The Hungarian Grand Prix returns for the primary time in over 30 years, with MotoGP heading to the brand new Balaton Park circuit.
MotoGP has a comparatively brief historical past of competing in Hungary, with simply two grands prix going down within the nation previous to this yr.
The primary was in 1990 on the Hungaroring, with Mick Doohan taking the spoils for Honda, earlier than the ultimate Hungarian Grand Prix till this yr was held in 1992. Eddie Lawson and Cagiva received that race.
Hungary did get pleasure from grand prix success within the 2000s, with Gabor Talmacsi successful the 2007 125cc title on an Aprilia.
That will be the brightest Talmacsi’s star shone, nonetheless, with the Hungarian solely competing in MotoGP in 2009 from the sixth spherical onwards with the Scot Racing Honda squad.
In 2010, MotoGP was as a consequence of go to Hungary once more however this occasion did not be realised as a consequence of points within the development of the Balatonring.
In 2025, MotoGP lastly returns to the brand new Balaton Park monitor, which hosted World Superbike final month.
It’s the sixteenth circuit to affix the calendar within the trendy period (starting in 2002) and the primary because the 2023 Indian Grand Prix.
Three present stars maintain wins at new circuits
The 2023 Indian Grand Prix on the Buddh Worldwide Circuit was received by Marco Bezzecchi, who was with the VR46 Ducati crew again then.
The present manufacturing facility Aprilia rider is on a scorching streak lately, having completed on the rostrum after a prolonged stint main the Austrian Grand Prix so as to add to his Silverstone win and rostrums at Assen and Brno.
He’s one in every of three riders on the present grid who’ve received at new circuits. One can set a brand new file for the fashionable period, whereas the opposite can match the present one.
Marc Marquez, the championship chief, holds three wins at new circuits: COTA 2013, Rio Honda 2014 and Buriram in 2018.
Two of these three venues have been anticlockwise, which is a format of explicit power for Marquez. Balaton Park can be run on this path, which already has the Ducati rider pegged as a pre-race favorite.
Marquez involves Hungary off the again of six successive wins so as to add to his haul of 9 on Sundays for the season.
The rider who might – albeit unlikely – match this tally of three is Miguel Oliveira. The present Pramac Yamaha rider received on the Algarve Worldwide Circuit on its debut in 2020, and once more at Mandalika in 2022, each occasions with KTM.
Nevertheless, Oliveira has struggled on the M1 this season and has solely managed a finest results of thirteenth.
No different rider on the present grid has etched their title on the successful trophy for the primary time at a brand new circuit. Essentially the most-recent for a non-active rider was Andrea Iannone on the Pink Bull Ring in 2016.
Previous to Marquez’s COTA triumph in 2013, Casey Stoner was the winner at MotoGP latest circuit when he took high honours at Aragon in 2010. By the way, Aragon was chosen because the alternative occasion for the cancelled Hungarian Grand Prix that season.
Silverstone returned to the calendar revamped having been absent because the late Eighties. Jorge Lorenzo for Yamaha received that race, whereas then-Yamaha team-mate Valentino Rossi triumphed in MotoGP’s first go to to Indianapolis two years earlier.
Casey Stoner received for Ducati when Misano returned in 2007, this time with its format working in reverse from its final look as a part of security upgrades.
When MotoGP first visited Turkey and Istanbul Park in 2005, Marco Melandri was victorious on a Honda, with Nicky Hayden taking the RC211V to a win on the inaugural Laguna Seca spherical that yr too.
In the identical yr, Valentino Rossi received the primary Chinese language Grand Prix on the Shanghai Worldwide Circuit for Yamaha. One yr earlier, Sete Gibernau took high spot within the maiden Qatar Grand Prix in controversial circumstances after Rossi was despatched to the again of the pack over a grid sweeping incident.
Honda has probably the most wins at a brand new circuit within the trendy period with six, adopted by 4 for Ducati, three for Yamaha and two for KTM.
