MotoGP 2025
Round 14 – Balaton Park
The first Hungarian GP was held in 1990 when five-time MotoGP World Champion Mick Doohan took his maiden victory. In 1992, MotoGP returned to the Hungaroring, and this time, it was another MotoGP Legend who won: Eddie Lawson, the American taking his last victory and the first win in the class for Cagiva.
In 2025, MotoGP is back in Hungary at the all-new Balaton Park. The track hosted its first round of WorldSBK in July, with all three races won by 2026 MotoGP rider Toprak Razgatlioglu. Balaton Park is the 75th different track to hold a premier class Grand Prix, and the 32nd in the modern era. It is one of six tracks on the current calendar that run anticlockwise, along with Aragon, Austin, Sachsenring, Phillip Island and Valencia
Set against the backdrop of central Europe’s largest lake, the very tight circuit provides the stage for round 14 of the season. In the lead up to the event, it could be said that riders have been damning the circuit with faint praise… With many suspecting that despite officials deeming the circuit suitable for MotoGP, it will prove otherwise when the rubber hits the road…
This 4.115 km track, located 85 km southwest of Budapest, combines long acceleration zones, heavy braking, and many technical sections. Designed to meet modern safety standards, it was recently modified at the advice of Dorna representative Loris Capirossi to comply with MotoGP and WorldSBK requirements. These modifications included the redesign of turns 6-7, the creation of a new chicane, and a reworked final section to enhance safety.
Piero Taramasso – Michelin
“The Michelin Grand Prix of Hungary is a historic event, as it marks the first time that MotoGP will take place at Balaton Park. It is a circuit we don’t yet know perfectly, but we carried out simulations and, more importantly, tests on site a few weeks ago. This allowed us to collect valuable data, even though we know that official riders always push much harder and stress the tires more in race conditions. The layout is not extremely fast, but it includes many acceleration zones, hard braking areas, and slower sections. This generates a lot of thermal stress on the tires, especially in mid-August when track temperatures can reach 55 to 60°C. We are bringing a complete allocation: three symmetric front tyres (Soft, Medium, Hard) and three asymmetric rear tyres with reinforced left shoulders. This is a broad and flexible choice that should allow riders and teams to quickly identify the best combination from Friday onwards and optimise their settings to manage the race.”
Nine rounds remain in 2025
Marquez vs the Rest
Marc Marquez (Ducati Lenovo Team) arrives as the man to beat. Fresh from a sixth consecutive Grand Prix win, Marc has stamped his authority on the title chase. With 418 points, he holds a commanding 142-point lead, and Balaton Park’s predominantly left-handed layout plays right into his strengths.
Marc Márquez
“I’m very happy, I finally got the win in Austria! It was missing from my bucket list and I’m also very happy to have done it with Ducati. They’ve overtaken me for three consecutive years right at the last corner before the checkered flag. That said, we’ll get back on track at Balaton, a track where we have no reference points other than the data from the Panigale V4S. Obviously, it will be a different story; we’re expecting a slightly more challenging Friday than usual with many unknowns, this time not just related to the weather”.
Yet the Red Bull Ring showed he’s not invincible, with Marco Bezzecchi (Aprilia Racing) leading most of the race before eventually settling for P3. The Italian has found form at the perfect time, taking back-to-back podiums and propelling himself into fourth in the standings.
Marco Bezzecchi
“Balaton will be interesting. It’s always nice to take on a new track and I’m curious to discover it. We are coming from a series of positive results and, as always, we’ll be trying to work hard to give it our all in Hungary too.”
Behind them, Alex Marquez (BK8 Gresini Racing MotoGP) and Francesco Bagnaia (Ducati Lenovo Team) have points to prove. Alex was hampered by a Long Lap Penalty in Austria and could only manage tenth, while Bagnaia slipped to eighth after a bruising encounter. Both will be hungry for redemption in Hungary.
Pecco Bagnaia
“I’m happy to get back on track straight away and put the Austrian GP behind me. After a good Friday, we have struggled. We’ll continue analysing the data and get back to work. On the Balaton track, we’re all starting from scratch. As Ducati, we need to take advantage of having ridden here in early August. We need to understand the real limit with a bike like the Desmosedici GP, which, compared to the Panigale V4S, has much more potential”.
With Bezzecchi now sitting fourth in the championship standings, the battle for fifth overall is finely poised. Fabio Di Giannantonio and Franco Morbidelli (Pertamina Enduro VR46 Racing Team) share the position on 144 points, but both are desperate to return to form after failing to finish a Grand Prix since Assen. They’re joined on equal points by Pedro Acosta (Red Bull KTM Factory Racing), whose Sprint podium and P4 in Austria continued his mid-season charge. Three podiums in two weekends underline his growing threat, while rookie sensation Fermin Aldeguer (BK8 Gresini Racing MotoGP) comes in fresh from a career-best second place and a genuine shot at victory. On a new, neutral circuit, both youngsters could spring a surprise.
Fabio Di Giannantonio
“The Balaton Park Circuit is a narrow and slow track, but when you’re ok, you go well in every condition. I want to enjoy and having a weekend in which we can work with consistency. I would like to grow and learn as we did when we were fast. I don’t expect nothing in particular, the goal is to try to enjoy, and we hope to avoid any surprise that could affect the result.”
Franco Morbidelli
“It will be a weekend full of unknowns, because it’s a new track for everyone. Balaton is a completely different track from Spielberg. Many things will be different. The important thing is that we got a good feeling in Austria, the speed was there. The goal is to keep growing, we arrive to Hungary aware that we have a lot of work to do, but we are ready.”
Austria signalled an upturn for KTM. Acosta led their charge, while Enea Bastianini (Red Bull KTM Tech3) secured his best Sunday finish of the year and Brad Binder (Red Bull KTM Factory Racing) battled through to P7. The only shadow was Maverick Viñales’ ongoing shoulder issues, ruling him out once again — Pol Espargaro steps in as replacement, bringing valuable track knowledge from previous testing.
Enea Bastianini
“We arrive in Hungary with much more confidence. Austria’s race weekend reinforced what we have done in Brno and this confirms we are working well, and in the good direction. Big credits to the team and KTM for the efforts made so far. I hope we will be able to keep the same path in Balaton even if it is difficult to predict the output as it will be a new track for everyone.”
Pol Espargaro
“It’s tough for Maverick to miss another race but we saw in Austria that he needs more time for recovery and it’s important to think about MotoGP when you are 100%. I know this only too well! I repeat again what I said in Czechia: he’s doing an amazing job for the factory, and he deserves to continue enjoying the bike, as the other guys have done. I hope he’s back asap. Right now we focus on Hungary and it’s not easy to change the test rider ‘chip’ for the MotoGP rider ‘chip’, with the level the category has right now and with the pace the others have. We’ve had some tests recently and we can see the project is making some great progress. I’m happy to be able to help out the team and the factory again by racing this weekend and, as always, it will bring some value to our work behind the scenes and at the races. We’ll need to change our mentality and get ready for this new challenge in Balaton Park.”
Yamaha, meanwhile, continues to search for answers. Fabio Quartararo (Monster Energy Yamaha MotoGP) endured another frustrating weekend in Austria and will be eager to bounce back on fresh asphalt. Teammate Alex Rins, Miguel Oliveira (Prima Pramac Yamaha MotoGP), and Jack Miller (Monster Energy Yamaha MotoGP) also struggled, all four in need of a reset to claw back momentum.
Fabio Quartararo
“The team, of course, worked very hard to gather all the data and figure out what happened in Austria. I am completely focused on this GP. It’s my first time riding at Balaton Park. Trying a new circuit is always fun as a rider, and we also get to meet the Hungarian fans. It will be interesting to see if this track suits us, and if we can make a step this weekend.”
Alex Rins
“Yamaha is trying to understand why the Austrian GP was so hard – taking notes and making improvements for next year. Understanding why is the most important thing. But everyone in the team and the test team is giving it their all. The positive thing about back-to-back races is that we can keep working, and personally I can also continue my progression in adapting my riding style. Balaton Park is a new circuit for all of us, and every rider will be trying to find the right lines and braking points, so for sure the first FP session will be very important.”
Jack Miller
“I‘m looking forward to racing at Balaton Park. It‘s a brand-new track for all of us, and I‘m curious to see what we can do there with our bike after a very tough weekend in Austria for Yamaha. I really want to take a step forward in Hungary, and hopefully the fresh asphalt will give us more grip – something we really need. As always, we‘ll give everything we‘ve got.”
Miguel Oliveira
“I‘m really looking forward to experiencing Balaton Park firsthand. From what I‘ve seen watching the Superbike races, it doesn‘t look like an easy track, with lots of braking, slow corners, restarts, and changes of rhythm. Still, I hope it can be a much better weekend for us than Austria.”
Elsewhere, reigning champion Jorge Martin (Aprilia Racing) saw his Austrian GP end in the gravel but is optimistic about the new venue, where a level playing field may play into Aprilia’s hands.
Jorge Martin
“I’m headed to Balaton after a positive weekend, where I started understanding a lot of things about the bike and building a bit of feeling. I need to remember that I’ve only ridden two races with the RS-GP25 and I need time, although it isn’t always easy to accept being behind when I’m giving one hundred percent. The goal at Balaton will be to continue growing on a track that is new for everyone. Getting kilometres in will be especially important, as well as getting increasingly closer to a good feeling, because we have incredibly huge potential.”
Raul Fernandez (Trackhouse MotoGP Team) continues his steady run of form with a sixth consecutive top ten, while Joan Mir (Honda HRC Castrol) returned to the sharp end with sixth, his best result since 2023.
Raul Fernandez
“Balaton Park will be a new track for everybody. We don’t have any data, but I’m still very confident. We ended the last few races inside the top 10 so, basically, it’s the target that, first of all, we need to try our maximum from Friday onwards and if we manage to do that, it will be very nice. I’m looking forward to this new circuit.”
Joan Mir
“After our weekend in Austria I am looking forward to getting back on track and continuing our momentum. Hungary looks like a really different circuit to Austria, much tighter and more technical. It has been a while since we had a brand-new circuit, and I think it can help us to be closer to the front again. I am interested to see how MotoGP and our bike performs there, new track, unique layout – a recipe for an exciting weekend. It’s always enjoyable to go to new places and meet new fans. Let’s put on a great show for all the Honda supporters there.”
Teammate Luca Marini will aim to join the top-ten battle, as will Ai Ogura (Trackhouse MotoGP Team), who hopes the fresh start resets his fortunes.
Luca Marini
“I’ve been checking the WorldSBK races and the data from when the Test Team went to Hungary and it looks a very particular kind of circuit. At the moment I think we are able to find a good level from quite early in the weekend, so at a new track we should be able to take advantage of that. Placing ourselves in a better grid position for the races is one of the main focuses of the weekend, along with testing our new pieces on a different kind of circuit to Austria. Nice to meet new fans and experience a different country.”
Ai Ogura
“It’s going to be a new circuit for everybody and I think there’s a lot of changes in direction. Once you understand the circuit, I think it will be quite OK to manage. So, Friday is going to be a key – really important. We have been struggling in important sessions, nearly since we arrived in Europe, so I’ll try to be good in this moment and after that, everything should be coming easier. I’ll try my best and we’ll see what happens.”
With Somkiat Chantra sidelined, Aleix Espargaro makes a one-off return to deputise.
MotoGP Championship Standings
|
Pos
|
Rider
|
Points
|
|
1
|
M. Marquez
|
418
|
|
2
|
A. Marquez
|
276
|
|
3
|
F. Bagnaia
|
221
|
|
4
|
M. Bezzecchi
|
178
|
|
5
|
F. Morbidelli
|
144
|
|
6
|
F. Di Giannantonio
|
144
|
|
7
|
P. Acosta
|
144
|
|
8
|
F. Aldeguer
|
121
|
|
9
|
J. Zarco
|
114
|
|
10
|
F. Quartararo
|
103
|
|
11
|
B. Binder
|
82
|
|
12
|
R. Fernandez
|
73
|
|
13
|
M. Viñales
|
69
|
|
14
|
E. Bastianini
|
63
|
|
15
|
L. Marini
|
55
|
|
16
|
A. Ogura
|
53
|
|
17
|
J. Miller
|
52
|
|
18
|
J. Mir
|
42
|
|
19
|
A. Rins
|
42
|
|
20
|
T. Nakagami
|
10
|
|
21
|
J. Martin
|
9
|
|
22
|
L. Savadori
|
8
|
|
23
|
P. Espargaro
|
8
|
|
24
|
A. Fernandez
|
6
|
|
25
|
M. Oliveira
|
6
|
|
26
|
S. Chantra
|
1
|
|
27
|
A. Espargaro
|
0
|
Moto2
19 points is the gap between Moto2 title race leader Manuel Gonzlaez (Liqui Moly Dynavolt Intact GP) and second place Aron Canet (Fantic Racing Lino Sonego) heading into Round 14 at Balaton Park, following dramatic weekends for both last time out.
Gonzalez’s bad luck in the Grand Prix saw the #18 suffer a DNF after a stone from teammate Senna Agius’ opening lap crash pierced the radiator. The injured Agius will be replaced this weekend by Sergio Garcia.
Meanwhile, Canet’s big FP2 crash meant he was riding a bit battered and bruised, which saw the #44 collect six points with a P10 finish. That’s six points clawed back on Gonzalez, but the biggest mover was race winner Diogo Moreira (Italtrans Racing Team).
The Brazilian, after two pointless scores in Germany and Czechia, propelled himself back into title contention with a classy second win of the season. It’s now 35 points splitting the top three, and with Barry Baltus (Fantic Racing Lino Sonego) only 10 points behind Moreira, we’ve got four riders who are all well in the hunt for the 2025 crown.
Fifth place overall, Jake Dixon (ELF Marc VDS Racing Team) will be putting the Austrian GP firmly out of sight. The Briton is 24 points away from Baltus, while Celestino Vietti’s (Sync SpeedRS Team) second P3 of the season brings him closer to his fellow Boscoscuro rider in the championship.
Moto2 Championship Standings
|
Pos
|
Rider
|
Points
|
|
1
|
M. Gonzalez
|
188
|
|
2
|
A. Canet
|
169
|
|
3
|
D. Moreira
|
153
|
|
4
|
B. Baltus
|
143
|
|
5
|
J. Dixon
|
119
|
|
6
|
C. Vietti
|
106
|
|
7
|
D. Öncü
|
100
|
|
8
|
A. Arenas
|
94
|
|
9
|
S. Agius
|
93
|
|
10
|
M. Ramirez
|
84
|
|
11
|
J. Roberts
|
80
|
|
12
|
D. Holgado
|
80
|
|
13
|
F. Salac
|
71
|
|
14
|
I. Guevara
|
62
|
|
15
|
A. Lopez
|
58
|
|
16
|
T. Arbolino
|
45
|
|
17
|
D. Alonso
|
43
|
|
18
|
I. Ortola
|
36
|
|
19
|
C. Veijer
|
21
|
|
20
|
Z. Vd Goorbergh
|
14
|
|
21
|
D. Binder
|
12
|
|
22
|
A. Sasaki
|
11
|
|
23
|
A. Escrig
|
10
|
|
24
|
M. Aji
|
8
|
|
25
|
A. Huertas
|
7
|
|
26
|
O. Gutierrez
|
4
|
|
27
|
S. Garcia
|
3
|
|
28
|
J. Navarro
|
3
|
|
29
|
D. Muñoz
|
3
|
|
30
|
Y. Kunii
|
0
|
|
31
|
E. Fernandez
|
0
|
|
32
|
T. Hada
|
0
|
|
33
|
M. Pasini
|
0
|
|
34
|
U. Orradre
|
0
|
|
35
|
N. Atiratphuvapat
|
0
|
Moto3
It was a timely and much needed 25-point haul for Angel Piqueras (FRINSA – MT Helmets – MSI) in Austria having gone seven races without a rostrum, and with Jose Antonio Rueda (Red Bull KTM Ajo) finishing outside the top three for the first time since Italy, the gap between the top two in Moto3 dropped to 71 points ahead of the Hungarian GP.
That, obviously, is a very healthy margin the #99 boasts coming into Balaton Park, so Piqueras will need to build on the momentum gained and try to chip away at the gap again in Hungary. And it was double delight for FRINSA – MT Helmets – MSI at the Red Bull Ring, as Ryusei Yamanaka handed the outfit a 1-2 – that’s the Japanese star’s career-best result.
Speaking of career-best, David Muñoz (Liqui Moly Dynavolt Intact GP) is enjoying his most fruitful run in Moto3 after the #64 battled his way to P3 in Austria. That’s his fourth podium on the bounce, his fifth in the last six, and the Spaniard is now tied on points in P3 overall with two stand-out rookies – Maximo Quiles (CFMOTO Gaviota Aspar Team) and Alvaro Carpe (Red Bull KTM Ajo).
Quiles finished P4 after losing out in the latter stages last time out to draw level with Carpe, who claimed P11. At the moment, it’s a straight shootout between those two for Rookie of the Year honours, but Muñoz, Quiles, and Carpe will be hunting Piqueras and Rueda first and foremost.
Moto3 Championship Standings
|
Pos
|
Rider
|
Points
|
|
1
|
J. Rueda
|
239
|
|
2
|
A. Piqueras
|
168
|
|
3
|
D. Muñoz
|
139
|
|
4
|
M. Quiles
|
139
|
|
5
|
A. Carpe
|
139
|
|
6
|
J. Kelso
|
115
|
|
7
|
R. Yamanaka
|
88
|
|
8
|
T. Furusato
|
87
|
|
9
|
A. Fernandez
|
79
|
|
10
|
D. Almansa
|
79
|
|
11
|
D. Foggia
|
76
|
|
12
|
V. Perrone
|
72
|
|
13
|
L. Lunetta
|
63
|
|
14
|
G. Pini
|
51
|
|
15
|
M. Bertelle
|
40
|
|
16
|
S. Ogden
|
40
|
|
17
|
S. Nepa
|
37
|
|
18
|
J. Roulstone
|
36
|
|
19
|
C. Buchanan
|
27
|
|
20
|
R. Rossi
|
24
|
|
21
|
N. Carraro
|
20
|
|
22
|
M. Uriarte
|
20
|
|
23
|
A. Cruces
|
13
|
|
24
|
R. Moodley
|
11
|
|
25
|
V. Perez
|
7
|
|
26
|
J. Esteban
|
7
|
|
27
|
M. Morelli
|
3
|
|
28
|
T. Buasri
|
1
|
|
29
|
N. Dettwiler
|
0
|
|
30
|
E. O’Shea
|
0
|
|
31
|
J. Rosenthaler
|
0
|
|
32
|
L. Phommara
|
0
|
|
33
|
C. O’Gorman
|
0
|
|
34
|
L. Abruzzo
|
0
|
|
35
|
M. Cook
|
0
|
|
36
|
A. Aditama
|
0
|
2025 MotoGP Calendar
| GP | Date | Location |
| 14 | Aug-24 | Hungarian GP, Balaton Park |
| 15 | Sep-07 | Catalan GP, Catalunya |
| 16 | Sep-14 | San Marino GP, Misano |
| 17 | Sep-28 | Japanese GP, Motegi |
| 18 | Oct-05 | Indonesian GP, Mandalika |
| 19 | Oct-19 | Australian GP, Phillip Island |
| 20 | Oct-26 | Malayasian GP, Sepang |
| 21 | Nov-09 | Portuguese GP, Portimao |
| 22 | Nov-16 | Valencia GP, Valencia |
