During the three racing days, 30,000 spectators watched the V-Híd Rally Hungary on site. Kornél Őry, Chairman of the Organising Committee, also said that the event, which was organised under the auspices of HUMDA, a member of the Széchenyi University Group, as national promoter, had a very positive international response.
What feedback did you receive from the international rights holder after the tournament?
Overall, the feedback from both the International Automobile Federation and the promoter was very positive: they emphasised that they were very satisfied with everything from a safety point of view. Obviously, we paid particular attention to this: in the weeks before the race, we took special security measures in conjunction with the FIA and the national authorities.
How easy was it to enforce them?
The spectators were receptive, I saw a great deal of discipline on the tracks. They followed the instructions and if there was any problem, whether it was the security staff or the stewards, they reacted very quickly.
How many people have seen the stages in three days?
Approximately 30,000 people have seen the stages.
Did you expect more or less?
About the same. We were particularly pleased that the special stage on the parallel track went so well. The promoter told us that such a spectacular show is not often seen at world championship races. From a TV point of view, with this light and sound technology, Friday evening was an amazing spectacle, and they added that it was a great thing that we could put together two such high quality events in six months, as last year we had the penultimate race in Nyíregyháza and now the season opener in Veszprém.
As good as this event is, there are always points for improvement: what are they?
Perhaps I’m not telling a big secret by saying that when the event is over, preparations for next year’s race start almost immediately. This is the case now. The city is welcoming us back, and the good news is that we’ve managed to establish a very good relationship with the national team, so we’ll be sitting down next month to discuss potential routes, so we’ll definitely be on time and possibly have the best of Europe competing on even more exciting courses.
Does that mean Veszprém stays?
Yes, we think that Veszprém and its surroundings will be a great host for Rally Hungary in the coming years and we would like to involve the Balaton region a bit more in the competition. Our eponymous sponsor V-Híd Zrt., our main sponsors, the Sporting Nation Programme, the National Sports Agency, the State Secretariat for Sport of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs agree on this, as does our sponsor, Szerencsejáték Zrt.
They all support young people’s sport, so they must have been delighted with this initiative, which is new in the ERC series, but also very forward-looking. I’m thinking of the Fit4Race programme, which made its successful debut in the junior category.
We started to build this project last year because we thought that junior pairs could benefit from complex race preparation. Zsolt Matics, the inventor of the Fit4Race programme, and his team went to the service park and helped with the morning warm-up if necessary, gave useful advice to riders with sleep problems if necessary, and improved concentration if necessary. We received positive feedback from the riders and it was a pleasure to see that a Hungarian team can provide such a high level of service.
Speaking of competitors! How did they like the V-Híd Rally Hungary?
While the tracks around Veszprém are notoriously tough and many racers struggled to finish, most said they enjoyed these fast-paced stages. Mabellini had a statement at the finish of one of the stages in which he praised the race. I would like to mention the defending European Champion Hayden Paddon, who had a puncture on the last stage and lost his podium place, but he said that it was a very good race all round and he also praised the Hungarian fans for their competence and love.
