Bikes: Balaton Park: The history of racing in Hungary

December 9, 2023 December 9, 2023

The Balaton Park circuit will be a new addition to the WorldSBK calendar next year, but what can we expect?

The Balaton Park Circuit is located near the village of Balatonfőkajár, located just 53 miles from Budapest. It is a 2.557-mile circuit and was opened in May 2023 and is yet to host a motorcycle race.

The circuit was added to the 2024 WorldSBK and as a reserve circuit on the 2024 MotoGP calendar. Meaning, the circuit may be added if one round was cancelled (for example, the Kazakhstan round was cancelled in 2023.

The history of motorcycle racing in Hungary goes back to 1988 when WorldSBK and later in 1990, the Grand Prix paddock went to the Hungaroring for the first time. Since the opening race which was won by Mick Doohan, it ran for a further two years until 1992.

Eddie Lawson dominated the 1992 race in an all-American podium Image credit: motogp.com

After 1992 there was a 16-year gap of any news of a return to Hungary until in 2008 a new venue was announced. The Balatonring was planned to be built and would host a race in the 2009 MotoGP calendar. The venue signed a five-year deal with Dorna and was estimated to cost 80 million euros.

However, due to the financial crisis of 2007-2008, work on the circuit was slow, and finances were tight. After a lack of investment and the government eventually pulling out of funding the circuit was never built. The Aragon Grand Prix replaced the Hungarian Grand Prix with dreams of racing returning crashed again.

More details on the Balaton Park

In September 2023, Dorna announced an aim to return to Hungary for both classes in the future. The 2024 WorldSBK calendar was announced with round eight in Hungary and as a reserve venue for MotoGP. In 2025, the track is expected to have a permanent place on the calendar.

Since opening, the circuit’s biggest event was the Formula 4 CEZ Championship, the only non-club event. The first event held at the circuit was the 2023 Balaton Park FirstLap Cup. In this event

The venue has not put its sight on hosting an F1 race with the Hungaroring securing a long-term deal. The circuit is next to Hungary’s biggest lake and has space for 130,000 spectators.

It is not the only new calendar which will be added to the WorldSBK next season, with the paddock heading to a new Italian venue. Cremona has also been added to next year’s schedule – two rounds after the Hungarian round.