The 4,115 meter long circuit has 16 turns and looks fast. According to its designers, the relatively long straights that end in tight curves, including smooth ones, should provide many overtaking possibilities. It currently receives FIA Grade 2 homologation, but has been designed to achieve the maximum license – Grade 1 -.
Giancarlo Fisichella, who was present at the presentation of the track, gave his blessing. “Running it for the first time, I was impressed by its character. This is a circuit that has it all: exciting high-speed corners, challenging hairpin turns and spectacular chicanes. It’s a track that flows and provides great sensation ,” adding that the key points of end overtaking are the last curve of the straight and the opposite straight.
“The first corner and the back straight are prime places for overtaking. Overall, Balaton Park is a pleasure to drive.”
This is the second project in this area. Already at the end of the first decade of this century, the Balatonring project emerged, which was supposed to host the MotoGP Grand Prix in 2009, but the circuit was not finished and testing was postponed until 2010. Before the date, the project collapsed.
The two layouts have a very different character. Balaton Park is in the shape of an ‘L’ and you will walk counter-clockwise. Balatonering was a bit more traditional and standard in this regard.
Lake Balaton in Hungary is a first-class tourist destination – leisure preferably – and has an enviable geographical position: far from Croatia, Austria and Slovenia, and less than 100 kilometers from Budapest. It is close to the tourist town of Balatonfürd, famous for its thermal ‘spa’ on the shore of the lake.
Hungarian engineer Ferenc Gulassi has been the designer of the track and has explained that his three design axes were safety, challenge for the pilot and stability. For example, you won’t have tire blockages; All of them would be tech-pros. And it’s equipped with ‘My Laps’ technology, so different times in multiple zones can be closely monitored.
Works have focused on the track, but there are also 48 ‘boxes’, control buildings and areas, while there are plans to build a 4-star hotel with 145 rooms. In contrast, grandstands only hold 10,000 spectators, but they can be expanded with temporary grandstands or more can be built in the future if F1 or MotoGP can be attracted.
The track required an investment of 200 million euros and the chairman of the promoting company is Chanoch Nissani, an Israeli living in Hungary, who, thanks to the support of friends, managed to become a Minardi tester, do various tests and attendance. Let’s make free practice 1 of the Hungarian GP. He is also the father of Roy Nissani, a driver who currently drives in F2, interestingly Tec-Pro is one of his sponsors.
