F1 Race Success for Piastri in Hungary - Most Spectators Were Foreigners, Major Upgrade Of Hungaroring Ahead
- 22 Jul 2024 10:45 AM
- Hungary Matters
![F1 Race Success for Piastri in Hungary - Most Spectators Were Foreigners, Major Upgrade Of Hungaroring Ahead F1 Race Success for Piastri in Hungary - Most Spectators Were Foreigners, Major Upgrade Of Hungaroring Ahead](/binaries/content/gallery/2024-photos/sport/07/piastri.jpg/piastri.jpg/xpatloop%3Achannelslarge)
The FIA governing body of motor sport and F1 management are contented with the renovation of Hungaroring so far and are counting on Hungary in the long term, Péter Szijjártó, the minister of foreign affairs and trade, said at the venue of the 39th Formula 1 Hungarian Grand Prix.
The minister met FIA president Mohammed Ben Sulayem and Stefano Domenicali, the president and CEO of Formula One Group, on Saturday.
Szijjártó told MTI that Mogyoród would be part of the F1 competition calendar for the long haul. He said the two officials appreciated Mogyoród as “a traditional track” that showed what the sport was like a few decades ago.
Not every track could be “the most modern”, he said, adding that they liked the fact that Hungaroring combined tradition with modern standards.
He noted that the first stage of the renovation had been completed and the second would begin after the current event, involving the upgrade of Hungaroring’s main grandstand, main building, race control centre, paddock area and tunnels.
Gulyás: F1 Hungarain Grand Prix Important for Hungary
The Formula One Hungarian Grand Prix is important to Hungary both in terms of PR and prestige, the head of the Prime Minister’s Office said.
Speaking to reporters in the Hungaroring paddock ahead of the 39th Hungarian GP near Budapest, Gergely Gulyás said most of the negotiations on the future of the race had been concluded, and an agreement had been reached with the commercial rights holder on the types of upgrades that were needed to secure the race’s long-term future on the F1 calendar.
“The track at Mogyoród isn’t the most modern one, but this has only been the case until now with the launch of a 105 billion forint (EUR 268.6m) upgrade that allows the race to go ahead this year and the next,” Gulyás said, adding that the full extent of the upgrades agreed on with the rights holder would be seen in 2026.
He said most of the 300,000 spectators who flock to the racetrack each year are foreigners, which generated direct revenue for Hungary given that they tended to spend several days or even up to a week in the country.
Gulyás said the upgrades were ahead of schedule, and the work would resume after Sunday’s race, adding that plans were to complete the upgrades by April 20, 2026. A
sked about a potential increase in ticket prices after the upgrade, Gulyás said the aim was not to keep raising prices, adding that the increased capacity of the track facilities was set to generate considerable revenue.
MTI Stock Photo - for illustrative purposes only
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