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There is an unmistakably buoyant atmosphere in Budapest when Formula One hits town, the Hungaroring having long since lost its reputation for hosting a joyless procession. Nowadays, there is often a decent race to be had at the Hungarian Grand Prix, a meeting where Lewis Hamilton has enjoyed unparalleled success but where this year there is an acknowledgment that he and Mercedes are unlikely to be contributing to the party on the Danube come Sunday night.
Hamilton has won here a record eight times and the successes have spanned his 17-year career; he won in Budapest as a rookie in 2007. He also took his debut victory for Mercedes at the Hungaroring in 2013, a win he felt vindicated his decision, much questioned at the time, to leave McLaren.