Motorsport: the Hungarian MotoGP race contract has been signed

The contract for Hungarian MotoGP race, which will be held for ten years starting 2023 on the newly constructed track near Hajdúnánás, was signed at the Innovációs és Technológia Minisztérium (Ministry of National Innovation and Technology) on Thursday morning. The contract was signed by Carmelo Ezpeleta, president of Dorna Sports, commercial rights holder of MotoGP, and József Pacza, managing director of Kelet-Magyarországi Versenypálya Kft. (Eastern Hungary Racetrack Ltd). Dorna has come to the meeting with a complete delegation.

“Dorna has been organizing the Grand Prix for 30 years without interruption, and it is interesting that in its first year in 1992, the series also visited Hungary, just could not root here,” said Carmelo Ezpeleta. “In 2018, the possibility of a Hungarian race was again in talks which we were very happy about. We thank the Hungarian government, Minister Palkovics and everyone who made this contract signing possible. It is an important step in MotoGP's history. We are proud that that a Grand Prix will also be held in Hungary from 2023. This will bring prosperity not only from a sporting, but also from an economic point of view. I can promise you that the Hungarian Grand Prix will be a very important race in the world championship series.”

Balázs Weingartner, CEO of Magyar Autó-Motorsport Fejlesztési Ügynökség (HUMDA - Hungarian Motorsport Development Agency) stressed its economic importance: “The milestone may not even spell out exactly what this contract means. I thank Mr. Ezpeleta for being able to personally attend the signing ceremony. The ministry created the agency to implement the motorsport strategy, which carries a complex message. One of the most important locations for implementation will be the MotoGP circuit in Hajdúnánás, which is important not only for sport but also for regional development. We are confident that the joint journey with Dorna over the last two years will continue successfully. The Hungarian MotoGP circuit and the hosting rights for 10 years are Hungarian matters, the country's matters – part of the complex vision."

Gábor Talmácsi,2007 World Champion, said that he was very sad that he didn't have the opportunity to race in front of a Hungarian audience, but he is confident that there will be young and talented Hungarian racers who can enjoy the knowledgeable Hungarian audience.

“It's very emotional for me because I've represented Hungary for ten years as a racer at various world championship categories, said Talmácsi. “Now, I can help the development of Hungarian motorsport in a different position which makes me happy. The Hungarian track is very important for the youth teams; it's every racer's dream to compete in front of a Hungarian audience at a World Championship race. I didn't have this opportunity, but I experienced their cheering in Brno, and it meant extra motivation for me.”

Lajos Kósa, a Member of Parliament, initiated the first negotiations with the Dorna staff in November 2018; he wanted to examine the possibility of a Hungarian MotoGP race which has now become a reality.

“MotoGP is the most popular, most watched series in motorsport, but it's also in the top ten in terms of world sport,” said Lajos Kósa. “Hungarian competition is very important from the point of view of country image: the success of Hungaroring also encouraged us to start negotiating. Now we just needed to build a circuit which is a huge opportunity to have an event and venue in Eastern Hungary that will attract the world's attention. The track design contest is underway; we'll announce the winner on March 19. Planning will begin afterwards with the course construction tender starting in the fall.”

The racetrack in Hajdúnánás will be 4400 meters long, and 12,000 people will be able to sit on the main stands. The race can give a boost not only to the youth teams, but also to domestic engineering training and regional development as well.

(Translated by Vanda Orosz)