The Michelin Grand Prix of Hungary is the 14th round of the 2025 MotoGP calendar and marks another important milestone for the championship, which returns to Hungary after more than thirty years. Balaton Park, inaugurated in May 2023 near Lake Balaton, will host MotoGP for the first time from August 22 to 24, 2025.
This 4.115 km track, located 85 km southwest of Budapest, combines long acceleration zones, heavy braking, and more technical sections. Designed to meet modern safety standards, it was recently modified by Loris Capirossi to comply with MotoGP and WorldSBK requirements, including the redesign of turns 6-7, the creation of a new chicane, and a reworked final section to enhance safety.
A Michelin allocation tailored to a brand-new layout
Balaton Park is a new challenge for all MotoGP stakeholders. Tests were organized this summer with the manufacturers' test riders to gather real-world data. These initial laps confirmed overall good grip and limited wear, but also very high track temperatures (55 to 60°C), which put the tires under significant stress.
For this debut, Michelin will supply three symmetric front options (Soft, Medium, Hard) and three asymmetric rears (Soft, Medium, Hard), all with a reinforced left shoulder to handle the higher number of left-hand turns. The rears use the standard casing, while the 2025 Hard front benefits from the stiffer carcass already introduced in Austria.
In the event of wet conditions, riders will have MICHELIN Power Rain tires (Soft and Medium) available, front and rear.
Statement from Piero Taramasso, Michelin Motorsport Two-Wheel Manager
"The Michelin Grand Prix of Hungary is a historic event, as it marks the first time that MotoGP will take place at Balaton Park. It is a circuit we don't yet know perfectly, but we carried out simulations and, more importantly, tests on site a few weeks ago. This allowed us to collect valuable data, even though we know that official riders always push much harder and stress the tires more in race conditions.
"The layout is not extremely fast, but it includes many acceleration zones, hard braking areas, and slower sections. This generates a lot of thermal stress on the tires, especially in mid-August when track temperatures can reach 55 to 60°C.
"We are bringing a complete allocation: three symmetric front tires (Soft, Medium, Hard) and three asymmetric rear tires with reinforced left shoulders. This is a broad and flexible choice that should allow riders and teams to quickly identify the best combination from Friday onwards and optimize their settings to manage the race."
Schedule for the Michelin Grand Prix of Hungary 2025
The weekend will begin on Friday, August 22 with free practice sessions in the morning, followed by the Practice session in the afternoon, which will determine the ten riders who qualify directly for Q2. On Saturday, August 23, a final free practice session will precede the qualifying sessions (Q1 and Q2) that will set the starting grid. The 14-lap Tissot Sprint will take place at 3:00 pm. On Sunday, August 24, the 27-lap Grand Prix will start at 2:00 pm.
Fourth round of the FIM MotoE™ World Championship
Balaton Park will also host races 7 and 8 of the 2025 FIM MotoE World Championship, contested on Ducati electric prototypes equipped with Michelin tires containing a high proportion of renewable and recycled materials (56% at the front and 58% at the rear). These tires will feature the "Race to Vision" velvet marking, the signature of Michelin competition tires containing more than 50% sustainable materials.
The MotoE program will run over two days, with free practice and qualifying sessions on Friday, followed by two 7-lap races on Saturday, scheduled before and after the MotoGP Sprint.
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