been actively campaigning the McLaren management to replace Brundle with Alliot for several months.

Qualifying

The front row was locked out by the championship contenders Michael Schumacher and Damon Hill with Schumacher half a second quicker than Hill with the Benetton of Schumacher also quickest during the Sunday morning warm-up. With the top ten being completed by Coulthard third in the other Williams, Berger fourth for Ferrari as Berger's teammate Alesi could do not better than 13th due to handling issues behind Jos Verstappen's Benetton but also ahead of Alliot's McLaren who was 14th (which left McLaren separated by eight places), Katayama fifth for Tyrrell, Brundle sixth for McLaren, Eddie Irvine seventh for Jordan, Frentzen eighth for Sauber, Panis was ninth for Ligier & Rubens Barrichello completing the top ten in the other Jordan.

Race

Despite being on the clean side of the track, Schumacher got off to a bad start compared to Hill's Williams but managed to brake later than Hill allowing him to retake the lead ahead of Hill, Coulthard, Berger, Katayama, and Brundle through turn 1. The Jordans of Irvine and Barrichello were quick and surpassed Brundle and Katayama, but the Jordan teammates collided at the second turn and took off Katayama as well forcing all three drivers to immediately retire. Alesi was able to pass Panis for sixth. Nothing changed in the order after the first round of pit stops, but eventually there was action behind as Berger stalled which left him to drop behind Brundle, Alesi, and Verstappen. Ferrari's bad luck continued as Alesi's engine failed on lap 59 and left oil on the track which caused David Coulthard to spin off and crash out of third place into the wall a lap later as the other Ferrari of Gerhard Berger also retired with engine failure on lap 73. Martin Brundle stopped on the last lap with an electrical failure, denying him of a podium and handing his place to Jos Verstappen who was just behind him. Michael Schumacher claimed his seventh victory of the season ahead of Damon Hill, teammate Jos Verstappen, Martin Brundle, Mark Blundell for Tyrrell and Olivier Panis scoring sixth for Ligier.

Classification

Qualifying

Pos No Driver Constructor Q1 Q2 Gap
15 Michael SchumacherBenetton-Ford1:19.4791:18.258
20 Damon HillWilliams-Renault1:19.7001:18.824+0.566
32 David CoulthardWilliams-Renault1:20.3951:20.205+1.947
428 Gerhard BergerFerrari1:21.0091:20.219+1.961
53 Ukyo KatayamaTyrrell-Yamaha1:21.8771:20.232+1.974
68 Martin BrundleMcLaren-Peugeot1:20.8191:20.629+2.371
715 Eddie IrvineJordan-Hart1:21.4061:20.698+2.440
830 Heinz-Harald FrentzenSauber-Mercedes1:22.2681:20.858+2.600
926 Olivier PanisLigier-Renault1:23.2441:20.929+2.671
1014 Rubens BarrichelloJordan-Hart1:21.4981:20.952+2.694
114 Mark BlundellTyrrell-Yamaha1:21.7311:20.984+2.726
126 Jos VerstappenBenetton-Ford1:21.1419:03.939+2.883
1327 Jean AlesiFerrari1:21.2801:21.206+2.948
147 Philippe AlliotMcLaren-Peugeot1:22.9151:21.498+3.240
1523 Pierluigi MartiniMinardi-Ford1:24.4401:21.837+3.579
169 Christian FittipaldiFootwork-Ford1:22.3751:21.873+3.615
1729 Andrea de CesarisSauber-Mercedes1:23.5731:21.946+3.688
1825 Éric BernardLigier-Renault1:23.2691:22.038+3.780
1910 Gianni MorbidelliFootwork-Ford1:22.3111:30.262+4.053
2024 Michele AlboretoMinardi-Ford1:22.3791:22.379+4.121
2120 Érik ComasLarrousse-Ford1:22.7541:22.487+4.229
2211 Alessandro ZanardiLotus-Mugen-Honda1:23.3611:22.513+4.255
2331 David BrabhamSimtek-Ford1:24.1811:22.614+4.356
2412 Johnny HerbertLotus-Mugen-Honda1:23.3061:22.705+4.447
2519 Olivier BerettaLarrousse-Ford1:24.6451:22.899+4.641
2632 Jean-Marc GounonSimtek-Ford1:26.6781:24.191+5.933
DNQ34 Bertrand GachotPacific-Ilmor1:26.5211:24.908+6.650
DNQ33 Paul BelmondoPacific-Ilmor1:28.3341:26.275+8.017
Sources:[2] [3] [4]

Race

Pos No Driver Constructor Laps Time/Retired Grid Points
15 Michael SchumacherBenetton-Ford771:48:00.185110
20 Damon HillWilliams-Renault77+ 20.82726
36 Jos VerstappenBenetton-Ford77+ 1:10.329124
48 Martin BrundleMcLaren-Peugeot76Electrical63
54 Mark BlundellTyrrell-Yamaha76+ 1 Lap112
626 Olivier PanisLigier-Renault76+ 1 Lap91
724 Michele AlboretoMinardi-Ford75+ 2 Laps20 
820 Érik ComasLarrousse-Ford75+ 2 Laps21 
919 Olivier BerettaLarrousse-Ford75+ 2 Laps25 
1025 Éric BernardLigier-Renault75+ 2 Laps18 
1131 David BrabhamSimtek-Ford74+ 3 Laps23 
1228 Gerhard BergerFerrari72Engine4 
1311 Alessandro ZanardiLotus-Mugen-Honda72+ 5 Laps22 
149 Christian FittipaldiFootwork-Ford69Transmission16 
Ret2 David CoulthardWilliams-Renault59Spun Off3 
Ret27 Jean AlesiFerrari58Gearbox13 
Ret23 Pierluigi MartiniMinardi-Ford58Spun Off15 
Ret30 Heinz-Harald FrentzenSauber-Mercedes39Gearbox8 
Ret12 Johnny HerbertLotus-Mugen-Honda34Electrical24 
Ret29 Andrea de CesarisSauber-Mercedes30Collision17 
Ret10 Gianni MorbidelliFootwork-Ford30Collision19 
Ret7 Philippe AlliotMcLaren-Peugeot21Water Leak14 
Ret32 Jean-Marc GounonSimtek-Ford9Handling26 
Ret3 Ukyo KatayamaTyrrell-Yamaha0Collision5 
Ret15 Eddie IrvineJordan-Hart0Collision7 
Ret14 Rubens BarrichelloJordan-Hart0Collision10 
Source:[5]

Championship standings after the race

Drivers' Championship standings
PosDriverPoints
1 Michael Schumacher76
2 Damon Hill45
3 Gerhard Berger27
4 Jean Alesi19
5 Rubens Barrichello10
Source: [6]
Constructors' Championship standings
PosConstructorPoints
1 Benetton-Ford81
2 Ferrari52
3 Williams-Renault49
4 McLaren-Peugeot17
5 Jordan-Hart14
Source:

Notes and References

  1. Web site: 1994 Hungarian Grand Prix. Motor Sport. 8 June 2022.
  2. Web site: Marlboro Magyar Nagydij – Qualifying 1. Formula1.com. 29 December 2023.
  3. Web site: Marlboro Magyar Nagydij – Qualifying 2. Formula1.com. 29 December 2023.
  4. Web site: 1994 Hungarian GP – Qualifying. ChicaneF1. 29 December 2023.
  5. Web site: 2020-02-08. 1994 Hungarian Grand Prix - Race Result. 2020-02-08. Formula1.com. en.
  6. Web site: Hungary 1994 - Championship • STATS F1. www.statsf1.com. 18 March 2019.