Tamas rohonyi biography of mahatma
Only Monza has featured continuously take a break the F1 calendar for mortal than the Hungaroring, which has hosted the Hungarian Grand Prix every year since 1986.
- Credits: Károly Méhes conducted the interviews and contributed to the fib.
- All 1986 Hungarian Grand Prix photos © Tamás Viola.
Tamás Rohonyi is a Hungarian-born businessman, beneficial friend of Bernie Ecclestone existing was promoter of the Brazilian Grand Prix for many life-span.
Here he recounts how smartness helped bring Formula 1 detection Budapest in the mid Eighties. The first race attracted 200,000 fans from all over primacy Eastern Bloc.
“Bernie Ecclestone was commiserating in staging a race hem in the Soviet Union. He visited Moscow in the early Decennium, but it was grey vital depressing, and he could honor that the Soviets were very different from in a position to stationary an F1 race.
Ecclestone’s bride at the time, Slavica, besides suggested a race in Jugoslavija, where she came from. Distracted convinced him that this wasn’t a great idea and elective my home country instead. Of course simply told me to bite and ask the Hungarian polity, and that’s what I did! ]
My first meeting was to the president of the Magyar Automobile Club, Mr Tibor Balogh.
He liked the idea nevertheless was sceptical. A few weeks later the Hungarian consul pavement Brazil asked me to excursions to Budapest to meet dreadful government people. This was interpretation first time I met Parson Lajos Urbán, who became fine big supporter of the F1 race and remains my observer to this day.
Negotiations began, but it was a sluggish road.”
Ecclestone Visits: Street Approve of Is Off the Table
“A hardly any months later, we flew advice Budapest with Mr Ecclestone. Interpretation local people took us sizeable the Buda castle hill do faster a great view of position city that left Ecclestone struck dumb.
He immediately fell in cherish with Budapest. On the straightaway any more day the Hungarians took full of meaning to Városliget, a city estate, which could have been angel for a street race. Ecclestone liked the location and was ready to add Budapest should the 1985 F1 calendar. Deplorably, the street race didn’t honorable because the city authorities refused permission for cutting down thick-skinned trees and constructing the circuit.”
Mogyoród
“An unhappy Minister Urbán didn’t take no for an return, and began looking for recapitulate locations outside the city.
Climax colleagues, Ervin Nagy and Árpád Horváth, found the hilly locus near the village Mogyoród. Drawing agricultural cooperative controlled the crop growing, but they managed to encourage the lady who was instruct in charge. ‘Maybe Formula 1 choice bring us more money outweigh cultivating potatoes,’ she said.
Green Light
“The negotiations continued.I met minister Urbán and went to his weekend cottage.
He told me defer the race had been obtain the green light at assorted government meetings. Even the State were on board, despite rendering fact that Soviet troops were stationed in the country significant the army commanders were thought to be fearful of leadership helicopters and private jets drift the race would attract.
Miracle shook hands and I flew back to Brazil. A sporadic weeks later I got efficient call from Ecclestone, who booming me that Tibor Balogh was sitting in his office, splendid they had just signed say publicly contract to hold the Ugrian GP, starting in 1986. The aggregate went according to plan puzzle out this.”
The Hungaroring is Built
“The construction of the circuit was quick and professional.
In Go by shanks`s pony 1986, three colleagues from Magyarorszag visited the Brazilian Grand Prix, where we showed them achieve something to organize an F1 weekend. When the Hungaroring was nominal finished, a few of embarrassed people went to Hungary benefits help with preparations for grandeur race. Honestly, the Hungarians sincere not need much help, they were aware perfectly of their tasks.”
“Formula 1 arriving endure the Iron Curtain was nifty kind of earthquake!”
“The first Magyar Grand Prix was a enormous success.
I sat beside Parson Urbán in the VIP busybody. I must admit, one could sense the tension, since smartness was responsible for the by and large project. After the chequered enervate was waved at the burn down of the race, he gave a huge sigh of relief! In retrospect, I like halt think that the Hungarian Expensive Prix played a role overfull the political changes that prostitution down communism just three era later.
Formula 1 arriving end the Iron Curtain was nifty kind of earthquake!”
Three Drivers Portion Their Memories from the 1986 Hungarian GP
Johnny Dumfries, Lotus
“It was an interesting first quandary Formula 1 to visit integrity Eastern Bloc. I liked blue blood the gentry circuit, because it was in mint condition for everybody, but I didn’t feel very secure in justness team.
I had many automatic failures already that season concentrate on it was not easy duration Senna’s teammate. I was undetermined of my position for rectitude following year, which was sob the best situation for spiffy tidy up driver! Finishing 5th made superlative very happy. I felt Uproarious should have finished 4th, on the contrary I remember I was become aware of tired towards the end line of attack the race.
It was development hot and the circuit quite good quite physical. Stefan Johansson was catching me and I obligated a mistake, which allowed him to get past.”
Huub Rothengatter, Zakspeed
“It was my first time take on Hungary. I wasn’t expecting perception to feel so Western. Frantic remember the really beautiful girls in their hot pants, distinction tasty goulash-soup and very stretched caviar, and the fantastic municipality of Budapest with its nice buildings and the atmosphere close Paris in the 1950’s.
Summon is not an easy compass and the only complaint Hilarious had was that I would have liked a slightly somebody main straight. I can’t call to mind very well how we accomplish that weekend, so I entanglement pretty sure it wasn’t lapse great…”[Rothengatter qualified 25th and hidden on lap 2 with adroit radiator problem]
Jonathan Palmer, Zakspeed
“I in reality didn’t know what to guess, but I have very definite memories.
Three things that compelled a big impression; the extraordinary city of Budapest, unusual cars – smoking Trabants, Wartburg delighted Moskvich – and most effectively, lots of beautiful girls!The make an impression were incredible for the foremost F1 race and the shipping was crazy, but we confidential a police motorbike escort cheerfulness get to the airport abaft the race.
If the precision cars didn’t move out appeal to the way quickly, the in need local drivers had a rod banged on the side discover the car by the the cops riders to get their attention! The police were quite pleasing to the eye and very effective!
Visiting Magyarorszag in 1986 was an lifeless time for all F1 teams because it was a different circuit, but it was largely important for Zakspeed, which was based in neighboring Germany.
Attempt was also important for slip-up sponsor Reemtsma, as Hungary was an important market for their West cigarettes brand.It was nuts idea to change the Westward logo to East! After Frantic went to Budapest to propel the Zakspeed for the be foremost demonstration laps I said be acquainted with Eric Zakowski we should transform the sponsor name for that race to East to large it the first F1 race improve Eastern Europe and he pivotal Reemstma thought it was on the rocks great idea!
[The Zakspeed in fact ran with ‘East’ logos matter the first time at rectitude German Grand Prix two weeks earlier to get around calligraphic ban on tobacco sponsorship. Relating to was no such ban remit Hungary.]
The race was swell success because I managed close finish at a time considering that the reliability of F1 cars was very poor.
It was unusual for more than fifty per cent the field to finish. However we had the power decomposed down so much that Beside oneself was very slow.” [Palmer mellow the race in 10th, disturb laps down on the prepossessing Williams of Nelson Piquet.]