The much maligned Hungaroring Circuit has come in for its share of bad press over the years. Boring track, processional races, impossible to overtake, claims of nepotism and Bernie's mates, are some of the criticisms it has faced. In fact, ITV’s Martin Brundle dislikes the track so much that he skips it every year, leaving a variety of guest commentators to fill in for him. But is it deserving of such a reputation?

Despite all of that, a lot of the drivers seem to like it and the challenges the tight, twisty track present; while the fans clamour for the race to be removed from the circuit. It has just been announced that the contract for the Hungaroring circuit has been extended until 2016, so it will be around for some time yet.

It is true that some of the races held at the circuit can be a little, say, dull. But in recent years we have certainly seen some off track action that has spiced up my enthusiasm for the place, and this year was no different.

The 2008 race saw Heikki Kovalainen take his maiden F1 victory in a shock upset. This is not the first time that the Hungaroring has seen a driver take his first F1 win – Damon Hill in 1993, Fernando Alonso in 2003 and Jenson Button in 2006 are names that immediately spring to mind.

But this time, it was looking increasingly like Felipe Massa was going to take his fourth win of the season – and therefore catapult himself to the top of the championship standings – after a fantastic drive saw him overtake pole sitter Lewis Hamilton, and second placed man Kovalainen off the start line. The Brazilian never really looked like seriously being challenged, especially after Hamilton, who was chasing Massa, suffered a puncture on lap 41 and dropped right back down the order.

But fate would be cruel, and just three laps from the end Massa’s engine exploded in a plume of grey smoke. It was day done for Massa, whose dejected walk back to the pits said it all.

There was some consolation for McLaren though. With Hamilton having fought his way back up to a points scoring position by the race's end, they were still ideally placed to win with their other driver Kovalainen, inheriting the lead from Massa.

With only three laps to go, victory to Kovalainen seemed assured, and so it turned out to be.

Kovalainen's win makes him the 100th driver to win a GP, and the second new face we’ve seen on the top step of the podium this season after BMW-Sauber’s Robert Kubica scored a historic victory at Montreal.

But how much of Kovalainen's historic win was down to the track? Does the fact that several drivers have scored their initial win at a venue – thus generating excitement for the fans – mean it should be kept as a permanent fixture on the calendar?

There is also, of course, the small matter that the track will forever be remembered for the infamous qualifying incident of 2007 between Fernando Alonso and Lewis Hamilton. Arguably, that incident was the catalyst that lead to the exclusion of McLaren from the 2007 Constructors Championship and the end of Alonso’s career at McLaren.

Those were dark days that I’m sure many a McLaren fan – and McLaren themselves – would rather forget. Will the annual visit to Hungaroring merely serve to open old wounds?

I would say it should not. The events of Hungary 2007 could have occurred at any round of the championship after Monaco. It was obvious to all and sundry that tensions were boiling, and were bound to reach breaking point sooner or later. Hungary just happened to be the place where it all came to a head. That should not be held against the venue itself, and of recent years we have seen far too many popular and historic venues dropped off the calendar in favour of a Tilke-drome in some far flung nation with no history or tradition of motorsport.

So the Hungaroring may not be the most loved track. But I did notice one thing – the grandstands were full, especially in contrast to the German GP just a fortnight earlier.

So clearly, it’s doing something right.