MotoGP’s second visit to Balaton Park got underway on Friday, and it didn’t take long for the action to heat up.
While Pedro Acosta ended the day on top in Practice, Marc Márquez made an early statement in FP1. The reigning World Champion showed signs that he is returning to full strength following surgery.
Balaton Park also welcomed Iker Lecuona and Cal Crutchlow back to the MotoGP paddock as they stepped in as injury replacements.
Lecuona And Crutchlow Step In
The grid arrived in Hungary with two familiar names still absent.
Álex Márquez remains focused on recovery following the injuries he sustained in Catalunya. This means that WorldSBK rider Iker Lecuona was called to step in and is riding for Gresini Ducati this weekend. Having recently raced at Balaton Park with WorldSBK, he immediately looked comfortable on the Gresini bike.
Meanwhile, Johann Zarco also remains unavailable after the knee injuries he suffered in Catalunya. As a result, Cal Crutchlow continues alongside Honda HRC after already replacing the Frenchman in Mugello last time out.
For both riders, Friday was about collecting valuable laps around a circuit rather than chasing lap times.
Marc Márquez Starts Strongest In FP1
Riders used Friday sessions to understand track conditions and learn grip on freshly refurbished areas. While also building a base setup around a circuit that remains relatively new to the championship.
Friday morning belonged to Marc Márquez. Balaton Park marks Ducati riders’ second weekend back after surgery. Despite that the reigning World Champion looked comfortable from the moment the bikes took to the track. As the session progressed, he showed steady pace across the session, ending FP1 fastest with a 1:38.626.
Fernández continued the strong form he showed in Mugello by putting the Trackhouse Aprilia second. Pedro Acosta also immediately looked comfortable aboard his KTM.
Behind the leading trio, Fermín Aldeguer, Fabio Di Giannantonio and Francesco Bagnaia rounded out the top six. While Ai Ogura, Luca Marini, Marco Bezzecchi and Toprak Razgatlıoğlu completed the top ten.
Acosta Dominates The Friday Practices Time Attack
While Marc topped FP1, the afternoon belonged to Pedro Acosta.
The KTM rider looked comfortable around Balaton Park from the moment Practice began. Spaniard constantly featured near the top of the timing screens before delivering a statement lap of 1:36.827.
Behind him, Fabio Di Giannantonio secured second place for VR46, with Raúl Fernández continuing Aprilia’s strong Friday showing in third.
Fermín Aldeguer and Ai Ogura completed the top five, highlighting how tight the battle remained behind the KTM.
Further down the order, Marco Bezzecchi and Marc Márquez both safely secured Q2 places. After a few time attacks, Jorge Martín secured P9 as all four Aprilia riders made it directly through into Saturday’s pole shootout. Australian Jack Miller claimed the last automatic Q2 spot.
One of the standout moments came from WorldSBK substitute Iker Lecuona, who impressed on the BK8 Gresini Ducati. The Spaniard briefly ran inside the top ten, before ultimately slipping to 17th after having his lap time deleted. Despite missing out on an automatic Q2 spot, he showed pace and ability to adapt, which could help him tomorrow during qualifying.
The Riders Through To Q2
After Friday’s Practice session, the following riders secured a pass directly into Q2:
Brad Binder’s crash at Turn 11 in the final minutes added further drama to an already tense Q2 fight. With yellow flags out, track position and timing proved crucial as the session came to a close. Leaving out several riders who otherwise might have been in Q2, including Francesco Bagnaia, Fabio Quartararo and Toprak Razgatlioglu.
“We didn’t manage to finish in the top ten because, during the time attack, the rear stepped out on corner entry at the final corner. I lost around four tenths, which would have been enough to secure direct access to Q2. It will be important to understand why it happened and try to fix it in order to be competitive here at Balaton Park.” – Francesco Bagnaia
Looking Ahead To Saturday
Friday ended with Acosta on top, but the fight at Balaton Park is far from settled.
KTM look strong, Aprilia remain right in the mix with all four bikes into Q2, and Marc Márquez continues to quietly build momentum after another solid day on the Ducati.
With margins already tight and track position proving crucial, Saturday’s qualifying is set to be one of the defining sessions of the weekend.
Feature image courtesy of Red Bull Content Pool