“It is a great achievement of the management of the Hungaroring that in the summer of 2023 it was possible to extend the contract with the rights holders of Formula 1 by five years, until 2032. At the same time, it was expected that the track would be completely renovated, but in return, a more favorable royalty was negotiated over the past years, so it can be said that the Hungarian state will save HUF 107 billion by 2032, which is more than the amount that will be used to complete the modernization. – said Gergely Gulyás back in February, who added that within the framework of the public procurement procedure announced after the government’s decision last April, the cheapest bid won, amounting to HUF 78.9 billion and including a 10 percent reserve limit.
From developments to Senna
Now, more than a week before the 2024 Hungarian Grand Prix, the president and CEO of Hungaroring Sport Zrt. reported that a huge development had begun after last year’s race, the first phase of which has already been completed. Zsolt Gyulai continued by saying that the development of the utility network has been fully completed, so the electricity and water supply has already been fixed. At the press conference, he also said that the brand new main entrance has been completed – they have been waiting for a long time for the Hungaroring to finally get a worthy office building and entrance – but the interior work will still last until November 30. The first stage of the developments had to be closed because, according to the rules, the track must be handed over to the FIA before the race.
Zoltán Pafféri, President and CEO of the MÁV-Volán Group, Zsolt Gyulai, President and CEO of Hungaroring Sport Zrt., Attila Simon, CEO of Herend Porcelánmanufaktúra (bj)
Image: Economx
During the upgrade period
- a total of 9,000 people work at Hungaroring,
- 57,000 square meters of buildings are under construction,
- 125,000 cubic meters of earth are moved,
- 34,300 meters of reinforced concrete structures are being built,
- and 9 tower cranes support the works.
Gyulai also said that the paddock has become 19 meters wider, the slatted parking lot below has been removed, and that the main building that stood before 1986 will also be said goodbye to this year’s race. The paddock will increase by 3,000 square meters, to approximately 8,300 square meters, and the floor area of the main building will increase to 31,017 square meters.
“Turn 2 was also a surprise for the FIA presidents, because we built a retaining wall on which the spectators will be able to see a unique painting. The pedestrian bridge over the finish line will be demolished, and two tunnels will be built instead, one for the professional staff and one for the spectators. – said the CEO. He added,
tickets for Sunday, the day of the competition, were already sold out in January, but you can still buy tickets for Friday and Saturday.
At the press conference, it was announced that for the 30th anniversary of Ayrton Senna’s death, the chicane was decorated with a special painting, the wheel arches were painted green and yellow in the Brazilian national colors – thus paying tribute to the legendary driver.
The Hungaroring pays tribute to Ayrton Senna with Brazilian national colors
Photo: Economx, Tamás Hartl Nagy
The leader of the Hungaroring also reported that a real festival atmosphere can be expected, a lot of programs are being prepared in the area behind the Supergold: Liberty Media will set up stages, there will be a wheel change demonstration, you can raise a trophy, and enterprising people can climb the 60-meter bungee jumping tower, from which the whole ring can be seen.
The state spends a ton of money on the Hungaroring, we looked at the innovations
Photo: Economx / Tamás Nagy Hartl
Since crazy heat is predicted for next week’s race weekend, the organizers are setting up steam gates, plenty of water and suitable cooling devices. According to Gyulai, the new asphalt strip will heat up hard, so we can expect a very interesting race, but they are confident that we will be surprised by a few showers or thunderstorms around Thursday-Friday.
The president and CEO also revealed that if he had to put money on the winner right now, he would bet on the McLaren driver, Lando Norris.
A strategic agreement in the name of sustainability
At the press conference, Zsolt Gyulay and Zoltán Pafféri, president and CEO of the MÁV-Volán group, signed a strategic agreement for the next three years. The two companies entered into a contract for joint communication, the launch of special flights, and the sale of special ticket products.
“Our common goal is for the fans to leave the driving of the cars to the professional drivers and to come to the track with public transport, because it is easier on the one hand and more environmentally friendly on the other” – announced Zoltán Pafféri, who said that the so-called Vármegye24 daily ticket will be available for HUF 999, and the tickets, which are called F1 Travel Pass due to foreign pushers, will be the easiest to buy through the MÁV application.
However, it is important to know that this ticket is not valid for BKK flights, the corresponding tickets for those flights must be redeemed and validated separately.
The president and CEO of MÁV said that Volán’s articulated buses will be used for the project, and drivers who speak a foreign language will be involved in the transportation of the masses – thus helping the passengers. According to the surveys, the flights are expected to be full.
How does the Norris-Herendi relationship develop?
Like last year, the winners can once again take home a Herendi product. The manufactory, which has commercial relations in 60 countries, produces neoclassical designs, with 19th-century baby roses, tendrils and leaves among the motifs.
Photo: Economx, Tamás Hartl Nagy
The cup for the winning driver and the constructor’s prize are 3 and 4 kilograms respectively, the former is 53 cm high and the latter has the same diameter.
The CEO of Herendi naturally also mentioned last year’s mishap, when Lando Norris broke the porcelain of the winner Max Verstappen.
“I was standing on my lawn at home when my wife told me that the vase had been broken. That can’t be, I said. All hell broke loose on my phone, an awful lot of people called and wrote asking if I had seen it and what would happen next. We at Herendi immediately decided to recreate this for free. We contacted the Red Bull team to discuss where we could present the new trophy to them, and after much discussion, it happened in Monte-Carlo.”
Attila Simon said.
The following video also shows the trophy accident and the presentation of the new award:
At the press conference, Zsolt Gyulai also said that the long-term goal of Hungaroring Zrt. is for the facility to be an entertainment center that operates 365 days a year, because if the state puts so much money into it, then something has to be provided. It was also discussed that this huge area would be a worthy place for the transport museum. Gyulai supports the idea and hopes that they will talk about it a lot in the future, but he emphasized that his competence only extends to the point where he can approve the proposal.
Source: www.economx.hu
