Hungary’s Balaton Park will host both World Superbikes and MotoGP over a one-month period next year, marking the country’s return to top-tier motorcycle racing for the first time in over three decades.
Balaton Park Circuit is a 2.5-mile circuit in western Hungary owned by one-time F1 practice session starter Chanoch Nissany. Far from being a repurposed airfield as so many other tracks start out, the circuit first broke ground in 2013 and was built with tourism and business in mind. Situated on the edge of Balaton Lake – the largest lake in central Europe and itself a popular tourist destination – the track is currently building a hotel on the final corners, from the roof of which almost the entire circuit will be visible.
A fitting place for MotoGP to make its return to Hungarian soil then, as the world championship hopes to welcome at least 120,000 spectators across the three days of the Hungarian Grand Prix.
Although the circuit only opened in May 2023, negotiations with MotoGP actually started back in 2019 – highlighting both the circuit and the MotoGP promoter Dorna Sports’ commitment to racing in Hungary. This commitment is reflected in the deal Dorna has struck with the country's government agency HUMDA, as a Hungarian GP is confirmed for the next 10 years in one form or another. Balaton Park has a guaranteed three races, though there is an option for the race to move to the better-known Hungaroring should it be re-homologated.
That homologation is what Balaton Park is focusing on. While the circuit was built to FIA Grade 1 standards – meaning it could theoretically host an F1 race – and is currently Grade 2, the standards aren’t the same as the ones set by motorcycle governing body FIM. Bikes require a very different set of regulations due to the very different ways in which they crash, and the inherent danger that comes from not having a metal shell to protect riders when they fall.
To account for this, Balaton Park is making some additions to the circuit, with nine-time premier class race winner Loris Capirossi involved with the redesign. The first sector will remain the same, while the fast, sweeping Turn 7 will have two smaller radius corners added to afford riders some more runoff on the outside.
The track will continue straight down into the chicane of Turns 8 and 9, and the hairpin of 10, with the second addition coming along the back straight; a new chicane will be added around a third of the way up. The benefits of this will be two-fold - speeds will be brought down, and the new braking zone will provide additional overtaking opportunities. This is much in the same vein as the MotoGP-specific chicane at the Red Bull Ring after Turn 1, put in place after an almost disastrous crash between Johann Zarco and Franco Morbidelli in 2020.
Lastly, the final section is being remodelled to again provide better rider safety. The current chicane at Turns 12 and 13 will largely remain, however the circuit will detour through the inside of the final section and give riders a run directly onto the start-finish straight. This means that the angle on exiting the final corner won’t be facing a wall, while speeds should still reach 300km/h on the start/finish straight.
In all, the track’s length will only change by around 30 metres, with the extra corners covering the distance lost in that final sector. The additions will ensure that the track meets the standards set by motorcycle governing body FIM.
"We’re very specific in terms of the runoff areas which are needed"
Carlos Ezpeleta
Speaking to select media including Autosport, Dorna Sporting Director Carlos Ezpeleta explained that it can be difficult to find tracks which are suitable for bikes.
“MotoGP is very challenging in terms of circuit design”, he said. “We’re very specific in terms of the runoff areas which are needed, and of course that is, I wouldn’t say a limitation but a factor in where we can race.
“The levels of speed which MotoGP has of course are different to anything else. We hold the top speed for every circuit that we race at. That, of course with our increases in safety every year, signify that we have to have bigger runoff areas than any other sport. But I don’t think it’s something that has to be in jeopardy of the design of the circuit.”
Of course, hosting a race in Hungary wasn’t the only motivation for both circuit and series - fostering talent in the host country is another aim of the project. Hungary currently has no riders in MotoGP, WSBK, Moto2 or Moto3, with the most promising rider for the future being 17-year-old Hungarian Red Bull Rookie Kevin Farkas.
Hungarian former MotoGP rider and 2007 125cc world champion Gábor Talmácsi predicted that the race will also help boost the profiles of other young riders from his country.
“Hosting MotoGP and Superbike races in Hungary is not only a great sporting event, but also an opportunity to boost the careers of young riders, to bring the sport into focus and to give perspective to the next generation,” said Talmácsi.
“My aim is to increase the recognition of motorcycling, not just as a competitive sport, but also as a means of transport, and to contribute to the development of young people and their knowledge about safety on the road. The 2025 races can play a major role in raising awareness about this.”
Whether the race will light the touch paper for Hungarian motorcycling remains to be seen, but it’s clear that everything is being done to give it the best chance. Works will begin next month and are due to finish around March 2025 - four months before the first test of the new layout, when WSBK will visit for the first time in 35 years.
