Marco Bezzecchi
Michael Laverty has offered MotoGP a ‘perfect’ replacement for Balaton Park amid ongoing concerns regarding the safety of riders during racing conditions.
MotoGP are set to take the Hungarian circuit in June, but a recent incident during round four of the World Superbikes championship has created further concerns over the premier class returning to the circuit next month.
Former MotoGP star Miguel Oliveira was left with multiple fractures, tendon injuries and a concussion after a horror crash at the circuit last week, with the Portuguese rider now ruled out for the following round at the very least.
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During MotoGP’s return to Hungary at Balaton Park last year, safety concerns were rampant inside the paddock. Enea Bastianini suffered a scary crash at one of the many chicanes in the track’s layout.
The Tech3 rider slid into the path of his oncoming rivals and was lucky to escape from the crash unharmed. Still, MotoGP fans shared their outrage at the incident on social media, demanding that a be made.
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Michael Laverty picks out the Hungaroring as the ‘perfect’ replacement for Balaton Park
During TNT Sports’ live coverage of the French Grand Prix, presenter Suzi Perry asked Michael Laverty for his thoughts on Balaton Park following Oliveira’s horror crash in WSBK last week.
Last year’s edition of the Hungarian Grand Prix marked the first in the central European country for 33 years, with MotoGP signing a 10-year deal with race officials that will see Balaton Park host the first three race weekends.
However, Laverty is adamant that the circuit isn’t up to safety standards. He told Perry, “There’s no point in shirking that Balaton Park is a horrible race track. It’s not fit for purpose.
When you think of MotoGP, what is the circuit that comes to mind?
“The Hungaroring is close to the city, and that’s a perfect one right on the outskirts of Budapest. It’s a great race track; it needs a bit of work to make it suitable for bike racing, but if we do go to the Hungaroring, it’s a perfect, old-school race track by a city that will work.
“At the moment, I don’t like Balaton. I don’t like the fact that you can crash at a chicane and your bike slides through and wipes out oncoming riders.”
“The riders know that we go to these tracks that aren’t quite fit for purpose, that are more dangerous than they need to be and don’t provide a spectacle. There aren’t many good factors about them, but we’re there for the commercial aspect.
“That’s the reality that, hopefully, they can right, and we’ll be at the Hungaroring within the next 12 months. That would be a good turnaround for the Hungarian GP, without a doubt.”
MotoGP riders shared their safety concerns for Balaton Park last year
Following the inaugural running of the Hungarian GP at Balaton Park last year, several riders expressed their frustrations over the safety standards at the Veszprem County-based circuit.
Francesco Bagnaia was wary of getting himself into trouble with his comments following the Grand Prix, simply stating that the standards were ‘very interesting’ in his estimation.
Brad Binder, on the other hand, gave officials a few ideas regarding how he thought the circuit could be improved for riders in the future.
The KTM rider told MotoGP that ‘killing the speed’ of bikes is the simplest option, but it remains to be seen if any of Binder’s advice will be taken on ahead of the race weekend next month.
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