MotoGP Round 8 | Marquez takes milestone win | Marc Marquez (Ducati Lenovo Team #93) made it 100 GP victories as he and Pedro Acosta (Red Bull KTM Factory Racing #37) went head-to-head in a Balaton battle after early drama for Aprilia. Report: BikeReview/MotoGP Press

Friday Practice and Saturday Qualifying
MotoGP

It was a dominant afternoon in the books for Pedro Acosta (Red Bull KTM Factory Racing), with the Spaniard more than four tenths clear of the opposition and leading the MotoGP field into Sprint Saturday at Balaton Park. A big Friday statement at the Hungarian GP saw the KTM star ahead of Fabio Di Giannantonio (Pertamina Enduro VR46 Racing Team #49) and Raul Fernandez (SuperFile Trackhouse MotoGP Team #25) as the chequered flag fell on Practice at Balaton Park.

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Marc Marquez (Ducati Lenovo Team) vs Pedro Acosta (Red Bull KTM Factory Racing) went to the wire to decide pole position at Balaton Park, with the #93 just coming out on top by half a tenth. Despite early drama for Marquez as he slid out at Turn 1, he continued on to eventually set a 1.36.785 and deny Acosta by 0.053. Completing the front row, Fermin Aldeguer (BK8 Gresini Racing MotoGP #54) gave chase in P3 but was three tenths off the top.

Moto2

As Fridays go, that was about as good as it gets for Manuel Gonzalez (Liqui Moly Dynavolt Intact GP #18) at Balaton Park. A new all-time lap record was set by the Moto2 title race pacesetter, a 1:40.229, to see the Spaniard finish 0.2s clear of second fastest David Alonso (CFMOTO Inde Aspar Team #80), and 0.3s ahead of third place Filip Salač (OnlyFans American Racing Team #12).

A late lap from Izan Guevara (BLU CRU Pramac Yamaha Moto2 #28) saw the rider second in the championship clinch a crucial pole position at Balaton Park, as in-form Filip Salač (OnlyFans American Racing Team) and Senna Agius (Liqui Moly Dynavolt Intact GP #81) completed a front row split by just 0.035s.

Moto3

Maximo Quiles (CFMOTO Gaviota Aspar Team #28) hit the front of Practice in Moto3 at Balaton Park and never looked back as he topped the opening day of action. Fast in the morning but fastest in the afternoon, his 1’46.269 saw him take top spot by more than three tenths of a second, returning from his first finish outside the top ten at Mugello with gusto.

David Almansa (Liqui Moly Dynavolt Intact GP #22) started the Brembo Grand Prix of Italy from pole after a close, close Q2 at Mugello. The #22 headed Hakim Danish (AEON Credit – MT Helmets – MSI #13) by just 0.018 thanks to a 1’54.862, with a late push from Joel Kelso (GRYD – MLav Racing #66) into third making it Spain – Malaysia – Australia on the Moto3 front row.

 

 

Saturday
Tissot Sprint

Cool, calm and gold medal-collected: Marc Marquez (Ducati Lenovo Team) returned to winning ways in his second weekend back in MotoGP and keeps up his 100% winning record on Hungarian soil. Lights to flag and never looking back, the reigning World Champion held on ahead of Pedro Acosta (Red Bull KTM Factory Racing), whilst it was P3 for Championship leader Marco Bezzecchi (Aprilia Racing #72), who extended his lead to 20 overall.

Holeshot from pole, Marquez held position to lead the opening lap ahead of Acosta, as Championship leader Marco Bezzecchi leapfrogged his way from sixth on the grid to P3. Aldeguer was trying hard to move through on the Aprilia rider, hustling and pushing but finding no clear or clean way ahead of the #72. On Lap 2, Jorge Martin (Aprilia Racing #89) made a mistake under braking as he attempted to pass Diogo Moreira (Pro Honda LCR #11) at Turn 9 but outbraked himself and ran wide, but lost sufficient time so no penalty was necessary.

Still trying to find a way into third, Aldeguer had a big front-end moment at Turn 9 on Lap 3, gathering it all up but dropping to fifth behind Raul Fernandez (SuperFile Trackhouse MotoGP Team). Two laps later at the same corner, Martin tried again on Moreira and this time made it stick, with the 2024 World Champion moving up into sixth. Elsewhere, at the front of the field, Marquez had pulled out a lead of two seconds over Acosta, but there was still half of the Sprint to go.

With three laps to go, it was still all to play for over third with Bezzecchi resisting Fernandez so far, even if the Spaniard had been handed a track limits warning. Still trying to salvage something after his Lap 3 moment, Aldeguer was close to Fernandez – too close in the braking zone for Turn 5 as he went wide. Dreamland, cruise control, a Saturday stroll for Marquez, who returned to winning ways with an 18th-career Sprint win, matching Martin for all-time Sprint wins. Acosta managed the Sprint to take home nine World Championship points whilst Bez took his second Sprint podium of the year. A valiant fourth from Fernandez, just 1.2s back from the podium. It was a Sprint of what could’ve been for Aldeguer, who had to settle for fifth.

“On Friday I was in eco-mode, I was trying to save some energy, but today in the morning. I gave everything because, as we showed in the [Sprint] race, starting on the front row is a big help,” Marquez stated. “The strategy was to push in the beginning when I’m feeling fresh, and then survive in the end. The strategy works in a better way. Tomorrow will be a long race, so let’s see how we can manage.”

Tissot Sprint Race Results

  1. Marc Marquez Ducati Lenovo
  2. Pedro Acosta Red Bull KTM (+1.548s)
  3. Marco Bezzecchi Aprilia Racing (+2.722s)
  4. Raul Fernandez Trackhouse Aprilia (+3.973s)
  5. Fermin Aldeguer BK8 Gresini Ducati (+4.366s)

Sunday
MotoGP

Giacomo Agostini, Valentino Rossi and now Marc Marquez. A ton of talent. A ton of Grand Prix victories to his name. Finally, after another lengthy injury comeback, Marc Marquez (Ducati Lenovo Team) claimed his 100th win across all classes with a masterclass at Balaton Park, completing the weekend triple in style. While the winning gap over Pedro Acosta (Red Bull KTM Factory Racing) was comfortable, the Spaniards delivered a spellbinding battle on Sunday afternoon, with Francesco Bagnaia (Ducati Lenovo Team #63) taking third for a third consecutive podium as huge drama unfolded at Turn 1 on the opening lap among the championship frontrunners.

Into Turn 1, Jorge Martin was out of shape as the front end of his Aprilia locked under braking, triggering a chain reaction that saw five riders go down, including Aprilia Racing star and title leader Marco Bezzecchi, Raul Fernandez (SuperFile Trackhouse MotoGP Team), Fermin Aldeguer (BK8 Gresini Racing MotoGP) and Fabio Di Giannantonio (Pertamina Enduro VR46 Racing Team). Only Di Giannantonio rejoined, while Martin and Bezzecchi went to the medical centre and were thankfully cleared of visible fractures, with Martin later handed a double Long Lap penalty for the incident.

 

 

Up front, Marc Marquez led before Pedro Acosta struck at Turn 5 on Lap 2, taking control and stretching a gap over the opening laps. Francesco Bagnaia ran a lonely P3, with Jack Miller (Prima Pramac Yamaha MotoGP #43) heading a tight battle pack featuring Luca Marini (Honda HRC Castrol #10), Diogo Moreira (Pro Honda LCR), Enea Bastianini (Red Bull KTM Tech3 #23), Joan Mir (Honda HRC Castrol #36), Ai Ogura (SuperFile Trackhouse MotoGP Team #79) and Iker Lecuona (BK8 Gresini Racing MotoGP #27), with contact and a Long Lap penalty adding to Bastianini’s troubles.

As the race progressed, Marc Marquez closed steadily on Acosta, cutting a 1.6s gap down to just 0.2s by Lap 14 before igniting a fierce duel. The pair traded positions multiple times through Turns 9, 10, 15 and 16, with Acosta briefly defending the lead before Marquez finally made a decisive move stick at Turn 9 on Lap 15. From there, Marquez pulled clear, building a 1.6s advantage by Lap 20 and sealing victory with the fastest lap, a 1:38.313, en route to his 100th Grand Prix win and Ducati’s 100th in the premier class.

Acosta finished second after pushing Marquez throughout to leave Bagnaia to round out the podium. Ai Ogura’s strong late pace secured P4 ahead of Luca Marini in P5, marking an equal-best HRC result, as the championship picture tightened after a dramatic Sunday in Hungary.

“Super happy – an expensive win. After last year, [my injuries] changed everything, but sport is like this. I already learned this in 2020 and again last year, but we came back and we worked hard. Some difficulties in this first part of the season. I don’t know if I will have more chances in the next races, but I knew that here was a big chance to win. The feeling on Friday wasn’t perfect, but on Saturday we made a step. The doctors, the physios, a lot of hours at home working. The price [for victory] was expensive, but happy with another comeback,” Marquez reflected.

MotoGP Race Results

  1. Marc Marquez Ducati Lenovo
  2. Pedro Acosta Red Bull KTM (+1.343s)
  3. Francesco Bagnaia Ducati Lenovo (+11.632s)
  4. Ai Ogura Trackhouse Aprilia (+15.539s)
  5. Luca Marini Honda HRC Castrol (+18.669s)

Check out the full MotoGP race results here…

MotoGP Championship Points

  1. Marco Bezzecchi Aprilia Racing – 180
  2. Jorge Martin Aprilia Racing – 160
  3. Fabio di Giannantonio Pertamina VR46 Ducati – 138
  4. Pedro Acosta Red Bull KTM – 132
  5. Marc Marquez Ducati Lenovo – 108

Moto2

For the first time since Fermin Aldeguer in 2023, a Moto2 rider has won three races in a row, as Manuel Gonzalez (Liqui Moly Dynavolt Intact GP) delivered another masterclass to complete a 2026 hat-trick. He was pushed all the way by Filip Salač (OnlyFans American Racing Team), who claimed his first podium since 2024, while Senna Agius completed a Liqui Moly Dynavolt Intact GP double podium in third for his third top-three of 2026.

From the front row, Salač took the holeshot to lead from Alonso Guevara, with Gonzalez quickly moving up from P3 to P2 before demoting Guevara further as Agius and Daniel Holgado (CFMOTO Inde Aspar Team #96) also moved through. Early drama saw Ivan Ortola (QJMOTOR – Exocom – MSI #4) and Daniel Muñoz (Italtrans Racing Team #17) crash at Turn 3 on Lap 4, while Guevara was handed a Long Lap penalty for an unsafe change of direction at the start. Collin Veijer (Red Bull KTM Ajo #95) later crashed from P7 at Turn 5 on Lap 7, adding to the chaos as the front group began to settle.

Salač led for much of the race but lost P1 for the first time on Lap 12 of 22 when Gonzalez attacked at Turn 9. The Spaniard immediately set the pace at the front, with a 1:40.932 helping him edge clear to 0.6s. Salač kept the pressure on and briefly responded on Lap 14 and 15. Gonzalez then struck back with the fastest lap to rebuild his advantage, and despite Salač’s resistance, the gap steadily grew in the closing stages.

With two laps to go, Gonzalez finally broke clear, stretching the lead to 1.6s to seal a third straight win and continue his dominant form. Salač held on for a long-awaited return to the podium ahead of his home round at Brno. Agius then fended off a late charge from David Alonso by just 0.4s to secure P3. Daniel Holgado completed the top five, well clear of the battle behind.

Moto2 Race Results

  1. Manuel Gonzalez LIQUI MOLY Dynavolt Intact GP
  2. Filip Salac OnlyFans American Racing Team (+1.552s)
  3. Senna Agius LIQUI MOLY Dynavolt Intact GP (+3.925s)
  4. David Alonso CFMOTO Inde Aspar Team (+4.367s)
  5. Daniel Holgado CFMOTO Inde Aspar Team (+9.561s)

Moto2 Championship Points

  1. Manuel Gonzalez Liqui Moly Dynavolt Intact GP – 154.5
  2. Izan Guevara BLU CRU Pramac Yamaha Moto2 – 105
  3. Celestino Vietti HDR SpeedRS Team – 102
  4. Senna Agius LIQUI MOLY Dynavolt Intact GP – 94
  5. Daniel Holgado CFMOTO Inde Aspar Team – 76

Moto3

Máximo Quiles (CFMOTO Gaviota Aspar Team) returned to the top step of the podium as the Championship leader extended his advantage with victory at Balaton Park, making it two Moto3 wins in a row at the Hungarian GP. This time there was no late-race fightback, for he controlled proceedings ahead of David Almansa (LIQUI MOLY Dynavolt Intact GP), who returned to the podium for the first time since his Buriram win in P2. An impressive Álvaro Carpe (Red Bull KTM Ajo #83) capped off a tremendous charge from the sixth row to finish third.

From pole, Almansa grabbed the holeshot and led early ahead of Quiles, with early chaos unfolding at Turn 2 as Guido Pini (Leopard Racing #94) collided with Matteo Bertelle (LEVELUP-MTA #18), triggering further contact involving Joel Esteban (LEVEL UP – MTA #78). More drama followed at Turn 5 when Ruche Moodley (CODE Motorsports #21) clashed with Hakim Danish (AEON Credit – MT Helmets – MSI), with Moodley retiring and Danish rejoining after a pit stop.

Once the race settled, Almansa and Quiles controlled the front, with Valentin Perrone (Red Bull KTM Tech3 #73) and rookie Rico Salmela (Red Bull KTM Tech3 #27) running third and fourth. Salmela briefly moved into P3 on Lap 4, as Carpe and David Muñoz (LIQUI MOLY Dynavolt Intact GP) surged forward from the sixth row into the top seven. Quiles struck for the lead on Lap 7 at Turn 9, then immediately stamped his authority with the fastest lap on Lap 9 as Almansa began to lose ground after a small error at Turn 5.

In the second half, Almansa fought to stay in touch, but Quiles consistently held a gap just outside half a second before extending it beyond a second with five laps remaining. Behind them, the battle for the final podium place intensified, with Carpe leading a tightly packed group featuring Muñoz, Salmela and later Brian Uriarte (Red Bull KTM Ajo #51).

On the final lap, Carpe briefly dropped to P4 after Uriarte moved through, before contact between Carpe and Muñoz on the exit of Turn 11 triggered a multi-rider incident involving Perrone and Uriarte. The race was red-flagged just before the finish, with Muñoz taken to hospital for precautionary checks.

Quiles was declared the winner ahead of Almansa, with Carpe holding on for a hard-earned P3 despite the chaos. Uriarte was classified fourth ahead of Salmela, who secured a career-best P5 and Finland’s best Moto3 result since 2014.

Moto3 Race Results

  1. Maximo Quiles CFMOTO Gaviota Aspar Team
  2. David Almansa Liqui Moly Dynavolt Intact GP (+3.147s)
  3. Alvaro Carpe Red Bull KTM Ajo (+7.037s)
  4. Brian Uriarte Red Bull KTM Ajo (+7.194s)
  5. Rico Salmela Red Bull KTM Tech3 (K+7.374s)

Moto3 Championship Points

  1. Maximo Quiles CFMOTO Gaviota Aspar Team – 170
  2. Alvaro Carpe Red Bull KTM Ajo – 111
  3. Marco Morelli CFMOTO Gaviota Aspar Team – 77
  4. David Almansa Liqui Moly Dynavolt Intact GP – 76
  5. Brian Uriarte Red Bull KTM Ajo – 72

How Did the Aussies Do?

Jack Miller (Prima Pramac Yamaha MotoGP) enjoyed a promising start to the Hungarian Grand Prix at Balaton Park by securing direct access to Q2. Starting 12th on the grid, Miller carried that momentum as he fought his way to 14th in the Sprint before producing one of his strongest rides of the season to finish eighth in the main race to cap off a positive weekend at the office.

Senna Agius improved throughout the opening two days of the Hungarian GP, climbing to fifth in free practice before securing a front-row start with third place in qualifying. Then, in the race, he produced another terrific ride to bank a brilliant podium to maintain his grip on fourth in the Moto2 standings.

A tricky qualifying session saw Joel Kelso line up 10th on the Moto3 grid in Hungary, as he admitted it was a struggle to put a clean lap together in Q2. He then went on to finish 12th in what was a tough race, with him noting the circuit didn’t suit the bike as he now looks forward to bouncing back at Brno.

 

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