MotoGP may lastly have a Hungarian Grand Prix once more as a race on the brand-new Balaton Park venue has been formally added to the 2025 calendar with backing from ex-Method 1 take a look at driver Chanoch Nissany.
Final yr it was introduced Balaton Park would function a reserve circuit for the 2024 MotoGP calendar alongside a debut spherical for World Superbikes. However the WSBK occasion was cancelled and it did not seem on this yr’s MotoGP calendar regardless of the cancellation of the Kazakh, Indian and Argentinian rounds.
Now there’s the promise of Balaton Park holding a 2025 MotoGP occasion on August 22-24. If that goes forward it’ll mark the primary race in Hungary of the fashionable MotoGP period, with the final premier-class bike race (500cc) going down in 1992 on the Hungaroring.
Final yr’s announcement stated the Hungaroring would maintain the 2025 occasion however now the Balaton Park venue, which opened in 2023, is about to carry a MotoGP race for the primary time. It’ll additionally maintain a WSBK spherical on July 25-27 subsequent yr, one month earlier than the MotoGP occasion – which organisers contemplate a trial run for the grand prix sequence, although additionally they hope MotoGP groups can take a look at on the observe first.
MotoGP’s take care of Hungarian promoter HUMDA is for 10 years, the primary three of which will certainly be at Balaton earlier than a call on whether or not it stays there for the long run or may transfer to the Hungaroring.
Adjustments have and can proceed to be made to the unique Balaton Park circuit to make sure it meets the FIM Grade A licence necessities wanted to host MotoGP and WSBK races.
The high-speed Flip 7 right-hander can be cut up up by two smaller radius corners with elevated run-off. A chicane can be applied at Flip 11 to cut back speeds and improve overtaking alternatives. There can even be a brand new resort put in on the observe and a extra technical nook mixture beneath it. Organisers have preserved the two.6-mile observe size whereas making the modifications, with the work starting in October and deliberate to be accomplished by April subsequent yr.
A lot of the observe testing has been carried out by Roy Nissany, a former Williams F1 take a look at driver and son of Chanoch, who was additionally an F1 take a look at driver within the mid-2000s (pictured under).
Chanoch Nissany heads a bunch of traders who personal the circuit and who hope to finish a historical past of failed makes an attempt to convey MotoGP again to Hungary.
The primary of these got here in 2009 when plans to race at a purpose-built venue Balatonring by no means got here to fruition. Then there have been proposals drawn up for one more new venue exterior Hungary’s second-largest metropolis Debrecen. The occasion had Victor Orban’s authorities backing however by no means occurred.
Doubts surrounded final yr’s announcement that the Hungaroring would host a 2025 spherical given the circuit’s unsuitability for bikes in its present type.
Although Balaton has thus far solely been used for automobile racing, getting top-level bike championships to the circuit has at all times been a serious a part of its creators’ plans given F1 already has a strong Hungarian residence on the Hungaroring.
The Balaton venue is corresponding to Misano in location, located in a coastal space common for holidays.
Portimao is taken into account most definitely to lose its slot on the MotoGP calendar to make approach for Balaton.
