New life at Hungaroring circuit, first phase of work completed

In the second half of July, the Formula 1 championship will return to Hungary for one of the historic events in the premier automotive series. The Hungarian track has often been nicknamed a Monaco without barriers, but it is much more than that. Despite its history, the Hungaroring circuit has also completed the first phase of renovation work to try to maintain its place on the Formula 1 calendar.

From July 19 to 21, the world of Formula 1 will arrive in Hungary for the penultimate event before the summer break. To best accommodate the staff and the numerous guests attending the event, the organizers have heavily updated various structures of the paddock and more. For the past five months, the Hungaroring has been occupied solely by heavy machinery and workers who have worked around the clock to enable the GP scheduled for July 21. The work program, as confirmed by the organizers, is only at the beginning and is expected to be completed by 2026.

According to the organizers, the original work schedule involves several phases, with the first phase completed a few days ago. Phase 1 includes the completion of the retaining walls of the paddock, essential for expanding it and placing it on a single level compared to the two levels in 2023. Additionally, to facilitate the continuation of the works, two pedestrian tunnels have been built under the main straight. To meet the tight deadlines, the work often continued 24 hours a day, with 400-500 workers on site, with a maximum of 1500 people involved in this large project.

Numerous machines were employed for the construction of the new paddock, including four tower cranes and five mobile ones. These allowed for the installation of an extensive line of pipes and tons of steel for the construction of reinforced concrete elements. In addition to the cranes, many excavators were used to move the earth necessary to expand the paddock’s support surface. The paddock now covers an area of over 8,000 square meters, expanded also thanks to the demolition of several pre-existing buildings.

“It was incredible to see the pace of the work and how the Hungaroring has changed from week to week,” said Zsolt Gyulay, President and CEO of Hungaroring Sport Zrt. “Those arriving at the Hungarian Grand Prix will see that the redevelopment process, which will last until 2026, has begun and brought spectacular changes. The demands of the new era have changed, as has the business world around F1. Today, Formula 1 races are considered a four-day festival, and circuits must adapt to meet these demands.” – he pointed out.

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“I am glad we have taken the first step: the smallest paddock in the World Championship has been expanded. Additionally, we have built the two tunnels and resurfaced the main straight. Furthermore, the area behind the grandstand has seen a spectacular change. There are no abandoned buildings or construction sites in the area, which is very important for allowing clean television coverage. The FOM officials visited us recently and, based on their comments, they were satisfied with what they saw.” – he concluded.