From August 8-10, the HunGarian Baja European and World Cup cross-country rally race will kick off once again! After last year’s jubilee anniversary, the race will be held for the 21st time in Várpalota, which will offer special programs for attendees this year.
The Hungarian Grand Prix of cross-country rallying will not be short on kilometers, with a total of 515.85 kilometers and 382.77 km of selective sections. In 2024, competitors will face a more varied and special route, including a significant loop not used for 15 years, which many have missed from the area. The track’s uniqueness lies in its varied terrain filled with rhythm changes and large jumps, presenting many challenges for the racers. The prologue will be 8.06 km, the Stage 1 will be 239.32 km and the Stage 2 will wind 143.45 km across the Shooting Range area.
A huge sensation is that the Ford Raptor T1+ car, developed and built in collaboration between M-Sport and Ford Performance, will be seen in competitive conditions for the first time at the HunGarian Baja. One of the pilots of the vehicle built to win the 2025 Dakar Rally, will be none other than the two-time Dakar winner Nani Roma, who will also drive the Ford in Hungary.
The event organizer is very proud that M-Sport, spreading its wings in cross-country rallying, will test its new car in Hungary. “We will be the preparatory chamber, where they will present the Raptor T1+ with none other than Nani Roma. We really like the two-time Dakar-winning pilot, who has participated in the Hungarian race several times,” highlighted Zoltán Garamvölgyi.
At the 21st Hungarian Baja, among others, the current leader of the European Cup points table and the 2022 champion, João Ferreira, will be competing. Naturally, category leaders João Dias (Challenger) and Fidel Castillo Ruiz (SSV) will not be missing from the lineup either. Hungarian competitors in the European field will include Pál Lónyai in T1, Miklós Trébitsch in T3, and Csucsu and András Lukács in T4.
We have to wait a few more days for the entry list of the FIM World Cup and the M1 Flotta Hungarian Cross-Country Rally Championship, as the registration deadline is closing soon. However, it is already certain that the 5-time European Cup and 4-time World Cup winner Pedro Bianchi Prata, the first Indian female motorcyclist to win a world championship title, Aishwarya Pissay, and Hungarian competitor Richárd Hodola will return for the Hungarian race.
As in previous years, the HunGarian Baja’s center will be in the heart of Várpalota, at Thury Castle and the square in front of it, where the organizers are preparing for an extraordinary opening! The event will kick off on Thursday, August 8, at 7 p.m. with the starting ceremony, where the entire field will drive across the podium, answering brief interview questions. The Brass Quest Band will be responsible for the fantastic atmosphere, and the evening will be crowned with fireworks around 10 p.m. Throughout the race, street food stalls will await visitors, thanks to the cooperation with Vár Bistro.
The real chase starts on Friday morning with the prologue, followed by two more selective sections, totaling 239 kilometers. The DJ show in front of the castle will start at 4 p.m., the Bonbon band will take the stage at 9 p.m., and DJ Revolution will close the day at 10 p.m.
On Saturday, the field will race through one selective section on 143 kilometers, with the finish ceremony taking place around 3-4 p.m. From 5:30 p.m., a series of performers will take the stage again, giving a worthy closing and celebration to the race weekend.
For those who would like to visit the track and experience the true cross-country rally feel, spectator points, which also serve as designated media spots, will be announced a few days before the race. „It is very important to emphasize that the audience and the press can only enter the areas and points we have designated, following safety rules. Most of the race area is military territory, so anyone breaking the rules risks the future of the HunGarian Baja, and violations can have very serious consequences,” warned organizer Zoltán Garamvölgyi.
From August 8-10, Várpalota will be taken over by car and motorcycle wonders, so those who want to be part of the gasoline fumes, engine sounds, speed, and unparalleled atmosphere should be at the 21st HunGarian Baja! For the latest information, it is worth following the race’s pages, as all details, including spectator points, can be found there.
Source: Hungarian Baja
Szerző: Erős Réka,
Photo: Ford South Africa / Ford Performance
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