Pedro Acosta stamped his authority on the opening day of the Michelin Grand Prix of Hungary, narrowly edging out Marc Marquez in a thrilling battle at the brand-new Balaton Park circuit. The rookie sensation from Red Bull KTM Factory Racing clocked a best time of 1:37.289, beating the Ducati Lenovo star by just 0.006 seconds. Alex Marquez completed the top three on his BK8 Gresini Ducati, while several of the sport’s biggest names – including Jorge Martin, Francesco Bagnaia, and Marco Bezzecchi – were left stranded in Q1.
The session was also overshadowed by controversy, with Jack Miller and Alex Marquez both handed grid penalties after disrupting Bagnaia during a late-session incident.
Early Stages: Marc in Control
The opening exchanges of Friday’s sole extended Practice session were relatively calm. For much of the first 20 minutes, Marc Marquez had the upper hand, topping the timing sheets by a narrow margin from fellow Ducati rider Fermin Aldeguer, who impressed fresh off his Austrian GP podium. Fabio Di Giannantonio added to Ducati’s dominance by slotting into third, while Pedro Acosta and Jorge Martin stayed within touching distance inside the top five.
With half an hour left on the clock, the pace began to escalate. Acosta worked his way into the top three, matching his fellow Murcian Aldeguer almost tenth-for-tenth before finally moving to the top with a 1:38.012. But his reign at the top was short-lived, as Aldeguer immediately responded with a 1:37.793, underlining the rookie’s growing reputation as a fearless challenger.
Time Attack Turns Up the Heat
As riders switched to soft tyres for their late time attacks, the session erupted into chaos. Marc Marquez clawed back P1 with a near-perfect final sector, but his lead lasted only minutes. Acosta unleashed a blistering effort of 1:37.289, almost half a second faster than anyone else at that point. The rookie wasn’t done yet, shaving more time off on his next lap to extend his advantage to over six tenths.
Drama unfolded further down the order as Alex Marquez and Jack Miller found themselves embroiled in an on-track dispute, gesticulating at each other mid-session. Bagnaia, arriving on a hot lap, was caught in the middle and had his effort ruined. After reviewing the incident, Race Direction hit Miller and Alex Marquez with three-place grid penalties for Sunday, ruling that both were riding unnecessarily slowly on the racing line and disturbing another competitor.
Final Minutes: Pressure and Mistakes
The closing stages were tense. Marc Marquez chipped away at Acosta’s gap, cutting it down to just 0.3s before his final flyer brought him within six thousandths of a second – a whisker short of stealing back P1.
Elsewhere, Fabio Quartararo briefly surged into the top four but was quickly shuffled back to ninth as others improved. Bagnaia’s frustrations grew after he failed to find clear track, while Bezzecchi also came up short. The pair’s chances were further compromised by yellow flags – first when Acosta crashed at Turn 2, then as Johann Zarco went down at Turn 11. Both Bagnaia and Bezzecchi were forced to abandon their flying laps, leaving them outside the crucial top 10.
The biggest shock of all came when Jorge Martin, the current championship leader, also failed to secure a Q2 berth. By a margin of just 0.001 seconds, Quartararo denied him the final slot, proving once again how unforgiving MotoGP qualifying can be.
The Friday Top 10
At the chequered flag, the ten riders heading directly into Q2 were confirmed:
- Pedro Acosta (Red Bull KTM Factory Racing) – 1:37.289
- Marc Marquez (Ducati Lenovo Team) – +0.006s
- Alex Marquez (BK8 Gresini Racing MotoGP) – +0.181s
- Fermin Aldeguer (BK8 Gresini Racing MotoGP) – +0.504s
- Enea Bastianini (Red Bull KTM Tech3) – strong P5 in his resurgence
- Franco Morbidelli (Pertamina Enduro VR46 Racing Team)
- Joan Mir (Honda HRC Castrol) – a much-needed confidence boost
- Pol Espargaro (Red Bull KTM Tech3) – impressive as a stand-in
- Luca Marini (Honda HRC Castrol)
- Fabio Quartararo (Monster Energy Yamaha MotoGP) – denied Martin by 0.001s
Storylines Brewing for Saturday
The narrative heading into Saturday is rich with intrigue. Acosta and Marquez are separated by a margin so fine it could barely be measured by the naked eye, while no fewer than nine MotoGP race winners will now have to fight their way through Q1, including Bagnaia, Martin, and Bezzecchi.
The penalties for Alex Marquez and Miller add another twist, especially given the heated exchanges that followed the incident with Bagnaia. Both will now face the uphill task of recovering positions on Sunday.
Acosta, meanwhile, left Balaton Park brimming with confidence. The rookie noted that the flowing Hungarian layout “suits his style perfectly,” and his results suggest he may be right. But with Marquez breathing down his neck and seasoned contenders desperate to salvage their weekends, Saturday’s qualifying session is shaping up to be one of the most unpredictable of the year.
Moreira Sets the Early Benchmark at Balaton
Day 1 of the Michelin Grand Prix of Hungary is officially in the books, and for the Moto2™ field it meant one thing above all else: a race against the clock to secure direct passage into Q2. At the brand-new Balaton Park circuit, it was Diogo Moreira (Italtrans Racing Team) who stole the show, coming out fastest on Friday to underline his growing reputation as one of the grid’s most consistent performers.
Moreira’s time not only put him at the top of the leaderboard but also gave him the perfect platform to chip away at his points deficit in the championship fight. The young Brazilian looked sharp and confident from the off, showing that he has quickly adapted to the Hungarian layout.
Big Names Stumble, Surprises Shine
While Moreira led the way, several key title contenders were left scratching their heads. Championship leader Manuel Gonzalez (LIQUI MOLY Dynavolt Intact GP) was pipped to second late on by Filip Salač (ELF Marc VDS Racing Team), and though Gonzalez still claimed P3, he wasn’t able to assert the dominance that many expected.
The real shock came further down the order. Brno race winner Joe Roberts (OnlyFans American Racing Team), second-in-the-standings Aron Canet (Fantic Racing Lino Sonego), Celestino Vietti (Sync SpeedRS Team) and Barry Baltus (Fantic Racing Lino Sonego) all failed to make the cut for Q2. That means they’ll have to fight their way through Q1 on Saturday if they want a shot at the front rows – never an easy task given the competition.
On the other side of the coin, Friday belonged to the underdogs and rookies. Adrian Huertas (Italtrans Racing Team)grabbed headlines by qualifying straight into Q2 for the first time since Argentina, claiming an excellent fourth. Just behind him came Alonso Lopez (Sync SpeedRS Team), while rookies continued to impress with David Alonso (CFMOTO Inde Aspar Team), the 2024 Moto3™ World Champion, and Collin Veijer (Red Bull KTM Ajo) both securing top-10 places. Ayumu Sasaki (RW-Idrofoglia Racing GP) rounded out the leading group in tenth.
It was a session that showed how unpredictable Moto2 remains: the title favorites stumbling while fresh names and fearless debutants rise to the challenge.
Day 1 of the Michelin Grand Prix of Hungary is officially in the books, and for the Moto2™ field it meant one thing above all else: a race against the clock to secure direct passage into Q2. At the brand-new Balaton Park circuit, it was Diogo Moreira (Italtrans Racing Team) who stole the show, coming out fastest on Friday to underline his growing reputation as one of the grid’s most consistent performers.
Moreira’s time not only put him at the top of the leaderboard but also gave him the perfect platform to chip away at his points deficit in the championship fight. The young Brazilian looked sharp and confident from the off, showing that he has quickly adapted to the Hungarian layout.
Quiles Throws Down the Gauntlet in Moto3™
If Moto2 was competitive, Moto3™ was even more explosive on Friday afternoon. Rookie sensation Maximo Quiles (CFMOTO Gaviota Aspar Team) dominated the session, setting a benchmark lap of 1:46.448 that no one else could get close to. His advantage of nearly three tenths over the rest of the field is a sizeable margin by Moto3 standards, and it firmly announced Quiles as the man to beat this weekend.
In fact, the session ended with an extraordinary rookie 1-2-3 at Balaton. Valentin Perrone (Red Bull KTM Tech3)slotted into second, while Guido Pini (LIQUI MOLY Dynavolt Intact GP) clinched third, underlining the fresh talent bursting onto the Moto3 stage. For three newcomers to lock out the top spots at a brand-new venue is no small achievement, and it sent a clear message to the category’s veterans.
Crashes, Recoveries, and Penalties
Not everyone had it easy. Angel Piqueras (FRINSA – MT Helmets – MSI), winner last time out in Austria, crashed at Turn 15 during the session. But despite the tumble, he still managed to bag P4, proving his speed is very much intact.
Championship leader Jose Antonio Rueda (Red Bull KTM Ajo) kept things steady after a quieter Austrian GP, slotting into fifth and ensuring he’s well within striking distance heading into Saturday.
Others weren’t so fortunate. Joel Kelso (LEVELUP – MTA) and Taiyo Furusato (Honda Team Asia) both missed out on the automatic Q2 cut and will have to gamble in Q1. Meanwhile, Kelso’s teammate Marcos Uriarte (LEVEL UP – MTA) was hit with yet another penalty – his third this season – for riding too slowly on the racing line. As a result, he’ll start from the very back of the grid on Sunday.
What It Means for the Weekend
Friday at Balaton Park delivered exactly what fans hoped for: surprises, drama, and new names shaking up the established order. Moreira’s commanding pace in Moto2 and Quiles’ stunning rookie performance in Moto3 headline the storylines, but with several championship heavyweights stuck in Q1, Saturday promises fireworks.
If Friday taught us anything, it’s that Balaton Park rewards riders willing to push the limits from the very first lap – and the riders who stumbled will need to regroup fast if they want to stay in the hunt.
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