A storm at Turn 1, a masterclass from Marc Marquez, and a pair of penalties for high-profile names — Saturday’s action at Balaton Park served up drama and dominance in equal measure.
For the 13th time in just 14 rounds, Marc Marquez (Ducati Lenovo Team) added another Tissot Sprint trophy to his cabinet, holding firm at the front and extending his remarkable 2025 run of form. The Spaniard’s start was faultless, his pace unrelenting, and his composure never shaken as rivals tripped over themselves in the early laps. Behind him, Fabio Di Giannantonio secured second place for Pertamina Enduro VR46 Racing, while teammate Franco Morbidelli completed the podium with a strong ride to third.
Turn 1 Carnage
As the lights went out, Marquez made the perfect getaway from pole and swept confidently into the first corner. But behind him, chaos erupted. Fabio Quartararo (Monster Energy Yamaha MotoGP), starting sixth, misjudged his braking point on the inside line. Arriving too hot, the Frenchman clattered into Enea Bastianini (Red Bull KTM Tech3).
Bastianini somehow kept his bike upright, though the incident dropped him down the order to 18th. Quartararo wasn’t so lucky — he slid into the gravel, ending his Sprint in seconds. Marco Bezzecchi (Aprilia Racing) was also forced wide in the melee, costing him several positions and shuffling him out of contention for the front group.
Lap 1 Strikes Twice
As if Turn 1 wasn’t enough, more drama arrived just a few corners later. At Turn 9, Bastianini tried an ambitious move on Johann Zarco (LCR Honda Castrol), only for the gamble to backfire. The pair collided, both riders went down, and their Sprints were over almost as soon as they had begun.
Race Direction took a dim view of both incidents. Post-race, Quartararo was judged responsible for “creating a dangerous situation and contact with another rider” and handed a Long Lap penalty for Sunday’s Grand Prix. Bastianini, guilty of causing a crash and with a previous infringement on record, was hit harder: a double Long Lap penalty.
Marquez Unstoppable, Acosta Falters
With the chaos behind him, Marc Marquez was left to dictate the race at his own pace. Within five laps, he had stretched his lead over Di Giannantonio to more than a second. Morbidelli followed his teammate closely, but the VR46 pair could do nothing to bring down the gap to the front.
Luca Marini (Honda HRC Castrol) impressed with a charge up to fourth, shadowed by Fermin Aldeguer (BK8 Gresini Racing MotoGP) in fifth and Joan Mir (Honda HRC Castrol) in sixth — marking Honda’s best double Sprint finish of the season.
Meanwhile, Pedro Acosta (Red Bull KTM Factory Racing), Friday’s star performer, saw his day unravel. On Lap 6, while trying to overtake Jorge Martin (Aprilia Racing) for tenth, the rookie tucked the front at Turn 11 and crashed out. A frustrating end for the Spaniard, who had looked set for more.
From there, the Sprint settled. Marquez never looked threatened, calmly managing the gap to the finish line to extend his near-perfect Sprint record this year.
Sprint Points at Balaton
- 1st – Marc Marquez (Ducati Lenovo Team)
- 2nd – Fabio Di Giannantonio (Pertamina Enduro VR46 Racing)
- 3rd – Franco Morbidelli (Pertamina Enduro VR46 Racing)
- 4th – Luca Marini (Honda HRC Castrol) – his best Sprint finish for HRC
- 5th – Fermin Aldeguer (BK8 Gresini Racing MotoGP)
- 6th – Joan Mir (Honda HRC Castrol)
- 7th – Marco Bezzecchi (Aprilia Racing) – recovering from Turn 1 drama
- 8th – Alex Marquez (BK8 Gresini Racing MotoGP) – who also faces a three-place grid penalty for Sunday
- 9th – Jorge Martin (Aprilia Racing) – salvaging the final point after a scrappy race
Saturday Talking Points
- Honda Revival: With Marini in P4 and Mir in P6, Honda celebrated its first double top-six finish in a Sprint all year.
- VR46 Double Podium: Di Giannantonio and Morbidelli made it a day to remember for Pertamina Enduro VR46 Racing.
- Acosta’s Flying Crash: The rookie’s dramatic Turn 11 tumble was one of the most replayed clips of the weekend.
- Penalties Mounting: In addition to Quartararo’s and Bastianini’s sanctions, Alex Marquez (BK8 Gresini Racing) and Jack Miller (Prima Pramac Racing MotoGP) both carry three-place grid drops from Friday’s incident with Bagnaia.
The Road Ahead
With 26 laps of the Hungarian Grand Prix still to come, the big question is whether anyone can break Marquez’s stranglehold. The Spaniard insists the title fight won’t be wrapped up at Misano, calling it “impossible” — but his consistency suggests otherwise.
Sunday at Balaton Park promises more fireworks: penalties to serve, big names out of position, and Marquez starting once again as the benchmark.
Moreira Edges Van den Goorbergh to Snatch Pole in Hungary
Qualifying at Balaton Park produced two nail-biting sessions on Saturday, with both Moto2™ and Moto3™ pole positions decided by tiny margins. Diogo Moreira continued his rich vein of form to secure the top spot in Moto2™, while rookie Maximo Quiles lit up the Moto3™ field with a stunning lap to deny his rivals.
Moto2™: Moreira Holds His Nerve by Just 0.050s
The fight for pole in the intermediate class could not have been closer. Diogo Moreira (Italtrans Racing Team) once again proved he is a serious contender, snatching pole position with a late flyer that put him 0.050 seconds ahead of Zonta van den Goorbergh (RW – Idrofoglia Racing GP).
For Moreira, the pole is further evidence of his momentum this season. The Brazilian has grown in confidence across the summer races, and his performance in Hungary suggests he is more than ready to close the gap in the title battle.
Championship leader Manuel Gonzalez (Liqui Moly Dynavolt Intact GP) ensured he kept himself well in the mix, grabbing the final spot on the front row. His margin over Jake Dixon (ELF Marc VDS Racing Team) was almost invisible on the timing screens — just 0.001s separated the two, underlining how fine the margins were.
The Grid Behind
Dixon will head Row 2, where he is joined by two standout names. First is Collin Veijer (Red Bull KTM Ajo), the impressive rookie who has been turning heads with his raw speed and maturity. Completing the row is Aron Canet (Fantic Racing Lino Sonego), who needs a strong weekend after some inconsistent results in recent rounds.
Row 3 promises fireworks too. Dani Holgado (CFMOTO Inde Aspar Team) lines up in seventh and is joined by his teammate David Alonso, both rookies delivering eye-catching laps to secure strong starting spots. Alongside them is Ayumu Sasaki (RW-Idrofoglia Racing GP), whose qualifying run confirms he remains a real threat once the lights go out.
Further Down the Order
Brno race winner Joe Roberts (OnlyFans American Racing) endured a tougher session, settling for 13th after progressing through Q1. He will be looking to replicate his fightback speed when it counts on Sunday. Two places further back, in 15th, is Barry Baltus (Fantic Racing Lino Sonego), another rider who came through Q1 but has been struggling to recapture the form that made him such a force earlier in the season.
Moto3™: Quiles Rockets to Pole, Rookies Steal the Show
n Moto3™, the pole position battle was just as fierce — and it was decided by a rookie making a statement. Maximo Quiles (CFMOTO Gaviota Aspar Team) produced a dazzling lap of 1:46.448 to secure top spot, almost three-tenths clear of the field. It’s the Spaniard’s latest reminder that he has the pace to fight at the very front, despite his lack of experience at this level.
Austria’s polesitter Valentin Perrone (Red Bull KTM Tech3) came closest to challenging Quiles, but had to settle for second after being denied in the closing stages. Angel Piqueras (FRINSA – MT Helmets – MSI), fresh from victory a week ago, also looked like a candidate for pole but had to be content with third.
Who’s Where on the Grid
Row 2 has a mix of youth and experience. Championship leader Jose Antonio Rueda (Red Bull KTM Ajo) finds himself back in eighth — again slightly adrift of where he was earlier in the season — but still very much in contention for a podium if he makes a clean getaway. Between him and the front row sit two more rookies: Alvaro Carpe (Red Bull KTM Ajo) and Guido Pini (LIQUI MOLY Dynavolt Intact GP), with Pini’s teammate David Muñoz splitting the pair to take fifth.
Jacob Roulstone (Red Bull KTM Tech3) was another rookie to impress. The Australian earned seventh place on the grid, delivering one of his strongest qualifying performances of the season and showing that he’s adapting quickly to the demands of Moto3™ at the highest level.
What It Means for Sunday
With Moreira narrowly ahead in Moto2™ and Quiles blasting clear in Moto3™, both races are set up to be unpredictable thrillers. The margins are tight, the rookies are rising to the occasion, and the title challengers have plenty of work to do. Balaton Park has already delivered drama this weekend — and race day promises even more.
Images MotoGP
