Balaton Park SBK 2025: destination guide
The 2025 World Superbikes (WorldSBK) will return to Hungary for the first time in decades, taking place July 25–27 at the newly built Balaton Park Circuit next to Balatonfőkajár town and the famous lake that gives name to the racing installation.
And, if the return to Hungary wasn’t of enough historical significance, Balaton Park will host the 1000th WorldSBK in history! To be precise, Sunday’s Superpole Race will mark the 1000th time in history that the lights go out for WorldSBK riders since the championship start in Donington 1988. And to celebrate, you can find the special collection 1000th WorldSBK races in our store!
WorldSBK at Hungary: the history of the SBK Hungarian Round
Hungary makes a return to the WorldSBK calendar after decades without racing. 2025 will be the fourth time Hungary enters the WorldSBK stage, but in its honor, the Hungarian Round is one of the originals in WorldSBK history
The Hungarian Round was featured in the first three WorldSBK seasons, from 1988 to 1990, all three rounds being raced at the Hungaroring circuit. In fact, during 1988 WorldSBK inaugural season, the Hungarian Round was the second race of the year, just after Donington… as it will happen 37 years latter!
In that occasion, it was also a first for two important manufacturers: if in Donington the winners were Bimota and Ducati, at Hungaroring, Honda achieved it’s very first WorldSBK victory with Fred Merkel and the Rumi Team; at the end of the season, the American will be crowned. The second race of that Sunday, the Frenchman Adrien Morillas signed the very first triumph for Kawasaki with the Team Kawasaki France squad.
Next year, Fred Merkel achieved a double victory at Hungaroring. The Californian liked the scenario and achieved a win also in 1990, along with Ducati’s Raymond Roche who will take the title. Thus, Hungaronring saw 4 victories of Fred Merkel in its six WorldSBK races disputed.
2025 Hungarian Round will be a different history in a new setting, the Balaton Park Circuit.
Balaton Park SBK: a new destination and track
Completed in 2023, boasts a 4.075 km motorcycle layout with 17 technical turns. The 2025 Hungarian Round will be the debut for the Circuit in the international motorcycling racing scene.
The motorcycle-specific layout spans approximately 4.075 km (about 2.53 miles) and features 17 turns — 10 left-handers and 7 right-handers.
The track was tailored for FIM Grade A homologation, introducing key modifications for the safety of motorcycling racing. Turns 6 and 7 were converted from a sweeping double-apex into tighter “dogleg” bends connected by a short straight—to slow speeds and enhance safety.
Also, a new chicane was added to moderate speed at the end of the back straight while encouraging overtaking and the final sector was re-routed to feed directly onto the main straight, avoiding a potentially hazardous flat-out final corner.
Many WorldSBK had the opportunity to discover the track in a private training session weeks before the event. Overall, they described a circuit that offers a distinctly technical and physically intense riding experience that favors nimble bike control over raw speed.
Balaton Park SBK: visiting the lake and surrounding towns
The track lays in the town of Balatonfőkajár lies 90 km southwest of Budapest, nestled in the scenic Lake Balaton region and can be accessed straightforward via highway from Budapest and its airport.
Balaton Lake is the main sight in this area and has been one of the biggest tourist destinations in Hungary for many decades, offering swimming, sailing, windsurfing, and paddleboarding, so visiting Balaton Park SBK can be a great occasion to test your skills in water sports!
The mountainous region of the northern shore is known both for its historic character and as a major wine region, while the flat southern shore is known for its resort towns.
The major resorts around the lake are Siófok, Keszthely, Balatonfüred and Hévíz, these two last developed early as resorts for the wealthy.
Each one of these towns has its own personality: Balatonkenese has hosted numerous traditional gastronomic events, Keszthely is the site of the Festetics Palace, worth a visit and Siófok is Hungary’s second most popular holiday destination with numerous hotels, and plenty of bars, restaurants and nightclubs. The perfect place for those looking for night action after the race day!
Balaton Lake is so big that has its own peninsula. A perfect spot for those looking a more pacific entertainment, as the Tihany peninsula host a Benedictine Abbey that has the best view of Lake Balaton. Founded in 1055 AD, the still functioning abbey is a popular tourist attraction due to its historical and artistic significance: the founding charter of this abbey is the first extant record of Hungarian language.
Visiting Budapest during Balaton Park SBK
An obvious choice, but nevertheless great, is to visit the Hungarian capital in occasion of Balaton Park WorldSBK. Budapest has a rich history and lots of main sights that will be difficult to cover in deep here. But there are many ‘must’ to visit not to miss, even if your stay is short.
The most reconigzable sights are the Hungarian Parlament and the the Széchenyi Chain Bridge that spans the River Danube. Both are featuring close one to another, so it’s easy to visit at the same time. The massive Hungarian Parlament, of neo-gothic constructions, also contains the important collection of Royal Hungarian jewels and other arts.
On the other side of the Danube, there's Castle Hill and the Castle District; there are three churches here, six museums, and a host of interesting buildings, streets and squares. It features also the former Royal Palace and the impressive Fisherman's Bastion.
In the flat Pest, arguably the most important sight is Andrássy út. This Avenue is an elegant 2.5 kilometres (2 miles) long tree-lined street that covers the distance from Deák Ferenc tér to the Heroes Square.
Budapest also offers a vibrant city life apart from turistic sights. It’s a renowed ‘spa’ city, with many thermal springs since Roman times: Király Baths, Rudas Baths, Gellért Baths, Lukács Baths… all these are available and open to use. And probably, the most well-know is the Széchenyi Baths, one of the largest complexes of this type in all Europe.
Wine and gastronomy to enjoy at SBK Balaton Park
In Budapest, Hungarian cuisine and café culture can be seen and tasted in many places, like Gerbeaud Café, the Százéves, Biarritz, Fortuna, Alabárdos, Arany Szarvas, Gundel and the world-famous Mátyás-pince restaurants and beer bars.
The gastronomy of Hungary also includes an extensive wine culture, and the north banck of the Balaton Lake area is one of its centers. Numerous vineyards and wineries offer tastings, tours, and scenic dining. Hungary most famous wine isn’t from this region but nevertheless is worth mentioning and try: the Tokaji.
Overall Balaton Park offers a thrilling blend of racing excitement, natural beauty, and cultural richness. Whether you’re chasing the adrenaline of superbike racing, winding down with a wine tasting by the lake, or exploring Hungary’s scenic towns, a WorldSBK weekend here promises to be unforgettable.