Sold Out

The website of Hungaroring, the Hungarian racing track published a statement on the morning of 6 December, announcing that the 2023 Hungarian Grand Prix race day is completely sold out. Tickets for the Hungarian Formula 1 motor racing event have never sold out this quickly, so a new record was set on Saint Nicholas Day. The website also wrote that the sale of Friday and Saturday day tickets will commence soon for fans who want to get a taste of the weekend’s atmosphere. The Hungaroring in Mogyoród has been on the Formula 1 race calendar without interruption since 1986, second only to the track at Monza. Now the track has reached a new milestone—as part of the government’s strategic development programme, the track is set to be renovated next year. The largest sports venue of Hungary will get new utilities, and new area for fans, a new control centre and a new entrance will be built.

Renovation

As the first step of the renovation, utilities will be upgraded. The water system, the electrical grid and the sewage system will all to be renewed, in addition to the entrance to the track, where an area for of high standard will be created, with a café and a Hungaroring shop where fans can buy race-related merchandise.

Hungaroring Sport Zrt. CEO Zsolt Gyulay was quoted in the statement as saying that he has been at the helm of Hungaroring since 2010. He noted that while the management of the race track has been continuously working toward bringing Hungaroring to a level that is on par with the interest of the sport, the improvement completed so far have not been sufficient as the new tracks that are being added to the calendar of Formula 1 are far superior in term of their facilities and utilities. Gyulay stated that although the heritage and uniqueness of the Hungarian racing circuit has been bringing in a lot of spectators, this is ‘the last moment for us to begin the work’ on the upgrade. The CEO added that the fact that Mogyoród is so close to the capital is also a plus for Hungaroring, which, thanks to the government-funded strategic development programme, will become even more competitive in relation to other tracks. He remarked that the interest in the Hungarian Grand Prix is ‘insane’, recalling that last year on Sunday, the race day, over 100 thousand fans were in attendance, while the number for the entire weekend was 290 thousand. The 2022 race was sold out in April, while this year, all race day tickets were sold out five months earlier.

The Hungaroring

Every year, the Hungarian Grand Prix is is held in in late July or early August. The 38th Hungaroring race is scheduled for 21–23 July in 2023. The track has always been popular, as it has unique lines and is located amidst a beautiful scenery. An added charm of it is that Mogyoród, where it is located, is very close to the capital, Budapest. The race is expected to have over 300 thousand visitors next year, most of them foreigners. The government’s funding for the improvement of the the track is a reasonable investment as the Grand Prix generates substantial income for the entire Hungarian hospitality industry.

The races at the Hungaroring are usually among the most exciting ones in the Formula One season. As the unique lines of the track provide an interesting driving experience for the pilots, Hungaroring provides special excitement for the spectators. Last year, Max Verstappen, two time World Champion, finished first after starting from the tenth place in the race. This was the first time he won at the Hungaroring. The awards were presented by Hungarian Minister of Foreign Affairs Péter Szijjártó, the State Secretary for Sport, Ádám Schmidt, and the President of the Hungarian National Automobile Sports Association (MNASZ), Gyárfás Oláh. The race is even more thrilling when it rains, as it happened two years ago. With the tricky and fast turns of the track, wet conditions often leads to chaos, which fans love. In 2021, two drivers lost control of their cars at the first turn of the race, causing many of them to retire, which led to the unexpected win of underdog Esteban Ocon in his Alpine.

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