Balaton Park, Hungary – Just 0.006s separated Friday pacesetter Pedro Acosta (Red Bull KTM Factory Racing)and Marc Marquez (Ducati Lenovo Team) as the Michelin Grand Prix of Hungary roared into life at MotoGP’s newest venue. The battle at Balaton Park lived up to the hype, with Alex Marquez (BK8 Gresini Racing MotoGP)completing the top three after an intense opening day.

A Day of Drama and Surprises

Marc Marquez set the early benchmark in Practice, heading a Ducati-dominated top order before rookie sensation Acosta unleashed his trademark late-session pace. The #37 fired in a blistering 1:37.289, at one point holding a six-tenths advantage, before Marquez responded to close the gap to within thousandths.

Fermin Aldeguer (BK8 Gresini Racing) impressed again with P4, while Enea Bastianini (Red Bull KTM Tech3)continued his strong mid-season form in P5.

Big Names Miss Out

The new Hungarian layout caught several title contenders off guard. Francesco Bagnaia (Ducati Lenovo Team), Jorge Martin (Aprilia Racing), and Marco Bezzecchi (Aprilia Racing) all failed to secure automatic Q2 spots. Yellow flags in the closing stages compounded their struggles, leaving the reigning World Champion Bagnaia outside the top 10.

Fabio Quartararo (Monster Energy Yamaha MotoGP) salvaged ninth, just 0.001s ahead of Martin, while Johann Zarco (CASTROL Honda LCR) also fell victim to Turn 11 late on.

Friday’s Top 10 (Automatic Q2 Qualifiers)

1. Pedro Acosta – Red Bull KTM Factory Racing
2. Marc Marquez – Ducati Lenovo Team
3. Alex Marquez – BK8 Gresini Racing MotoGP
4. Fermin Aldeguer – BK8 Gresini Racing MotoGP
5. Enea Bastianini – Red Bull KTM Tech3
6. Franco Morbidelli – Pertamina Enduro VR46 Racing
7. Joan Mir – Honda HRC Castrol
8. Pol Espargaro – Red Bull KTM Tech3 (stand-in)
9. Luca Marini – Honda HRC Castrol
10. Fabio Quartararo – Monster Energy Yamaha MotoGP

What’s Next?

With nine MotoGP winners facing Q1, Saturday’s qualifying session promises fireworks. Acosta and Marquez are already locked in a showdown for pole, and with Hungary back on the calendar for the first time since 1992, the Balaton Park debut is delivering plenty of headlines.