STORY OF THE DAY: Nuvolari Wins Budapest’s First Grand Prix

Tazio Nuvolari won the inaugural Hungarian Grand Prix on 21 June 1936 in Scuderia Ferrari’s number 24 Alfa Romeo 8C-35. The race covered 50 laps of the twisting Népliget park circuit in Budapest, and Nuvolari finished 14.2 seconds ahead of Bernd Rosemeyer’s Auto Union. Although it did not count toward the European Championship, the event was a major international contest and delivered a rare defeat for the German teams.

Rosemeyer began from pole position, but Nuvolari remained within reach as the difficult circuit punished tyres and concentration. He worked past the leading opposition and then resisted Rosemeyer’s pursuit to the finish. The Alfa lacked the outright power of the Auto Union, yet Nuvolari’s rhythm through the park’s many bends transformed the race into a contest of placement and control rather than sheer speed.

The 8C-35 was Vittorio Jano’s Tipo C Grand Prix car with a supercharged 3.8-litre straight-eight. Unlike the earlier P3, it employed independent suspension, with a Dubonnet-type arrangement at the front and swing axles at the rear. The chassis was heavier than its predecessor but offered improved wheel control, a useful quality on Népliget’s uneven surface and succession of corners.

Nuvolari was an Italian driver from the Mantua region whose achievements on motorcycles preceded a Grand Prix career of exceptional range. After racing for Alfa Romeo and other leading marques, he returned to Scuderia Ferrari in 1935 and became the principal figure in its resistance to Mercedes-Benz and Auto Union. At Budapest, his adaptability mattered as much as bravery: he used the 8C-35’s handling to defeat a more powerful rival on a circuit that rewarded finesse.