Volunteering at Hungaroring 2024 #2

Hey everyone!

I want to share my full experience of volunteering at the Hungarian Grand Prix, hoping that maybe one of you will be inspired to try it too.

I had known about the opportunity to volunteer in Hungary for a while and had been eagerly waiting for registration to open. Finally, in early December, the application window opened for just a week—so if you're considering applying in the future, keep an eye out around that time! I applied along with a few friends, hoping that at least some of us would get selected. Then, the waiting game began.

After submitting the initial application, some applicants, including myself, received an email requesting an introduction video with a few questions to answer. It seems there are multiple selection stages, as some of my friends received their video request as early as mid-December, while others didn’t get theirs until as late as March.

Finally, after months of waiting, I got the email—I was accepted! The excitement was real, and I immediately started planning the trip. Since this is a volunteer opportunity, travel and accommodation expenses are covered by the volunteers themselves. Additionally, there is a deposit required for the volunteer equipment, which is refunded at the end of the Grand Prix after completing all assigned shifts.

Arriving in Hungary

My friend Simona and I arrived in Hungary on Wednesday, as volunteers were required to be at the track early Thursday morning. Communication was mainly through a Messenger group, and to be honest, it wasn’t the most organized. Once we got to the track, we had to wait for our equipment and a tour of the venue. We weren’t sure how long we’d be waiting, but at least we got to sit in the grandstands in front of the garages and watch some of the teams in action—an unexpected but exciting bonus!

The track tour itself, however, could have been much better. Since I had already attended the Hungarian Grand Prix before, I didn’t learn much new information. More importantly, the communication was mostly in Hungarian, meaning international volunteers only received about 20% of the information in English. That was disappointing, but one highlight made up for it—the opportunity to walk through the pit lane. It was fascinating and felt like a small reward before the real work began.

The Work

Every morning, shifts were announced, and each international volunteer was paired with a Hungarian “buddy.” Together, we had to figure out how to assist and support spectators throughout the event. There wasn’t much guidance, so we had to rely on each other to adapt and learn on the go.

The Hungarian Grand Prix is known for its intense summer heat, and working three shifts a day, each lasting around two hours in the sun, was no easy task. But despite the challenges, it was incredibly rewarding. Most of the time, we had a great view of the track and got to watch the sessions unfold right in front of us.

One of my most memorable shifts was on Friday evening, when I worked at the information booth and met Lorena. We quickly became a great team, supporting spectators in multiple languages—not just English, but also German, French, and even a little Italian. It was an amazing experience to help fans from all over the world and see how much they appreciated being able to ask questions in their native language.

The days were long—we were among the first to arrive and the last to leave—but if you ask me whether it was worth it? Absolutely.

Final Thoughts

This experience was physically exhausting but deeply fulfilling. It challenged me in ways I didn’t expect, from navigating unclear communication to working in extreme heat, but the moments of excitement and camaraderie made it all worthwhile. Along the way, I met incredible people, like Annik, whom I first connected with through TikTok and instantly clicked with in person. And of course, my shift with Lorena at the info booth was another highlight, as we worked together to assist fans from all over the world in multiple languages.

If you’re passionate about F1 and want to experience a race weekend from a completely different perspective, I highly recommend volunteering. It’s not easy, but it’s worth every second.

Would I do it again? Without a doubt.

Vik 🫶🏼