MotoGP without Hungary: Why Balaton Park is out after just two years

• Officially confirmed: the Hungarian Grand Prix is missing from the 2027 MotoGP calendar
• The season finale takes place in Valencia from 26 to 28 November 2027
• The full 2027 calendar will be published on 25 September at 12:00 CEST

On 22 September, the MotoGP Sports Entertainment Group, formerly Dorna, announced two pieces of calendar news. First, it confirmed Valencia as the venue for the 2027 season finale. A few hours later came the news that Hungary will not be on the schedule next year. That closes the chapter of MotoGP Hungary at Balaton Park after just two races. The series does not want to give up on the country entirely, though. Its eyes are on Budapest, but there is one thing in particular that is missing there: time.

Why has the Hungarian GP been dropped from the 2027 MotoGP calendar?

In the series’ view, Balaton Park does not meet MotoGP’s commercial requirements, which is why the contract was not renewed. The venue is considered too small, not glamorous enough and, above all, too poorly attended.

At the Hungarian GP in June, just over 80,000 spectators came to the circuit on Lake Balaton across three days. That does not fit the direction the World Championship wants to take under its majority owner Liberty Media. For comparison: Formula 1 has drawn around 300,000 fans to the Hungaroring in Budapest in recent years.

An official statement issued on Tuesday evening reads: “The MotoGP Group can confirm that the Hungarian Grand Prix will not feature on the 2027 calendar. However, Hungary remains an important venue for the championship, and the MotoGP Group is committed to exploring further opportunities for a return in cooperation with the relevant authorities.”

The decision did not come as a surprise. Since early summer, it had been considered likely that the second edition at Balaton Park would also be the last.

What problems were there at Balaton Park?

Apart from the low attendance, the circuit itself drew criticism from the very beginning. Many riders found the track very tight and slow, and safety concerns were raised as well.

The riders considered the first corner particularly tricky. From a sporting point of view, the circuit had nevertheless established itself on the calendar. The facility right on Lake Balaton was built at great expense and was meant to secure a Grand Prix for Hungary in the long term. In summer 2025, the Superbike World Championship raced there first, followed by MotoGP just a few weeks later.

Francesco Bagnaia hinted at the circuit’s future ahead of the race weekend in June. Asked about the safety concerns he had raised the previous year, the Ducati rider said: “They haven’t changed anything because it is a temporary circuit. Next year we will use a different one. That’s why it was difficult to change the track.”

Promoter bankruptcy and losses running into millions

The Grand Prix was also on shaky ground financially. The original promoter, HUMDA, signed a ten-year contract with the rights holder in 2023. The agency belongs to the foundation of Széchenyi István University and has been in liquidation since 20 April.

Hungary’s new interior minister, Gábor Pósfai, told parliament that HUMDA had been making heavy losses for years and had largely used up its own capital. On the balance sheet of the races, he said: “In summary, the state budget spent more than ten billion on it, while revenue last year was around two billion forints.” Converted, that means expenditure of more than 28 million euros (around 32 million US dollars) set against revenue of less than six million euros (around 6.4 million US dollars).

HUMDA was regarded primarily as a prestige project of Viktor Orbán’s government. Following that government’s defeat at the polls, there is to be no more state funding. To allow the 2026 race to go ahead anyway, the company operating the Hungaroring stepped in as promoter. According to Hungaroring CEO Zsolt Gyulay, this happened at the request of MotoGP itself.

Why doesn’t MotoGP simply race at the Hungaroring?

The Hungaroring is not homologated for MotoGP, meaning it has no official approval to host motorcycle Grands Prix. The necessary conversion would require investment in the high tens of millions, which the Hungarian state has not yet approved.

The series’ interest in Budapest is obvious. The traditional circuit, which has hosted Formula 1 since 1986, offers far more space for spectators, freshly modernised infrastructure and proximity to the capital. Hungaroring CEO Gyulay summed it up succinctly in June: “MotoGP definitely wants to come to the Hungaroring.” He also pointed out that Liberty Media, as the rights holder of Formula 1, is also the majority owner of MotoGP.

The problem is safety. In many places the track barriers are too close to the racing line, and significant modifications would be needed for motorcycles. That costs money and, above all, time. Carlos Ezpeleta, MotoGP’s Chief Sporting Officer, described the situation back in July: “In our talks with the government, we are trying to understand what the timeline for adapting the Hungaroring looks like. As things stand, however, it looks like a very big challenge, because we are already close to finalising the 2027 calendar.” It would be very difficult for 2027, he added, so the series is thinking longer term about the Hungarian GP.

Incidentally, MotoGP was originally supposed to race at the Hungaroring in 2025 and 2026, as it last did in the early 1990s. The most recent race in Budapest to date took place in 1992. Only later was the plan changed and Balaton Park added to the calendar for two years.

When could MotoGP return to Hungary?

There is no date for a return. According to Hungarian media reports from June, the idea of moving to the Hungaroring has been shelved for now or postponed to 2028 at the earliest.

The key question is whether the government in Budapest releases money for the modernisation. Interior Minister Pósfai signalled in June that he was open to talks in principle. The existing contracts and experience are to be reviewed before any decision is made on how things will be organised in future. Given the losses of the past, the Hungaroring is likely to have to bear a larger share of the costs itself than under the previous government. Should the money flow, talks about a Grand Prix in Budapest could pick up speed again.

When is the 2027 MotoGP finale in Valencia?

The final race weekend of the 2027 season takes place from 26 to 28 November at the Circuit Ricardo Tormo in Valencia. The track thus remains the traditional venue for the season finale.

Numerous titles have been decided there since the first race. One special feature is its stadium layout: almost every corner can be followed from the grandstands. Only in 2024 did the finale have to move to Barcelona because of the devastating floods in the region.

“There are few places that capture the spirit of a MotoGP season finale as well as the Circuit Ricardo Tormo,” said Carlos Ezpeleta. The circuit, the city and the fans create a special atmosphere every year, he added. Juanfran Pérez Llorca, President of the Valencian regional government, called it excellent news for the circuit and the entire region. He sees the award as recognition for the organisers and the fans who make the Grand Prix grow year after year.

The 2026 finale is already set to be bigger than before. MotoGP is planning an expanded fan programme in the city, from the Ciudad de las Artes y las Ciencias to Marina Sur. At the MotoGP Fan Fest, riders, entertainment and live music are to come to the city centre, with DJ HUGEL announced as the headline act with an event called “HUGEL & Friends”.

What else is changing on the 2027 MotoGP calendar?

The 2027 calendar is expected to differ only slightly from this year’s and will again comprise 22 Grands Prix. According to the series, Argentina will take over the slot vacated by Hungary.

MotoGP CEO Carmelo Ezpeleta said: “The 2027 MotoGP calendar, however, will only be slightly different from this year’s.” The Argentine GP returns to Buenos Aires, where the World Championship last raced in 1999, and is scheduled for 9 to 11 April 2027. The new circuit is around 4.34 kilometres long and bears the name of Formula 1 legend Juan Manuel Fangio. In June, Hungarian media had at one point named Aragón as a possible beneficiary of Hungary’s exit, with the organisers reportedly having signed a contract worth 10 million euros (around 11.5 million US dollars) for it.

Other key points have already been confirmed. The season starts in Buriram, Thailand, for the third year in a row, from 5 to 7 March 2027. It will be the first race under the new technical regulations with 850 cc engines, which apply until 2031. With Balaton Park gone, the Austrian GP in Spielberg moves back to August and takes place from 27 to 29 August. In Australia, MotoGP moves from Phillip Island to Adelaide.

Hungary is therefore not the only venue having to make way for the new direction. In the series’ view, ambition and reality no longer matched at the Australian GP either, and the contract with Phillip Island was likewise not renewed. MotoGP plans to publish the full calendar for the first season of the 850 cc era on Friday, 25 September, at 12:00 CEST.

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➜ This article is part of our comprehensive overview: 2027 MotoGP Season: The Complete Overview – Teams, Riders, Calendar and the New 850cc Rules. Find all key information on this topic in one place.