New track Balaton the next destination for the Honda HRC team

The Honda HRC team is on site at Balaton Park in Hungary. They are ready for the challenge that this brand-new circuit represents. Balaton is the stage for the eighth Superbike World Championship round of the 2025 season.

Riders Xavi Vierge and Iker Lecuona come to Hungary off the back of a challenging UK round at Donington Park. The British track has traditionally been tricky for the CBR1000RR-R. However, the team worked hard across the weekend, enabling the riders to secure valuable points. This effort allowed them to move up one position each in the overall standings.

The factory pair now place seventh and eighth in the championships, both holding 90 points. They look ahead to the upcoming Hungarian round. Along with most of the SBK field, Lecuona and Vierge completed a brief test session at Balaton Park in June. The test allowed them to get an initial feel for the track and its layout. However, both riders came away with mixed feelings.

This is the first time the Balaton Park Circuit will stage the production-derived championship. Original plans to host a round in 2024 were postponed due to the ongoing works. Inaugurated in May 2023, the new circuit’s facilities include 48 pit garages, VIP areas, and lounges. It also has a media centre, medical centre, and two additional support paddock areas. The track measures 4.075 km in length and comprises six right turns and ten left turns.

Weekend schedule (CEST):

Friday

10.20 – 11.05 – SBK Free Practice 1
15.00 – 15.45 – SBK Free Practice 2

Saturday

9.00 – 9.20 – SBK Free Practice 3
11.00 – 11.15 – Superpole
14.00 – SBK Race 1

Sunday

9.00 – 9.10 – SBK Warm-up
11.00 – Superpole race
14.00 – SBK Race 2

Xavi Vierge ⁹⁷

“Balaton is a new track for everyone. We completed a few laps there with a stock Fireblade, which will definitely help, as it gave us the chance to see the layout and at least know what to expect. When a track is new, it’s always both a challenge and an opportunity, so let’s try to put the emphasis on the latter, give it our best, and aim to complete a good weekend.”

Iker Lecuona ⁷

“We come to Balaton after a demanding race weekend in the UK, and we now expect another tough one albeit for different reasons. What we took from Donington anyway is that if we stay focused and work in the right way, we can really make the most of our current bike setup, no matter the conditions. We need to keep the same mindset in Hungary because, honestly, I don’t really like the track. We did a short test there with the stock CBR, and I feel that adapting the Superbike to that layout will be challenging. Having said that, it will be the same for everyone, so we’ll try to manage it in the best way and keep pushing to continue the positive working trend we’ve had over the last few rounds.”