The long-awaited Hungarian return of the World Superbike Championship didn’t disappoint, as the brand-new Balaton Park Circuit hosted a scorching opening day of Round 8. Under clear skies and track temperatures soaring to 33°C, it was Sam Lowes (ELF Marc VDS Racing Team) who emerged as the fastest rider on Friday.
Clocking a best time of 1’39.528, Lowes adapted quickly to the 4.075km circuit’s demanding layout. The British rider found a strong rhythm early in the day and carried that momentum through FP2, staying composed despite the increasing heat. His nearest challenger, Toprak Razgatlıoğlu (ROKiT BMW Motorrad WorldSBK Team), was just over two-tenths behind. The Turkish star looked quick throughout the day but made a couple of mistakes in the afternoon session, briefly running off at Turns 9 and 15.
Meanwhile, Andrea Iannone (Team Pata Go Eleven) made an encouraging start to the weekend, ending third on the timesheets — just over six tenths off Lowes’ benchmark. Iker Lecuona (Honda HRC) impressed with fourth-fastest time, despite a low-speed crash at Turn 10. The Spaniard bounced back to complete a solid 35 laps and gather crucial data.
Nicolo Bulega, second in the championship standings, had a more challenging outing. The Aruba.it Racing – Ducati rider struggled in the heavy braking zones characteristic of Balaton Park, finishing the day eighth fastest. His teammate Álvaro Bautista also found the going tough, ending up sixth overall — with both Ducati riders unable to improve on their FP1 performances.
Remy Gardner (GYTR GRT Yamaha WorldSBK Team) was the quickest Yamaha rider, wrapping up the day fifth. The Australian, who recently extended his contract with Yamaha, saved his best for last, posting his fastest lap on his final run. Remarkably, he was the only Yamaha representative in the top 10.
Friday Rider Reactions – Top Quotes from the Paddock
🏁 Sam Lowes – P1:
“I’m enjoying every minute here in Hungary. The track’s fun — tricky in parts but rewarding. I’d been here for training before, but it’s a different story when you’re pushing on a Superbike. The bike felt great in FP1, and even as the temperatures rose in FP2, I could still string together strong laps. Most of the time gain came from fitting a fresh tyre at the end rather than pushing harder. There’s still work to do, particularly in Sector 4, where I need to clean up my braking into the final chicane. But overall, it’s a good start and a very technical track — you can gain or lose a lot of time depending on your precision.”
🏁 Toprak Razgatlıoğlu – P2:
“We’ve started really well, and the bike feels strong. This is a new track for everyone, so getting up to speed quickly is important. I’m comfortable on the brakes — this layout plays to my strengths. We didn’t get a chance to test both tyre options today, so that will be a focus tomorrow. The goal is clear: I want the win, and a hat-trick here would be something special.”
🏁 Andrea Iannone – P3:
“Today felt like a breakthrough. We made good progress in the afternoon session — nothing radical, just small tweaks that worked. I’ve been clear with my team about the changes I need, and we’re working well together. It’s probably our best Friday of the season so far, which gives us confidence going into the rest of the weekend.”
🏁 Nicolo Bulega – P8:
“It wasn’t the best day. I’m lacking a bit of feeling under braking, and unfortunately, that’s critical on this track. We’ll need to adjust the setup tomorrow to get more stability and confidence into the corners. If we can solve that, we can fight again.”
Friday Combined Practice Results (After FP2)
- Sam Lowes (ELF Marc VDS Racing Team) – 1’39.528
- Toprak Razgatlıoğlu (ROKiT BMW Motorrad WorldSBK Team) – +0.215s
- Andrea Iannone (Team Pata Go Eleven) – +0.614s
- Iker Lecuona (Honda HRC) – +0.840s
- Remy Gardner (GYTR GRT Yamaha WorldSBK Team) – +0.956s
- Álvaro Bautista (Aruba.it Racing – Ducati) – +1.023s
Bendsneyder Back on Top in Supersport Superpole
In the Supersport class, a red-flag interruption didn’t stop Bo Bendsneyder (MV Agusta Reparto Corse) from claiming his first pole position since the season-opener in Australia. After a string of tough races, the Dutch rider bounced back to lead the field by over three tenths.
Can Öncü (Yamaha BLU CRU Evan Bros Team) put in a strong final sector to secure second. Despite some inconsistencies earlier in the session, the Turkish rider’s performance in Sector 2 was unmatched.
Jaume Masia (Orelac Racing Verdnatura) qualified third, while Oli Bayliss (PTR Triumph Factory Racing)delivered a career-best Superpole, putting his Triumph fourth on the grid and making it four different manufacturers in the top four.
Championship leader Stefano Manzi (Pata Yamaha Ten Kate Racing) secured a second-row start in sixth, but title rival Tom Booth-Amos will have his work cut out after a disappointing 18th-place qualifying result.
Supersport Superpole Results
- Bo Bendsneyder (MV Agusta Reparto Corse) – 1’42.799
- Can Öncü (Yamaha BLU CRU Evan Bros Team) – 1’43.100 (+0.301s)
- Jaume Masia (Orelac Racing Verdnatura) – 1’43.123 (+0.324s)
- Oli Bayliss (PTR Triumph Factory Racing) – +0.545s
- Filippo Farioli (MV Agusta Reparto Corse) – +0.590s
- Stefano Manzi (Pata Yamaha Ten Kate Racing) – +0.643s
Bendsneyder on Pole:
“This feels great — we’ve had a few tough races lately, so it’s a relief to be back up front. The test we did here helped, and the MV suits this track well. I’m not expecting an easy race; we usually don’t get the best starts. But our race pace is strong, and we focused a lot on used tyres in FP1. Hopefully, we can be in the mix toward the end of the race.”
