Balaton Park, Hungary – August 23, 2025: The very first MotoGP qualifying session at Balaton Park delivered high drama, shock exits, and a new lap record as Marc Marquez (Ducati Lenovo Team) stormed to pole position. The eight-time World Champion secured top spot ahead of Marco Bezzecchi (Aprilia Racing) and Fabio Di Giannantonio (Pertamina Enduro VR46 Racing Team), setting up a thrilling Sunday showdown at the Michelin Grand Prix of Hungary.

Q1: Heavyweights Sent Packing

Much like in Austria, Q1 was stacked with big names as Bezzecchi, reigning Champion Jorge Martin (Aprilia Racing), and Francesco Bagnaia (Ducati Lenovo Team) all found themselves fighting for survival.

Bezzecchi again rose to the challenge, topping the session after a gritty run. Di Giannantonio joined him in advancing to Q2, leaving Bagnaia stranded down in P15 – his worst qualifying result since Indonesia 2023, although history shows he went on to win that race.

Q2: Crashes, Comebacks, and Marquez Magic

The decisive Q2 session began with drama as Pedro Acosta (Red Bull KTM Factory Racing) – Marquez’s closest rival this weekend – crashed on his very first flying lap. The rookie sprinted back to the pits and rejoined later but couldn’t recover beyond P7.

At the front, Marquez was untouchable. The #93 laid down the benchmark early, then improved further with a stunning lap that shattered the circuit record. Bezzecchi fought back with a late surge to P2 despite a gravel excursion, while Di Giannantonio delivered another impressive performance to secure P3.

Behind them, Enea Bastianini (Red Bull KTM Tech3) claimed fourth, followed by Franco Morbidelli (VR46 Racing) in fifth and Fabio Quartararo (Monster Energy Yamaha MotoGP) in sixth – the Frenchman once again proving his single-lap prowess.

The Grid: Hungary’s First MotoGP Showdown

• Front Row: Marquez, Bezzecchi, Di Giannantonio
• Second Row: Bastianini, Morbidelli, Quartararo
• Third Row: Acosta, Fermin Aldeguer (BK8 Gresini), Luca Marini (Honda HRC)
• Row 4: Joan Mir, Pol Espargaro, Brad Binder (Miller serving penalty)
• Row 5: Bagnaia, Alex Marquez, Raul Fernandez
• Row 6: Martin, Jack Miller

With Bagnaia, Martin, and Alex Marquez all mired in the midfield – and penalties further complicating the grid – Sunday’s Hungarian GP at Balaton Park is set to be a high-stakes battle of elbows and strategy.

Key Takeaways

• Marc Marquez sets new Balaton Park lap record to take pole.
• Pedro Acosta’s crash leaves him P7 despite strong pace all weekend.
• Francesco Bagnaia fails to reach Q2, starting a lowly 15th.
• Marco Bezzecchi pulls off another Q1-to-front-row comeback.
• Grid penalties shake up the mid-pack for a wild Sunday race.