Hungaroring completes first phase of its biggest redevelopment since 1986
Just two months ahead of the Hungarian Grand Prix, Hungaroring has announced that the first phase of its major reshuffle has been completed which means tha
The Hungaroring has been part of the Formula One schedule since 1986 when the circuit hosted the first ever Hungarian Grand Prix. In fact, a Hungarian Grand Prix took place several decades earlier, exactly in 1936 in a public park of Budapest, called Nepliget, albeit it was a non-championship event.
The circuit that is located less than 10km northeast of Budapest was laid down in just eight months, in less time that any other modern Formula One circuit. The first race at the new circuit was the Drapál Memorial Trophy in March 1986, three months before its official opening.
Situated in a valley, the tight, twisty circuit features a challenging nature, offering only a few overtaking opportunities. While some work has been performed since 1986, including a significant change to the layout in 2003, many buildings and grandstands have been untouched for long years.
The reconstruction of the Hungaroring has been planned for several years, but work has only kicked off after a delay of several years, at the beginning of 2024. The entire process will be performed in two spells with the first phase having been completed on 22 May. The redevelopment of the circuit will continue with the second phase after this year’s F1 Hungarian Grand Prix.
The first phase saw the reconstruction of the retaining walls of the event area, while the paddock was also significantly widened. Furthermore, two tunnels were established under the finish straight.
The circuit noted that "the work at the circuit often took place 24 hours a day, with 400-500 people working on the site at any one time, and a total of 1500 people working on this great, innovative and prospective project" in order to meet the deadlines.
The first phase required a total of four tower cranes and five mobile cranes, while 390 kilometres of pipeline were installed and 3,200 tonnes of reinforcing steel, 1,674 cubic metres of precast reinforced concrete and 32,000 cubic metres of concrete were used.
Furthermore, 170,000 cubic metres of land were moved and a new staircase was builts that leads to the spectators’ area.
The buildings on the lower depot area were demolished and the new paddock, now 8,000 square metres in size, was built. In addition, a significant part of the final utility network has been completed and spectacular landscaping work has been carried out to ensure that the Hungarian Grand Prix can take place in a fitting and appealing environment.
Speaking of the changes, Hungaroring CEO Zsolt Gyulay noted that "it has been amazing to see the pace of the works and how much the Hungaroring has changed from week to week.
"Those arriving at the Hungarian Grand Prix will see that the redevelopment process lasting until 2026 has begun and has brought spectacular changes.
"I have been saying for years that in the new era the needs have changed, the business world around F1 has changed, and nowadays Formula 1 races are considered a four-day festival, and the circuits have to adapt to meet these needs.
"I'm pleased that we have taken the first step: the smallest paddock in the World Championship series has been widened, the two tunnels are constructed, the finish straight has been resurfaced and the area behind the grandstand has also seen a spectacular change.
"There are no abandoned buildings or construction sites in the area, which is very important to allow for a clean television coverage. FOM officials visited us recently and according to their feedback they were pleased with what they saw," Gyulay concluded.
