First on-board look at new MotoGP circuit revealed

Footage from the recent test at Balaton Park has given us our first look at the circuit which will host the Hungarian MotoGP later this year.

Hungary was last on the motorcycle grand prix calendar in 1992, when the Hungaroring hosted the second of its two races, having first appeared in 1990.

But the Balaton Park circuit is set to revive the Hungarian Grand Prix this year on 22–24 August. The circuit will also host WorldSBK for the first time on 25–27 July.

Ahead of that World Superbike round, a number of riders from the production derivative series headed there for a test on stock bikes.

One of those was Michael van der Mark, who handily placed a camera on his BMW M1000 RR, allowing us to see the track for the first time from an on-board perspective.

While there are sections of the layout where speed builds up, it appears to be one dominated by tight, slow sections and chicanes.

It’s also a circuit that Honda’s Iker Lecuona admitted he didn’t like after riding it, and his team manager at Honda HRC, Jose Escamez, also called into question the safety of the track after the test.

MotoGP bikes have also been on-track at Balaton this week: Augusto Fernandez was there on the Yamaha YZR-M1, Stefan Bradl aboard the Honda RC213V, Michele Pirro on the Ducati Desmosedici GP, Matteo Baiocco on the Aprilia RS-GP, and Pol Espargaro with the KTM RC16.

Bradl shared a similar opinion on the layout to his HRC colleagues from WorldSBK, and complained about the lack of opportunities to use a MotoGP bike to its full capacity in terms of straight line performance.

“Riding a MotoGP bike on this track is a real struggle,” the HRC MotoGP test rider told Italian publication GPOne.

“There are countless left-handers and then right-handers, including many chicanes and a total of four first-gear corners, more than at Motegi.

“The track layout is extremely slow for MotoGP; there is no fluidity, there are no fast and flowing sections. It's really hard.

“No one will go there and say, ‘Wow, what a beautiful track!’

“The track reminds me a bit of the KymiRing, but at least that had a long straight. Here in Hungary it's not like that: you don't even enter sixth gear once.”

Bradl added that he has concerns about the circuit in a race scenario.

“It is a very tortuous track, not at all fluid,” he said.

“I'm curious to see if the GP weekend will go well. If you make a small mistake under braking on this tight track, you can easily drag three or four opponents with you into an accident.”