A new driver lineup on a completely new circuit: this is the configuration in which Mičánek Motorsport powered by Buggyra will compete in this year’s Central European FIA CEZ circuit championship. At Balaton Park, the team will be represented by Libor Dvořáček and Jakub Knoll.
The reigning GTC class champion team plans to field two cars, with the team’s Lamborghini Huracán competing in both sprint and endurance races. “Libor Dvořáček will take part in the sprints, while Jakub Knoll will handle the endurance race. Whether we’ll enter the second car in endurance and in which driver pairing is still to be decided,” says team manager Jiří Mičánek Jr. ahead of the season opener.
Contrary to the original plans, the Kurt Wagner – Josef Záruba pairing will not take part in the season opener. “Unfortunately, Kurt had to undergo surgery just a few days ago, so we’ll be missing the first round,” explains Jiří Mičánek.
According to him, the weekend will come down to how quickly the drivers adapt to the new circuit. It’s a brand-new track, with very few drivers having had the chance to train on it, and it isn’t available even for simulators. “Basically, we’re going out on a track and don’t really know where it goes,” says Jiří Mičánek with a smile. “But the conditions will be the same for everyone.”
On Thursday, the team completed their first tests on the circuit. “The track is quite technical, yet not very long, so it should be possible to learn it quickly. It’s not an ideal circuit for a Lamborghini, but we expected that,” shares Jakub Knoll on his first impressions. Aside from the new track, the driver—returning to the team’s Huracán after four years—also has to adapt to the car itself, which has a different concept and significantly more power compared to the Mercedes AMG GT4 he raced over the past two years.
Libor Dvořáček rates his first laps on the new circuit positively. “It’s a mix of fast straights and technical sections, with plenty of S-curves. We’ll need to focus on finding the ideal racing line and braking points. We have all of Thursday for that, so there will be plenty of time to prepare,” says the driver ahead of the race weekend. Dvořáček recently moved to the ESET Cup from Lamborghini Super Trofeo, where he competed alongside Kurt Wagner for the past five seasons.
Balaton Park Circuit is 4,115 metres long, with a width of 12 to 15 metres and 16 corners. The main straight measures 576 metres. As the name suggests, it is located near Lake Balaton in western Hungary. The highlight of this season is expected to be the Superbike World Championship round in August.
