From several perspectives, it is important that the Hungarian rounds of the MotoGP World Championship and the Superbike World Championship will once again be held this year at the Balaton Park Circuit in Balatonfőkajár, said Ádám Schmidt, State Secretary for Sport, on Wednesday.
“The timing may be even better this year than it was last year, as these races are being held in the preseason, which will be less disruptive for locals and accommodation providers, and traffic may also be easier,” the state secretary said at the press conference held in the hotel next to the track hosting the race weekends. He also pointed out that
the Hungarian Superbike and MotoGP events are highly significant for developing young talent in the sport, as feedback shows that more and more people are becoming interested in motorsport as a result.
The state secretary emphasized that, just as in many other sports over the past 16 years, it is also evident in motorsport that all foreign participants—drivers, team members, and international federation officials—enjoy coming to Hungary and then returning, as these events build trust among all stakeholders in the sports world.
Last year’s Superbike World Championship at the Balaton Park Circuit. Photo: MTI/Bodnár Boglárka
Zsolt Gyulay, Chairman and CEO of Hungaroring Sport Zrt., which handles promotional duties, explained that their main task is managing “domestic matters” while maintaining contact with foreign partners. “After Liberty Media, the owner of Formula 1 rights, acquired a majority stake in Dorna, which holds the commercial rights, we can effectively utilize our existing strong relationship. In practice—working together with NRÜ (National Event Management Agency) and Balaton Park—we need to pay the rights fees and perform supervisory roles related to the events,” he said.
In response to a question from MTI, he added that their biggest challenge is that these races are not held at the Hungaroring, although the requirements are largely the same as for a Formula 1 round. Their cooperation with Balaton Park Circuit is excellent, and he is confident they will successfully organize the events.
Rezső Bulcsu, member of the Road Racing Commission of the International Motorcycling Federation (FIM); Zsolt Gyulay, Chairman and CEO of Hungaroring Sport Zrt.; Ádám Schmidt, State Secretary for Sport; and Leonard Boom, Vice President of Balaton Park Circuit (left to right). Photo: MTI/Vasvári Tamás
Ticket sales have started, there has already been interest from thousands of people, and in recent days tickets have been selling well, therefore I am hopeful that we will match or even exceed last year’s attendance figures,”
Gyulay said. He added that it is a fortunate setup that Hungary can host a Formula 1 race at the recently renewed Hungaroring near Budapest, while holding Superbike and MotoGP races near Lake Balaton.
Rezső Bulcsu, a member of the FIM’s Road Racing Commission, said that last year several participants from both the Superbike and MotoGP fields were hesitant to come, fearing the organization might not be good. “Then both races took place, and FIM representatives said everything was fantastic, as if we had been doing this for ten years.
The FIM trusts us, and although we set a high standard last year, the professional level of the event will be even higher this time,”
he said.
Photo: MTI/Bodnár Boglárka
The Hungarian round of the Superbike World Championship will take place on the first weekend of May, while the MotoGP Hungarian Grand Prix will be held between June 5 and 7 at Lake Balaton.
Via MTI, Featured image: MTI/Bodnár Boglárka
