MotoGP 2026

Round Eight – Balaton Park
Moto2 / Moto3

Senna Agius returned to the Moto2 podium at Balaton Park on Sunday, while Manuel Gonzalez and Maximo Quiles both tightened their grip on the Moto2 and Moto3 World Championship leads.

Agius converted a front-row start into third place, giving Liqui Moly Dynavolt Intact GP a double podium on the day Gonzalez became the first Moto2 rider since Fermin Aldeguer in 2023 to win three races in succession.

Moto3 ended in more dramatic fashion. Quiles returned to the top step with his fifth victory of the season, but the race was red-flagged on the final lap after a multi-rider crash in the group fighting over the final podium place. David Almansa still completed an impressive return to the rostrum after illness, while Alvaro Carpe was classified third after charging through from 18th on the grid.

Moto2

Gonzalez makes it three straight, Agius third

Manuel Gonzalez continued his golden run in Moto2 with a third consecutive win, but the Hungarian Grand Prix was not the lights-to-flag stroll the final form guide might suggest.

Izan Guevara had started from pole, with Filip Salač alongside him and Senna Agius completing the front row. Salač made the sharper launch and took the early lead, while Gonzalez quickly turned fourth on the grid into second place. Agius also got himself into the podium positions in the early exchanges, settling in behind Salač and his team-mate.

Guevara’s afternoon was soon compromised by a Long Lap penalty for an unsafe change of direction at the race start. That dropped the polesitter out of the fight for the win and left Salač, Gonzalez and Agius as the leading trio, with Daniel Holgado and David Alonso heading the chase.

There was early drama behind them. Aron Canet was out before the end of the opening lap, while Ivan Ortola and Daniel Muñoz crashed together at Turn 3 on lap four. Collin Veijer was another to fall from inside the top ten, going down at Turn 5 while chasing the Aspar pair.

Salač controlled the first half of the race well, but Gonzalez had been measuring the Czech rider rather than throwing everything at him early. The decisive move came at Turn 9 on lap 12, where Gonzalez moved through and began trying to break Salač’s resistance.

Salač did not fold immediately. He responded with a strong middle phase and kept the gap close enough to make Gonzalez work for it, but the championship leader had enough pace in reserve. Gonzalez set the fastest lap of the race on lap 17, a 1m40.893, and eventually stretched the margin to 1.552 seconds at the flag.

Manuel Gonzalez

“I’m absolutely delighted with this win, as it was the toughest race of the season so far. Right from the first lap, I struggled a bit to get the bike up to speed. But I kept my cool and managed to maintain the pace without making any mistakes. During that stage, I tried to learn a thing or two from Filip, as he was really fast in the opening laps. In the end, however, I managed to look after the tyres very well, and I had a slightly better pace than him towards the end of the race. It wasn’t easy to pull that off, though.”

Salač’s second place was his first Moto2 podium since 2024, and came at an ideal time with the Czech Grand Prix at Brno next on the schedule.

Agius had to manage the closing laps under pressure from David Alonso, who had charged from ninth on the grid and was closing quickly in the final phase. The Australian held firm, crossing the line 0.442 seconds ahead of Alonso to claim his third podium of the season and consolidate fourth place in the championship.

Senna Agius

“Of course I’m very happy to be on the podium! At this stage of the season, it’s absolutely vital to be consistent, and I see this as a sort of redemption for last weekend, when I felt I deserved third place. It’s always nice to be back on the podium, so a big thank you to my team. They’ve done a fantastic job, because you may not forget that this was my first race weekend here at the Balaton Park Circuit. They really kept me calm from Thursday onwards. We did our work during practice to get to know the track and build up speed, and we managed both of those things well. It’s true, when I was chasing Fillip and Manu throughout the race, I was so close and wanted to attack, but I didn’t have enough to do so. Anyway, I felt a bit better on the bike, although the grip conditions today, for example, didn’t give me the best feeling. It’s all about learning, and we’ll analyse what we can do better next time. I feel completely at ease and have complete faith in our way of working. The bike feels really good. So, we just need to enjoy this moment, stay calm and work hard to carry on like this in the middle of the season and put ourselves in the best possible position for the end. I’m really proud and happy to be back on the podium. From the very first lap, I had no grip on the rear tyre to catch up with Manu and Filip. Let’s just say the conditions were different today. It was hot, of course, but as far as grip was concerned, I’d expected to have a bit more of an advantage with the rear tyre to keep up with them. So, I played it safe in the final laps to secure third place, which is an important result for the championship. Many thanks to everyone for this fantastic weekend – I’m already looking forward to Brno, where the track’s layout is more fast and flowing and more enjoyable to ride.”

David Alonso

“I’m pleased with today’s race; I had a good run. During the race I was able to observe how other riders were riding, particularly my team-mate Dani Holgado, who has a different style, and I learnt a lot from that. I focused on taking it step by step and seeing how far I could go depending on whether the race was faster or slower. I was patient when overtaking and maintained my pace in the middle section of the race, which is when I find it hardest. It was very hot and the rear tyre was sliding quite a bit, as was the front one a little.”

Holgado completed the top five, while Guevara’s sixth place meant he lost further ground to Gonzalez in the title chase.

Dani Holgado

“It was a good race and I’m happy with the work we’ve done. It wasn’t easy, especially the second half of the race. I struggled to get comfortable with the rear tyre; it had less grip and I lost speed. I tried to battle with my teammate for fourth place, but he had a better pace. What stands out for me is that this circuit was very difficult for me last year: I had no pace at all and couldn’t be competitive, but this year I have been. What makes me proud is seeing that we’re taking steps forward, even if they’re small. This week I’ll keep working on myself because, at the end of the day, the bike and I are one, and I have to do my bit too. I want to thank the whole team for the work they do; we’re more determined than ever.”

Izan Guevara

“Overall, I’m satisfied with the race because the pace was there all weekend. Even after the difficulties we experienced with the front end, we showed once again that we had the speed to fight at the front. The long-lap penalty obviously had a significant impact on my race. Up to that point, I felt competitive and was closing the gap to the riders ahead, but serving the penalty broke my rhythm and made it more difficult to stay in touch with the group I was chasing. Even so, I was able to regroup and continue pushing until the end. That gives me confidence because it confirms that our race pace was strong and that we had the potential to fight for an even better result. We leave Balaton with valuable points and plenty of positives. The championship is still long, and the important thing is that we continue to show the speed and consistency needed to remain in the fight throughout the season.”

Celestino Vietti came home seventh, ahead of Alonso Lopez, Alberto Ferrandez and Tony Arbolino. Ferrandez’s ninth was his best Moto2 result so far, while Jose Antonio Rueda and Taiyo Furusato also achieved their best intermediate-class finishes in 11th and 14th, respectively.

Gonzalez now leads the Moto2 standings on 154.5 points, 49.5 clear of Guevara. Vietti is third on 102, with Agius fourth on 94.

Jacob Roulstone finished 22nd on his debut with Idemitsu Honda Team Asia.

Jacob Roulstone

“This track is certainly a challenging one to make a debut on this bike, but I was able to use the laps in the race today as a test in a way to understand it more.  I was a bit hindered from Saturday’s crash, which has left me with some tendon damage in my left shoulder, and whilst it wasn’t the result I hoped for, I believe we can continue to make steps over the next few rounds. Thanks to the team for the effort this weekend.”

2026 Moto2 Grand Prix of Hungary Race Results

Moto2 Championship Standings

Moto3

Quiles controls red-flagged Moto3 contest

>Maximo Quiles returned to the top step in Moto3 with a measured victory at Balaton Park, extending his championship lead on a day that ended under red flags after a late multi-rider crash.

David Almansa had taken pole and backed it up with the holeshot, leading the opening laps from Quiles. That alone was a strong statement from the Liqui Moly Dynavolt Intact GP rider, who had only been discharged from hospital on Thursday morning after a bout of tonsillitis.

The first lap was messy behind the leaders. Guido Pini crashed at Turn 2 after contact with Matteo Bertelle, while Ruche Moodley and Hakim Danish were also involved in a separate incident at Turn 5. Moodley was out, while Danish returned to the pits and later retired.

Up front, Almansa and Quiles quickly broke away from the chasing pack. Quiles made his move at Turn 9 on lap seven and, once in front, gradually stretched the race. Almansa initially kept the pressure on, but the physical toll of the weekend became clearer in the second half as Quiles edged away.

The fight for third was the livelier contest. Valentin Perrone and Rico Salmela were both in the mix early, before Alvaro Carpe and David Muñoz surged through from the sixth row. Carpe’s ride from 18th on the grid was particularly strong, putting the Red Bull KTM Ajo rider into podium contention despite his difficult starting position.

Quiles had the race under control by the final laps, with Almansa classified 3.147 seconds behind after the red flag. Behind them, the podium fight came to a dramatic halt on the last lap after contact in the group battling for third triggered a multi-rider crash involving Muñoz, Perrone and Brian Uriarte. The race was red-flagged and declared after 19 completed laps.

Máximo Quiles

“I was hungry to get this victory – my fifth – and I’m absolutely delighted to have achieved it. It’s been brilliant. After Mugello, I had some anger, and this weekend I decided to channel all that energy into working with total focus from Friday onwards. The team has worked incredibly hard and we’ve taken another step forward. The first few laps felt a bit long, but I started riding as if it were a free practice and really enjoyed changing directions with the bike. I’m sad because of the crash at the end and the red flag; I hope all the riders are okay. We’ll rest this week and come back with the same motivation for the next race.”

David Almansa

“I’m absolutely delighted, because going straight from hospital to pole position and finishing second in the race is, I think, something quite extraordinary. So, this result is very important for me and the team, and it came at just the right time. We also needed to be back on the podium and achieve the result we deserve. The race was incredibly tough, as I’m not yet 100 per cent fit after four days in hospital. I pushed hard in the race, which made it even more gruelling for me, and from halfway through the race it became increasingly difficult on the soft tyres. But ultimately, this weekend has shown that we can achieve even more. We finished in second place, though, which gives me more confidence. We need to keep going like this. A big thank you to the whole team for the support and help they gave us throughout the weekend. My thoughts are with my team-mate David. I wish him the best of luck and hope he makes a speedy recovery.”

Carpe was classified third, ahead of team-mate Uriarte and Salmela, who took a career-best fifth. Adrian Cruces finished sixth, Marco Morelli recovered to seventh after an early mistake, and Jesus Rios was the top Honda rider in eighth. Casey O’Gorman and Adrian Fernandez completed the top ten.

Joel Kelso added more points to his season tally with 12th for GRYD Racing, while New Zealand’s Cormac Buchanan finished 14th for CODE Motorsports.

Quiles now leads the Moto3 World Championship on 170 points, 59 clear of Carpe. Morelli has moved to third on 77, one point ahead of Almansa, while Uriarte sits fifth on 72.

2026 Moto3 Grand Prix of Hungary Race Results

Moto3 Championship Standings

The Moto2 and Moto3 World Championships now head to Brno for the Czech Grand Prix on June 19-21.

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