Amid a desert of street circuits, a rare oasis of a newly built traditional circuit appears – all 4.1km/2.5 miles and 16 corners of it. Four years in the making, Balaton Park Circuit is a proper, old-school track, nestled close to its namesake Lake Balaton, the largest in Central Europe.
Constructed by a group led by one-time Formula 1 practice runner Chanoch Nissany, the circuit and surrounding complex has received a €200 million investment in a bid to draw both motorsport and tourism to the area. Built to FIA Grade 1 specification (though it will initially apply for Grade 2), the track hopes to host international racing from the 2024 season, and will initially focus its attention on sportscar competition and junior single-seater categories. There are also hopes to create an international racing academy for young drivers.
It is an imposing complex, its concrete structure looming into view amid the Hungarian countryside, and has permanent seating for 10,000 fans, with the capacity to increase that to 120,000 with temporary grandstands. A luxury hotel has also been built nearby, with plenty of others already in the vicinity given the area’s summertime lure for Budapest residents.
Its nearest competitor is the Hungaroring, just over an hour away on the other side of the capital city. An F1 mainstay that has hosted the Hungarian Grand Prix since its construction in 1986, the current venue’s contract runs until 2027. Organisers are thought to be eyeing another long-term extension after that.
Though board member Gianpaolo Matteucci is coy about Balaton Park hosting F1, insisting that is not its “main objective,” he emphasised its readiness to host “any kind of international event, and this is the main reason why we wanted to create an infrastructure already for Formula 1, which is FIA Grade 1”.
He continued: “Everything has been done under the highest safety regulations for the FIA and also FIM. Formula 1 has been at the Hungaroring for many, many years, and will be there for the future. On our side, we are ready for any kind of motorsport event.”
With that said, let’s take a look at the circuit itself. Having enjoyed a few trips out in Porsches (a 718 Spyder, a Panamera and a very tidy 911 Turbo S), Autosport’s first opportunity to experience the circuit at speed comes courtesy of a familiar face – three-time GP winner Giancarlo Fisichella.
Having already been out for a spin the previous day, Fisichella said he was “impressed by [the circuit’s] character”, adding that it “really has it all” and is “a treat to drive”.
Source: Autosport