The future has begun! It’s no secret that the Hungaroring is undergoing the most significant transformation in its history. While the full redevelopment is set to be completed by next April, the circuit already leaves a striking impression: it’s modern, elegant, and meets every standard of Formula 1.
Anyone who attended Thursday’s press conference at the Mogyoród racetrack had the chance to witness the unveiling of the new main building and grandstand. Journalists got their first glimpse of what the Hungaroring will look like during the landmark 40th Hungarian Grand Prix.
Parked fittingly on the newly resurfaced start/finish straight was a Red Bull F1 car—well, not a real race car, but the team’s show car, brought to Hungary to promote the upcoming Red Bull Showrun in September. The Hungaroring will serve as a motorsport partner for the event by providing the sporting team for the action. This time, the car’s role was to showcase the breathtaking sight that will greet the drivers as they line up on the grid between the brand-new main building and grandstand during the first weekend of August.
At Thursday’s press conference, Dr Ádám Schmidt, State Secretary for Sport at the Ministry of Defence, stated:
“I believe the Hungaroring truly deserves this modern new look for its 40th birthday. It’s no exaggeration to say the circuit and the Hungarian Grand Prix have become integral parts of Hungary’s recent history. The event arrived with the winds of political change and over the decades has justifiably become a favourite venue for the stars of the F1 circus. It has gifted motorsport fans countless unforgettable moments. I’d like to thank everyone who has contributed to its nearly four-decade-long history.
It’s important to highlight that the Hungarian Grand Prix is typically the most attended sporting event in Hungary. Last year, over 300,000 people visited the circuit, with around 80% of spectators arriving from abroad. The total GDP impact of hosting the event exceeds 26 billion forints. Every single forint invested by the Government into the Hungaroring has generated more than one and a half forints of revenue for the Hungarian economy.”
Zsolt Gyulay, Chairman and CEO of Hungaroring Sport Zrt., presented the new main building and grandstand and noted that, as in the past three years, they are expecting a full house over the race weekend.
“It fills me with enormous pride to experience these historic moments together. Even though I’ve followed the redevelopment closely, the end result is still incredibly uplifting,” said Gyulay. “This is more than just an infrastructure upgrade—it marks the beginning of a new era in Hungarian motor racing.
Every element of the new main building and grandstand has been designed to ensure world-class experiences for the drivers, teams, and fans alike. While construction won’t be fully completed until next year, and this year’s setup is transitional, from the outside it’s already a stunning, modern, internationally acclaimed venue taking shape before our eyes.
I extend heartfelt thanks to the Hungaroring team, our colleagues responsible for the development, the construction consortium, and everyone who contributed in any way to this transformation.”
Gyulay added that global interest in Formula 1 is enormous—and Hungary is no exception. Sunday’s race day will be a guaranteed sell-out, and although a limited number of tickets are available for Friday and Saturday, those are expected to sell out in the coming weeks.
“I just returned from the premiere of the new F1 film, and the level of excitement was just as overwhelming as we see on race weekends. It filled me with great pride to see that although only a few circuits were featured in the movie, the Hungaroring stood out, and the name of our capital, Budapest, was mentioned several times in a positive context. In my opinion, few things contribute more to promoting Hungary’s image abroad.”
As for the details of the redevelopment, the media has followed the progress closely. Ahead of last year’s Hungarian Grand Prix, the paddock area was expanded, and since then, the main building has been revamped—though Formula 1 will not yet have full use of it this year—as well as the grandstand and the adjacent event space.
“The aim of the development was to replace the outdated infrastructure with a modern, economically sustainable paddock facility that meets all professional sporting requirements. This includes four technical garages and 36 race garages, an FIA-compliant race control centre, hospitality and VIP areas, offices, a rooftop terrace, and the depot.
To accelerate construction and ensure the Hungarian Grand Prix remained on the calendar during the works, the building's structural framework was created using prefabricated elements. That’s why the main building looks finished from the outside, even if certain parts won’t be in use until next year. But when complete, the facility will cater not only to motorsport events but also conferences and large-scale gatherings.”
The new main building includes 36 race garages and 4 technical garages. On the first floor, there is a 2,000-person VIP area overlooking the pit lane, with private boxes and a restaurant with kitchen facilities that can seat 80 guests. This space can be used during smaller events for dining and hosting intimate gatherings. Also on this floor are additional rooms for the paddock club, a press conference room, and office space.
The second floor houses operational and professional sports offices, along with a rooftop terrace, which will serve as an extension of the paddock club. All necessary infrastructure—including electrical and data systems, broadcast signals, sound systems, and motorsport-specific and security cameras—has been completed here.
The development also includes the new 13,000-square-metre main grandstand, which features commentary booths and a VIP terrace. This new covered grandstand has a seating capacity of 10,000. The adjacent event space has been expanded and is now supported by a retaining wall structure on the forest-facing side.
Two tunnels connect the new main building and grandstand at either end of the start/finish straight, facilitating access for organisers, athletes, and guests.
To add a proper touch of F1 flair to Thursday’s press conference, Zoltán Szujó gave attendees an exclusive behind-the-scenes look at the upcoming Red Bull Showrun.
“I’ve been part of the Formula 1 world for more than twenty years, and for me this sport is not just a job, but a passion. That’s why the Red Bull Showrun is particularly close to my heart. It brings together everything that makes motorsport exciting—world championship machinery, legendary drivers, thrilling drift and stunt shows, and an up-close experience for fans. To see, hear, and feel the power of the RB7, meet legends, and live the experience in the streets of Budapest—that’s not just motorsport, it’s cultural spectacle.”
The Red Bull Showrun will take place on 20–21 September 2025 in Budapest’s 14th district, along Stefánia Road. At this two-day urban motorsport festival, the championship-winning Red Bull RB7 will be driven by David Coulthard, while Patrick Friesacher will take to the 2.5-kilometre circuit between Puskás Arena and Budapest Arena in the Visa Cash App Racing Bulls car.
Fans can also enjoy the Red Bull Driftbrothers’ performances, stunt motorbike shows, and the 25th-anniversary Parkoló Parádé (Parking Parade) by Totalcar, which will feature over 100 exhibited vehicles and engaging panel discussions.
The event will be open to the public from 10:00 to 19:00 on both days. More information and ticket purchases are available on the official Red Bull Showrun website and Facebook page.
Interesting Figures from the Construction Completed Since Last Year’s Hungarian Grand Prix:
Main Building (Net Floor Area: 19,753 m²)
• 54,000 m³ of Earthworks for the foundations
• 9.128 km of Piling Reinforcement, using 508 tonnes of steel
• 33,476 m³ of Concrete poured – containing 2,418 tonnes of reinforcing steel
• 10 Lifts installed
• Fire Detection System installed over 11,699 m² across 3 levels
• 293 Internal and Fire-Rated Doors fitted
• 5,516 m² of Resin-Coated Flooring in the pit garages
• 465 VIP Grandstand Seats in the Paddock Club
• Offices on the first floor covering 425 m²
Motorsport operational areas will not be functional until 2025.
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Main Grandstand
• 10,296 Seats in the covered grandstand
• Net floor area: 13,133 m²
• 9,600 m² / 1,125 tonnes of Steel Roofing Structure
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Event Area
• 16,577 m² for the event area and retaining wall construction
• TV Compound: 3,903 m²
• 2 Tunnels constructed
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Total Net Built Area: 42,694 m²
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Utility Construction
• 6,832 m of Drainage Pipes (for sewage and rainwater) installed
• 2,345 m of Water Pipes laid
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Race Track Restoration (Main Straight): 12,800 m²
