At the German Grand Prix two weeks ago many people took the time to lament the passing of the old Hockenheimring circuit, last used in 2001. It was also the subject of my column on this site.

This weekend is the Hungarian Grand Prix which will likely be accompanied by the usual criticism directed at the unloved Hungaroring. But is it really so bad?

When it appeared on the F1 calendar in 1986, the Hungarian Grand Prix was something of a novelty. West-east political relations may have been beginning to improve but Hungary was still very much an Eastern Bloc entity. F1’s race behind the Iron Curtain was an innovation.

In many ways the Hungarian Grand Prix was a blueprint for Bernie Ecclestone’s practice of expanding the F1 calendar globally. It shares much with Malaysia, Bahrain and China in that it had little existing motor sports infrastructure to speak of and, above all, a government eager to bolster its international recognition by bankrolling an F1 race.

The track they built is no field of dreams. It was short, narrow and slow when it was built and it hasn’t improved much since: one of the twists was straightened out after a spring was relocated and Hermann Tilke gave it an indifferent warming over in 2003 – but that’s been it.

But I’ve always thought F1 needs variety. It needs fast tracks and slow tracks, road courses and street courses. I wouldn’t mind if it had a few ovals as well.

The Hungaroring is one of the slowest tracks on the F1 calendar and that, in a strange way, is part of its charm. We can hardly throw the charge “but there’s never any overtaking there” at it because that’s true of practically every circuit these days. It’s not the tracks that are at fault, it’s the cars.

In fact, in its first five years the Hungaroring gave us some decent races. The all-Brazilian battle for the win in 1986 culminated in a marvellous pass by Nelson Piquet (Snr), his Williams-Honda slewing sideways as he rounded the outside of Ayrton Senna’s Lotus.

Three years later Nigel Mansell stormed to a magnificent and utterly improbable triumph from 12th on the grid. Once again it was Senna who lost out, Mansell snatching away the lead when the McLaren driver hesitated behind a lapped car.

Another unlikely winner following in 1990. Thierry Boutsen stuck his Williams on pole position and clung to the lead all race long. A win like that simply couldn’t happen today: race-fuel qualifying and refuelling pit stops prevent an underdog from nabbing pole position with a single, inspired lap and defending all the way home.

I can’t say I love the Hungaroring: it’s just too dull a venue. But if Sunday’s race proves to be as forgettable as everyone expects it will, remember the F1 rules are at least as much to blame as the track is.