Preview – Grand Prix of Hungary 2026 – R8

Press Release Michelin adapts its tyre allocation for the return to Balaton Park • The MotoGP™ World Championship returns to Balaton Park Circuit for the second consecutive year, following a highly successful debut edition in 2025. • The rescheduling of this round to an earlier point in the season, with slightly cooler weather conditions expected, has led Michelin Motorsport teams to adjust their tyre package. • MICHELIN Power Slick tyres in Soft and Medium compounds will be at the heart of team strategies throughout the weekend, while Hard compounds, both front and rear, will not be offered for this event. MotoGP returns to Hungary for the second consecutive year after an absence of more than 30 years. The Hungarian Grand Prix will be the eighth round of the 2026 MotoGP World Championship, whereas it was the 14th race on the calendar in 2025. Balaton Park Circuit was inaugurated in May 2023. Located approximately 85 kilometres southwest of Budapest, this modern 4.08 km track combines long acceleration zones, heavy braking areas and more technical sections. It features 17 corners, 10 of which are left-hand turns, and runs in an anti-clockwise direction. Piero Taramasso, Michelin Motorsport Two-Wheel Competition Manager “Balaton Park Circuit is a relatively short track, with a main straight limited to 665 metres. It is a rather slow but highly technical circuit, offering a good level of grip thanks to its very recent asphalt surface. The entire track was resurfaced in 2025, ensuring excellent riding conditions for our partners. The surface is also relatively gentle on tyres, resulting in generally moderate wear levels in this context. Following the race held in 2025, during which we offered three front compound options, we decided to retain only the Soft and Medium compounds for the front tyre, identical to those used last year. The rear tyre selection will also remain unchanged, with an asymmetric construction featuring a reinforced left shoulder due to the higher number of corners in that direction. In 2025, the Hard compounds were not used by our partners, which reinforced this choice, especially as weather conditions could be slightly cooler given that this round takes place earlier in the season.” In the event of rain, the MICHELIN Power Rain range, with the same specifications, will be available to Michelin’s partners. In 2025, Marc Márquez set the circuit record during qualifying with a lap time of 1m36.518s. The Spanish rider also recorded the fastest lap in the race with a time of 1m37.699s. The highest top speed was achieved by Brad Binder at 308.5 km/h.   Weekend schedule Track action will begin on Friday, June 5, with Free Practice in the morning, followed by the Practice session in the afternoon, which will determine the ten riders who qualify directly for Q2. On Saturday, June 6, a final Free Practice session will precede the qualifying sessions (Q1 and Q2), which will set the starting grid. The Tissot Sprint (13 laps) will take place at 3:00 p.m. On Sunday, June 7, the Grand Prix (27 laps) will start at 2:00 p.m. About Michelin Michelin is building a world-leading manufacturer of life-changing composites and experiences. Pioneering engineered materials for more than 130 years, Michelin is uniquely positioned to make decisive contributions to human progress and to a more sustainable world. Drawing on its deep know-how in polymer composites, Michelin is constantly innovating to manufacture high-quality tires and components for critical applications in demanding fields as varied as mobility, construction, aeronautics, low-carbon energies, and healthcare. The care placed in its products and deep customer knowledge inspire Michelin to offer the finest experiences. This spans from providing data- and AI-based connected solutions for professional fleets to recommending outstanding restaurants and hotels curated by the MICHELIN Guide. Headquartered in Clermont-Ferrand, France, Michelin is present in 175 countries and employs 122,600 people. Race Preview - PDF 2026 Season Media Kit - PDF For further information on Michelin Motorsport please visit:   www.michelinmotorsport.com     Alessandro Barlozzi - alessandro.barlozzi@michelin.com - Phone: +33 6 09 90 57 97 Copyright © 2026. All rights reserved. Unsubscribe?