Zsolt Baumgartner (born January 1, 1981 in Debrecen, Hungary) is a Hungarian racing driver, who competed in 2003 on a two-race basis, and 2004 for a full season.
He was the first Hungarian to race in Formula One, making his debut, fittingly on home soil at the Hungaroring after Jordan driver Ralph Firman was declared unfit to race following his 180mph smash in practice. Baumgartner also replaced Firman for the Italian Grand Prix. After this, he was signed up by Minardi for 2004 for a full season of F1, and was partnered by Italian rookie Gianmaria Bruni.
He is popular on the F1 Rejects Alternate Wiki, being given the name HWNSNBM (He Whose Name Shall Never Be Mentioned) to get his identity protected.
Formula One Career[]
Baumgartner made his Formula One debut at the 2003 Hungarian Grand Prix, his home race, where the expectations were high both from Hungarian fans and the broader F1 community. Driving the Jordan EJ13, a car powered by a Cosworth engine, Baumgartner faced the dual challenge of acclimating to the highest level of motorsport while coping with a car that was mid-field in performance. Despite this, he completed the race and demonstrated the composure and consistency expected from a rookie driver.
Throughout the remainder of the 2003 season, Baumgartner continued to drive for Jordan, participating in the final races of the year. While the car rarely had the pace to compete for points, he impressed observers with his disciplined driving style, mechanical sympathy, and ability to provide detailed technical feedback to the team engineers. His performances also highlighted the potential for drivers from emerging motorsport nations, particularly Central and Eastern Europe, to succeed in Formula One.
For the 2004 season, Baumgartner signed with Minardi, a team renowned for giving opportunities to drivers from smaller motorsport nations but consistently struggling at the back of the grid due to limited resources. Driving the Minardi PS04B, Baumgartner faced one of the most challenging environments in F1, with a car that was often unable to compete with the midfield and front-runners.
Despite these limitations, Baumgartner achieved a career highlight at the 2004 United States Grand Prix in Indianapolis, where he finished eighth, scoring a World Championship point. This achievement was historic, as it made him the first Hungarian driver to score a Formula One World Championship point. The race itself was chaotic, with retirements and a high attrition rate among faster cars, but Baumgartner’s ability to keep the car on track and avoid mistakes was pivotal. This result brought him recognition not only in Hungary but also among the wider F1 community, showcasing his reliability and professionalism under pressure.
During the 2004 season, Baumgartner also contributed significantly to Minardi’s development program, working closely with engineers to improve car setup and performance, particularly on street circuits and tight, technical tracks where driver skill could partially offset the car’s lack of pace. While points finishes were rare, his consistent race completions and clear feedback helped the team gather valuable data for future car development.
Despite his decent results, he was unable to secure a seat for the 2005 season and subsequently moved away from f1 into different series.
Formula One Statistical Overview[]
Race Engineers[]
- A list of the primary race engineers responsible for managing Zsolt Baumgartner's car:
| Name | Team | Years |
|---|---|---|
 Dominic Harlow
|
Jordan | 2003 |
| Alex Varnava
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Minardi | 2004 |
Formula One Record[]
| Year | Entrant | Team | WDC Points | WDC Pos. | Report |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2003 | Jordan Ford | Jordan-Ford | 0 | 24th | Report |
| 2004 | Minardi Cosworth | Minardi-Cosworth | 1 | 20th | Report |
Career Statistics[]
| Entries | 20 |
| Starts | 20 |
| Pole Positions | 0 |
| Race Wins | 0 |
| Podiums | 0 |
| Fastest Laps | 0 |
| Points | 1 |
| Laps Raced | 959 |
| Distance Raced | 4,671 km (2,902 mi) |
Career Results[]
| Complete Formula One Results | |||||||||||||||||||||||||
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| Year | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 | 8 | 9 | 10 | 11 | 12 | 13 | 14 | 15 | 16 | 17 | 18 | Pts | Pos | |||||
| 2003 | 
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| TD | Ret | 11th | |||||||||||||||||||||||
| 2004 |
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| Ret | 16th | Ret | 15th | Ret | 9th | 15th | 10th | 8th | Ret | Ret | 16th | 15th | Ret | 15th | 16th | Ret | 16th | ||||||||
| Key | |||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Symbol | Meaning | Symbol | Meaning | ||
| 1st | Winner | Ret | Retired | ||
| 2nd | Podium finish | DSQ | Disqualified | ||
| 3rd | DNQ | Did not qualify | |||
| 5th | Points finish | DNPQ | Did not pre-qualify | ||
| 14th | Non-points finish | TD | Test driver | ||
| Italics | Fastest Lap | DNS | Did not start | ||
| 18th† | Classified finish (retired with >90% race distance) | NC | Non-classified finish (<90% race distance) | ||
| 4thP | Qualified for pole position | [+] More Symbols | |||
Notes[]
| V T E |  Zsolt Baumgartner
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|---|---|---|
| Seasons 2003 • 2004 | ||
| Season Reports 2003 • 2004 | ||
| Teams Jordan (2003) • Minardi (2004) | ||
| Teammates Giancarlo Fisichella (2003) • Gianmaria Bruni (2004) | ||
| Other pages Category | ||