Marc Marquez outpaces Diggia and Morbidelli as drama hits early at Balaton
Drama off the start, a Marquez masterclass, and bad luck for some key rivals: Saturday sets the headlines in Hungary
Saturday, 23 August 2025

For the 13th time in 14 rounds, Marc Marquez (Ducati Lenovo Team) is a Tissot Sprint winner after avoiding a dose of Turn 1 drama to continue his magnificent victory streak in 2025. Fabio Di Giannantonio took P2, two seconds away from Marquez, and joining the Italian on the Saturday rostrum was Pertamina Enduro VR46 Racing teammate Franco Morbidelli.

TURN 1 DRAMA
Marc Marquez got a lovely launch from pole position and led into Turn 1, but Fabio Quartararo (Monster Energy Yamaha MotoGP), from P6 on the grid, got it properly wrong in the braking zone on the inside line. The Frenchman was too late on the anchors and collided with Enea Bastianini (Red Bull KTM Tech3), who managed to stay on the bike, but Quartararo didn’t. The incident cost Marco Bezzecchi (Aprilia Racing) time too, which dropped the Italian to the lower ends of the top 10, while an unlucky Bastianini was P18.

ANOTHER LAP 1 TALKING POINT
Then, there was another incident. This time at Turn 9 and it again involved Bastianini. This time, the ‘Beast’ was at fault as an audacious move on Johann Zarco (CASTROL Honda LCR) failed, leaving both down and out of the Tissot Sprint on Lap 1.

Post race, both Quartararo and Bastianini were handed penalties for the above points. The #20 has one Long Lap penalty because that's his first offence, while the #23 has a double Long Lap penalty because it's a second offence.

MARC LEADS, ACOSTA CRASHES
So where did that leave us? Marc Marquez led from the VR46 duo, with Di Giannantonio the lead rider in the yellow corner. On Lap 5, the Italian was 1.1s away from the #93, with Morbidelli over a second down on his teammate. Fourth was Luca Marini (Honda HRC Castrol), while Fermin Aldeguer (BK8 Gresini Racing MotoGP) sat half a second behind the HRC star, and just under a second clear of the second factory HRC rider Joan Mir.

On Lap 6 of 13, Pedro Acosta’s (Red Bull KTM Factory Racing) Sprint then ended with a small crash at Turn 11 while he was attempting to pass Jorge Martin (Aprilia Racing) in a battle for P10. That signalled a disappointing Saturday for Friday’s pacesetter in Hungary.

For the remainder of the Sprint, Marc Marquez remained untroubled to continue his unbeaten run, as Di Giannantonio kept teammate Morbidelli at bay as the VR46 duo collected silver and bronze medals at Balaton Park.

BALATON’S SPRINT POINTS SCORERS
From P9 on the grid, Marini defended and rode brilliantly to keep Aldeguer behind him to earn his best HRC Sprint result in P4, as the latter just about held onto P5 ahead of Mir and the recovering Bezzecchi. Alex Marquez (BK8 Gresini Racing MotoGP) was eighth across the line as he gets set to face a three-place grid penalty in tomorrow’s Grand Prix, and the last point on offer on Saturday went to reigning World Champion Martin in P9.

Another one pocketed. Marc Marquez marches on, as a dramatic Tissot Sprint unfolds in Hungary. 26 laps are coming up at Balaton on Sunday afternoon, and the question is: can anyone stop the title race leader from winning again?
>>>>>>>>>>Courtesy of an uncatchable Marc Márquez, the Ducati Lenovo Team took the Sprint win at Balaton Park – the team’s seventh consecutive victory in the shorter Saturday race. Francesco Bagnaia crossed the finish line in thirteenth position.

Márquez got off to a perfect start from pole, taking the lead into turn one and completing the opening lap with a 0.6s margin. After a series of quick laps, Marc then managed the gap in the closing stages up to the chequered flag. Bagnaia, starting from fifteenth on the grid, was ultimately thirteenth as he continues to face a challenging weekend on the Hungarian track.

The Ducati Lenovo Team will be back in action tomorrow morning at 9:40 local time (GMT +2) for the warm-up, followed by the Grand Prix of Hungary, which will be contested over a 26-lap distance from 14:00.

Marc Márquez (#93 Ducati Lenovo Team) – 1st
“The goal was to stay in the lead from start to finish, and we achieved it. At turn one I heard an engine sound very close to me, so that’s why I released the brakes. I know that with this turn one, a mistake is always around the corner for everybody, especially for those on the inside line, which has less grip. Then at the end of lap one I realised I had a 0.6s margin, so I just tried to stay in control, without overdoing it, and by riding in the best possible way. I’m very happy with the feeling on the bike. Tomorrow it’s going to be a question mark with regards to tyre wear and mapping, but we have the experience to tackle everything in the best way.”

Francesco Bagnaia (#63 Ducati Lenovo Team) – 13th
“I knew that from fifteenth on the grid it would be difficult to put together a comeback, especially as this has generally been harder to do this year in the Sprint. In the end, we chose to make a significant change to the bike set-up and I think it could represent a good starting point. Aside from the first two to three laps, in which I had to adapt to the change, I was then able to brake a lot harder and this helped me a lot, even though I ended up struggling more in other areas. Tomorrow, in the warm-up, we’ll try to make another step in this direction. It’s going to be a long and challenging race. It has been a difficult period, but we need to keep believing as we know how high our potential is.”

>>>>>>>>>>>>>MARCO BEZZECCHI SEVENTH AND JORGE MARTÍN NINTH IN HUNGARY

The first sprint race in history at Balaton Park ended with both factory riders in the points. Marco Bezzecchi was one of the protagonists in qualifying, taking an excellent second spot on the starting grid after going from Q1 through to Q2. However, in the sprint race, contact on the first turn forced him to drop back several positions, all the way to eighth. Despite the setback, he finished seventh, but without being able to fully express the potential showed in qualifying.

Jorge Martín, who started from the seventeenth spot on the grid, had an exceptional first lap which launched him all the way into twelfth place. The Spanish rider continued his comeback with determination, battling consistently in the points zone and finishing ninth.

MARCO BEZZECCHI
“I had fun in qualifying and I ended up doing a good time. Unfortunately, episodes like the one at the start can happen, especially with such a tight first corner. All in all, things worked out okay for me because I could have been hit square on, but in the end, I was able to stand the bike back up. Unfortunately, after that I lost a lot of positions, so I did the most I was able to do.”

JORGE MARTÍN
“The first turn was rather chaotic. From there, I started looking for my space, overtaking some riders and continuing my comeback little by little until I was ninth. It was a good battle. I’m taking steps forward in terms of confidence with the front end, although I’m still lacking a bit of grip at the rear. The positive thing is that I’m beginning to feel the RS-GP25’s limit and to understand where we need to improve, so I can focus more on those points. I’m increasingly more comfortable on the bike.”

FABIANO STERLACCHINI
“The day started off well because we did an outstanding job on the analysis yesterday evening and we sorted an entire range of issues that allowed us to qualify second with Marco, as well as achieve a good pace in FP2 both with him and with Jorge. Unfortunately, the start conditioned Marco's result a bit. Without that initial problem, he would have been able to finish farther ahead, but those are situations that come with the territory in this sport. Jorge had the sort of race we expected – useful for gaining experience, putting in some miles, and, in terms of riding, allowing him to get to know the bike better and better.”

<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<CASTROL Honda LCR rider Johann Zarco was unable to finish the Sprint at Balaton Park.

After a difficult qualifying session, the Frenchman made a strong start from 18th on the grid, determined to give his maximum.
While recovering positions and pushing to join the battle for points, another rider collided with him, sending Zarco into the gravel on the opening lap.
Fortunately, he escaped without injury, and both rider and team remain fully focused on making the most of Sunday’s race.

Johann Zarco DNF

“There’s not much to say today, unfortunately, as my Sprint ended very early. I had a good start and was focused on recovering positions, as we had made a few adjustments earlier this morning and were aiming to do the best job possible. Unfortunately, another rider hit me, and that was the end of my race. The important thing is I’m fine, and I’ll try again tomorrow.”

>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>Monster Energy Yamaha MotoGP's Álex Rins took 16th place in the Grand Prix of Hungary Sprint despite several setbacks over the course of the 13 laps. Fabio Quartararo's efforts were cut short due to a crash in Turn 1 on the opening lap, resulting in an NC score.

Rins initially made up some positions on the opening lap, having started from P20. However, a crash from Johann Zarco and Enea Bastianini right in front of him forced the Yamaha man wide. Riding through the gravel, he rejoined in 18th place. He overtook Brad Binder on lap 3, and Pedro Acosta went wide on lap 6, allowing the number-42 rider into P16. But one lap later he was handed a long-lap penalty for taking a shortcut in T16. The Spaniard completed the penalty without losing a position and went on to push to the chequered flag, finishing 21.007s from first.

Quartararo was keen to make a good start from P6 on the grid, knowing that it would be hard to overtake at this narrow track. While trying to overtake Fabio Di Giannantonio in Turn 1, he was unable to get the bike stopped and ended up colliding with Bastianini. The resulting crash ended El Diablo's run early.

After today's results, Quartararo is in 10th place in the overall standings with 103 points, and Rins is now in 19th position with 42 points. Monster Energy Yamaha MotoGP are 6th in the team championship with 145 points, and Yamaha is in 5th position in the constructor championship with 134 points.

On the Hungarian GP Sunday, the teammates will start the track action with the Warm Up held from 09:40-09:50 (GMT+2), followed by the 26-lap Race starting at 14:00.

In Sunday's Race, Quartararo will serve a long-lap penalty as Race Direction has judged him to have impeded several riders during today's incident in Turn 1.

MASSIMO MEREGALLI
Team Director, Monster Energy Yamaha MotoGP
"It was a disappointing Sprint for our team. Fabio did a great job in qualifying by taking sixth place on the grid, and we were hopeful for an interesting Sprint, but things soon took a turn for the worse. Fabio was unable to stop the bike on the dirt going into the tight first corner, and this caused contact between him and other riders. Luckily, he was able to walk away from the crash without any harm, but he was given a long-lap penalty for tomorrow‘s Race. Álex' first lap was compromised due to a crash by two rivals right ahead of him, and a long-lap penalty meant additional loss of time. All in all, it was a day to forget. Luckily, we have another chance tomorrow."

ÁLEX RINS
Monster Energy Yamaha MotoGP Rider
"Luckily, I heard Bastianini in Turn 9. I picked up the bike and went straight. After that, I was in last place with a big gap to the rider ahead of me, so I tried to focus on my riding and on the bike. We are struggling a little bit all weekend. We're experiencing front vibrations, making it difficult to stop the bike. We need to keep working."

FABIO QUARTARARO
Monster Energy Yamaha MotoGP Rider
"I was able to make a good lap in qualifying, the track had improved a bit, and many other riders in Q2 had a bad qualifying, so I'm in P6 on the grid, which is a good position to start from. For me, my braking point in Turn 1 was quite okay, but I was on the dirt on the right, and the bike started to slide. With Diggia closing, I had to completely release the brake to avoid taking him down. But then I had another problem, because I had more riders in front of me. Things like this can happen."

<<<<<<<<<<<<<<The short, flat and compact Balaton Park circuit ensured MotoGP’s return to Hungary for the first time since 1992 and Red Bull KTM Tech3's Pol Espargaro emerged from the fourteenth Sprint of the season on Saturday with 10th position. Incidents determined the races of Pedro Acosta in 17th, Brad Binder in 18th and Enea Bastianini who did not reach the checkered flag.



Top ten for Pol Espargaro who replaced Maverick Viñales for the second time in 2025 and was one of the few with MotoGP experience at Balaton. The Spaniard qualified 12th on the grid
Pedro Acosta qualifies in 7th after setting the pace during Friday and Saturday morning. Contact in Turn 1 and a fall in Turn 11 puts the Spaniard out of contention for Sprint points
Brad Binder was also a victim of more close quarters action and was forced to enter the pits to change a damaged fairing in the Sprint. The South African rejoined a lap down and in P18
Enea Bastianini’s chances of a Sprint podium were dashed by another rider into Turn 1. The Italian then crashed trying to recoup ground on the opening lap
The KTM RC4 is prominent on the first two rows of the Moto3™ grid with Red Bull KTM Tech3’s Valentin Perrone again furthest forward with P2


MotoGP shifted from the history of the Red Bull Ring in Austria to the new ambition of Balaton Park in Hungary for the series’ long overdue return to the country. Round fourteen circulated the flat, low-speed and technical layout next to Lake Balaton and across fresh asphalt.

The Red Bull KTM quartet saw Pol Espargaro line-up for the second time this term as Maverick Viñales rehabs his left shoulder. The Spaniard had previously completed a private test at Balaton Park, therefore he was the only rider on the grid with prior knowledge of the layout on MotoGP machinery. Espargaro and Pedro Acosta were inside the top three after FP1 on Friday and then Acosta went to the top of the time sheets through Practice to sit comfortably in Q2 direct entry for Saturday. He was joined by Enea Bastianini and Espargaro while Binder went into Q1 with less than one second separating the first 17 riders.

Blue skies and breeze on Friday turned into even warmer temperatures for the second day of the Grand Prix. Brad tried to filter out of Q1 and, incredibly, tied on his lap-time for the final slot but had to settle for P13 on the grid. In Q2 Acosta crashed early and was then playing catch-up on his second bike; eventually taking the 7th quickest lap, half a second from Pole. Three places ahead was the vibrant Bastianini: P4 marking his highest quali of ‘25 and put the Italian at the tip of row two. Espargaro had a late fall and rested with P12.


The Sprint was chaotic. Bastianini was hit midway into the congested first turn. He then tried to regain ground and positions but misjudged his corner entry to Turn 9 due to minor machine damage and went down. Acosta was also a victim of the early carnage, and his attempts to grab Sprint points ended with a slide into the gravel at mid-race distance. Binder suffered contact in the formative stages which led to a brief pitstop for a new fairing. He rejoined the fray and made decent lap-times with an improved race set-up discovered in FP2. Espargaro had some clean air but was busy mid-pack and made it to the line with P10 after experimenting with some more components for future iterations of the KTM RC16.

MotoGP retains its habitual timetable in Hungary with Moto3 opening race day at 11.00, then Moto2 at 12.15 and the 26-lap MotoGP Grand Prix at 14.00 CEST.

Pol Espargaro, 12th in qualification, 10th in the Sprint: “It was not my best race. We tested some things on the bike that didn’t really go to plan and I was struggling more and more. I had a good position in the beginning, and I was blocking the others on the brakes but doing that you don’t flow and keep the speed. Tomorrow I’ll need to follow my line more. Anyway, we took some information and tomorrow we’ll go again.”

Pedro Acosta, 7th in qualification, 17th in the Sprint: “The biggest mistake of the weekend came in qualifying. I also lost the front forks that I really like for the rigidity of the bike. Ciao forks! P7 was a normal qualifying position this season and I was expecting something OK for the race. I was 4th or 5th into the first corner but then there was a mess: it is what it is. I have to accept it, and the mistakes, but I was not expecting that drama at the first corner. I tried everything to pass afterwards but it was hard to match the braking points. I was desperate because I felt I had potential. Tomorrow we go again.”

Brad Binder, 13th in qualification, 18th in the Sprint: “I spun off the line and lost some places but gained one or two back until we got to the final chicane of sector three. The whole group got congested and I wasn’t ready for it. I clipped my wing on the back of another bike. It wasn’t a massive issue but on the next lap the fairing split. I had to come in. After that I had really good pace! A real pity. Today was not my day. I figured out a few areas where we could improve so we’ll speak with the boys and get dialed-in for tomorrow.”

>>>>>>>>>>>>>>GINO BORSOI
Team Director, Prima Pramac Yamaha MotoGP
Borsoi “It‘s not an easy weekend, with Jack having the chance to get into Q2 but instead being eliminated by just a few thousandths. The double regret is that, with the lap time he set in Q1, he would have started eighth on the grid, and we all know how much starting at the front can completely change the race today — even more so on this track, which is very narrow and where overtaking becomes very difficult. On top of that, if we think that tomorrow he‘ll have to start three places further back on the grid because of the penalty he received for having slowed down Bagnaia yesterday in Practice… The step forward compared to the last race in Austria was there, but I trust that we‘ll see it more clearly in the coming races, where the layout of the different tracks should better suit the characteristics of the Yamaha.”

JACK MILLER
Prima Pramac Yamaha MotoGP Rider
“I followed the guys in front of me for the whole race, but it was tough to pass. We were maybe a bit too ambitious with the power map from Turn 12 to the last chicane, because I just couldn‘t find any traction. I tried playing with the lean angle, but it didn‘t work, and the other bikes were pulling away from me there. On the rest of the track I felt okay — the pace was decent — but here you can only pass if someone makes a mistake. Tomorrow I‘ll have to aim for a better start. Today‘s wasn‘t bad through the first couple of corners, but with the three-place grid penalty it will be tough. I‘ll need to watch what happens ahead in those first two tight corners and try to take advantage.”

MIGUEL OLIVEIRA
Prima Pramac Yamaha MotoGP Rider
“I didn‘t get off the start very well because something happened with the clutch — as soon as I felt the first bite, the RPM dropped quite a lot and I lost a few meters. But being behind actually gave me a better view of what was happening up front and kept me out of trouble. After that, the pace wasn‘t too bad, the speed was there, but I was basically just matching the riders ahead of me. Overtaking here is extremely difficult, and with Pecco it was even tougher — he was pulling away on the straights and I couldn‘t get close enough to make a move on the brakes, even though I was catching him a lot at that point. For tomorrow, there are a few things we can improve. We‘ll look at some settings on the bike and also see how the medium tire works in warm-up.”

>>>>>>>>>>>>>