Round 11 of the Championship and the final race prior to the traditional three week August summer break takes Formula One to the cultural hotspot of Budapest this weekend for the Hungarian Grand Prix. In 1986, Hungary became the first Eastern European country to host a Grand Prix and has remained a permanent fixture on the calendar ever since.

Over its 21 race history, the Hungaroring has provided the backdrop for a host of dramatic racing scenes, many of them involving Williams cars, including Nelson Piquet’s victory at the debut race, Nigel Mansell’s win from 12th place in 1989 and Thierry Boutsen’s victory over Ayrton Senna a year later. In total, the team has won seven times in Hungary and remains the most successful team to have competed at the track.

Historically a dry race, last year’s rain soaked GP may have proved an anomaly at the time, but the forecast for this weekend’s race predicts more of the same. With overtaking opportunities at a premium, Formula One’s fans could be in for another thrilling Grand Prix. For Nico Rosberg, the last round at the Nurburgring, which was also dominated by wet conditions, saw him out of the running on lap two, so he is hoping that this weekend’s event is a bit more fruitful…..

“I'm looking forward to the race in Hungary. I quite like the track; it suits my driving style well. Although we use a similar set-up to Monaco there, the two tracks feel completely different; the Hungaroring is more physical because of the higher speeds and temperatures,” he said. “It's also one of the better tracks for our car, so we have a good chance of doing well there. Hungary holds good memories for me. I was pretty strong there last year, and I was on pole when I raced there in GP2. I really hope it will be a good weekend.”