Pedro Acosta Dominates Friday Practice at Hungarian MotoGP, Leads Balaton Park Charge into Sprint Saturday

Balaton Park, Hungary, June 5, 2026: Pedro Acosta delivered a commanding performance during Friday Practice at the Hungarian Grand Prix, finishing more than four-tenths of a second clear of the field and emerging as the rider to beat heading into Saturday’s Sprint race at the newly introduced Balaton Park circuit.

The Red Bull KTM Factory Racing star continued his impressive form throughout the day, setting the fastest lap of the session with a blistering 1:36.827. Acosta was the only rider to dip into the 1:36 bracket, underlining both his pace and growing confidence around the Hungarian venue.

Fabio Di Giannantonio of the Pertamina Enduro VR46 Racing Team secured second place late in the session, while Raul Fernandez completed the top three for the SuperFile Trackhouse MotoGP Team. The result ensured three different manufacturers and teams occupied the top three positions at the end of Friday’s action.

Acosta Finds Immediate Rhythm at Balaton Park

The opening half of the crucial Practice session saw riders battling for direct qualification into Q2. BK8 Gresini Racing MotoGP rider Fermin Aldeguer initially set the pace as he continued his return to full fitness following recent physical setbacks.

However, Acosta soon took control of proceedings, moving into first place around the halfway stage. The Spaniard appeared perfectly suited to the technical demands of Balaton Park, building on a strong morning session where he had already shown competitive speed.

Earlier in the day, Ducati Lenovo Team’s Marc Marquez had topped FP1 and remained among the frontrunners during Practice before ultimately finishing seventh.

Q2 Battle Intensifies as Surprises Emerge

As the session entered its final 20 minutes, several riders mounted late challenges for automatic Q2 qualification. One of the biggest surprises came from WorldSBK stand-in Iker Lecuona, who briefly climbed into ninth place with an impressive lap aboard the Gresini Ducati.

Diogo Moreira continued his strong rookie campaign by moving into the top ten for Honda LCR, while Maverick Viñales and Enea Bastianini also secured provisional Q2 positions for KTM.

Meanwhile, several big names found themselves under pressure. Francesco Bagnaia, Luca Marini and Ai Ogura were all outside the automatic qualification spots and searching for improvements as the clock ticked down.

Late Drama Shapes Friday’s Top Ten

The final minutes delivered plenty of drama. Marini temporarily climbed into seventh, while reigning MotoGP champion Bagnaia moved into eighth. Moreira responded with another quick lap to secure sixth place.

Brad Binder looked set to challenge for a top-ten finish before crashing during a crucial flying lap, ending his hopes of direct progression into Q2.

Di Giannantonio and Fernandez both improved in the closing stages to claim second and third respectively, but neither rider could threaten Acosta’s benchmark time.

Aldeguer finished an encouraging fourth ahead of Trackhouse rider Ai Ogura and Aprilia Racing’s Marco Bezzecchi. Marc Marquez ended the day seventh, while Moreira, Jorge Martin and Jack Miller rounded out the top ten. Martin’s ninth-place finish ensured all four Aprilia riders advanced directly into Q2.

Quartararo, Bagnaia and Razgatlioglu Face Tough Q1

Several high-profile names will now be forced to battle through Q1 on Saturday. Fabio Quartararo narrowly missed out on automatic qualification in 11th place, just 0.054 seconds ahead of Prima Pramac Yamaha rider Toprak Razgatlioglu.

Bagnaia endured a difficult session and could only manage 14th, while Bastianini finished 15th. Honda riders Luca Marini and Joan Mir ended the day 13th and 16th respectively.

Lecuona’s impressive substitute appearance ultimately yielded 17th place, less than three-tenths of a second shy of Miller’s Q2-cutoff time.

Friday Practice Top 10 – Hungarian MotoGP

1. Pedro Acosta (Red Bull KTM Factory Racing) – 1:36.827
2. Fabio Di Giannantonio (Pertamina Enduro VR46 Racing Team)
3. Raul Fernandez (SuperFile Trackhouse MotoGP Team)
4. Fermin Aldeguer (BK8 Gresini Racing MotoGP)
5. Ai Ogura (SuperFile Trackhouse MotoGP Team)
6. Marco Bezzecchi (Aprilia Racing)
7. Marc Marquez (Ducati Lenovo Team)
8. Diogo Moreira (Honda LCR)
9. Jorge Martin (Aprilia Racing)
10. Jack Miller (Prima Pramac Yamaha MotoGP)

With unrivalled pace and the only 1:36 lap of the weekend so far, Acosta heads into Sprint Saturday as the clear favourite. However, with several MotoGP champions and race winners forced into Q1, the Hungarian Grand Prix weekend promises plenty of drama as the battle for pole position and Sprint victory unfolds.