MotoGP 2026

Round Eight – Balaton Park
MotoGP Sprint Race

Marc Marquez converted pole position into a controlled lights-to-flag Sprint victory at Balaton Park, the Ducati Lenovo rider making the first corner count before setting up the win with a decisive opening burst.

The reigning World Champion led Pedro Acosta by half a second at the end of the opening lap, then posted the fastest lap of the race on lap two, a 1m37.901 that proved the only sub-1m38 lap of the Sprint. By lap four, Marquez had the gap out beyond two seconds, and from there the race became less about stretching away and more about protecting what he had already built.

Acosta kept the pressure honest for Red Bull KTM Factory Racing and closed the final margin to 1.548 seconds, but the Spaniard was never close enough to launch a serious attack. Marco Bezzecchi completed the podium for Aprilia Racing, a valuable result on a day when outright race pace and track position did not always tell the same story.

The 13-lap Sprint was run in dry conditions, with an air temperature of 24 degrees and track temperature of 44 degrees. All 22 starters were a new medium front and a new soft rear slick.

Marquez made the race in the opening laps

Marquez later said the strategy was clear: get through Turn 1 first, then ride the first three or four laps as though they were qualifying laps. His 1m37.901 on lap two was the fastest lap of the race, while his next two laps, 1m38.171 and 1m38.069, were enough to take the margin from 0.509 seconds at the end of lap one to 2.037 seconds by the end of lap four.

From there, the lead hovered around the two-second mark for much of the Sprint. Acosta was actually fractionally faster on several later laps, and the KTM rider trimmed the final margin after Marquez backed off on the last lap, but the heavy lifting had already been done. On a circuit where several riders complained about the difficulty of overtaking, clean air was worth its weight in gold.

Marquez also made clear afterwards that the result should not be read as a complete physical turnaround. His view was more measured: the layout suited him better because there were only three right-handers where he had to really push, and he felt he had improved through the left-handers. Sunday’s longer Grand Prix will test that equation more thoroughly.

Acosta gives KTM a clear Sunday target

Acosta’s second place was his third Sprint podium of the season, following victory in Thailand and second in Catalunya. He admitted his start was not ideal, but once the field was through the tight and awkward Turn 1 complex, he settled into a rhythm that was good enough to keep Marquez within sight, even if not close enough to threaten.

The Red Bull KTM rider’s best lap, a 1m38.332 on lap five, ranked only seventh-fastest in the race, but his consistency was more important. Across the middle of the Sprint, he stayed in the low-to-mid 1m38s, keeping Bezzecchi at bay and ensuring KTM left Saturday with a front-row race result rather than just a Friday promise.

Bezzecchi banks the points as Aprilia stack the front six

Bezzecchi’s Sprint was largely made in the first few hundred metres. Starting sixth, he was third by the end of lap one, slotting in behind Marquez and Acosta while others around him lost ground. From there, his task was defensive rather than attacking, as Fermin Aldeguer and then Raul Fernandez both took turns applying pressure.

The Aprilia rider’s best lap of 1m38.200 was the fourth-fastest of the race, but the more important number was seven points. Bezzecchi extended his World Championship lead to 20-points over team-mate Jorge Martin, who could only finish sixth after losing time in traffic.

Aprilia’s overall picture was still strong. Bezzecchi was third, Fernandez fourth, Martin sixth, and Ai Ogura later underlined the RS-GP’s race pace by setting the second-fastest lap of the Sprint on lap 12, a 1m38.166, despite finishing only 11th. That late speed from Ogura reinforced the theme of the race: pace was there for several riders, but recovering track position was another matter entirely.

Fernandez was only 1.251 seconds behind Bezzecchi at the flag and had the pace to worry the championship leader, but he also described the problem of running close behind another bike at Balaton Park. The Trackhouse rider said the front tyre overheated when he got near Bezzecchi, making it difficult to stop the bike and launch a move. His fourth place was still another useful result, and he remains fifth in the championship, one point ahead of Ogura.

Aldeguer’s missed podium chance

Aldeguer started from the front row and initially ran fourth, but his podium shot took a hit on lap three when he had a major front-end moment at Turn 9. He gathered it up, but the mistake allowed Fernandez through and left the Gresini Ducati rider chasing rather than dictating.

His pace was good enough for more. Aldeguer’s 1m38.187 on lap seven was the third-fastest lap of the Sprint, behind only Marquez and Ogura. He was also faster than Bezzecchi’s best lap, but the earlier mistake and the difficulty of trying to find an overtaking opportunity through Balaton Park’s tight sections left him fifth at the flag. It was still his best Sprint result of the season, but also one that clearly carried a sense of what might have been.

Martin had a similarly compromised afternoon. He started eighth, was seventh at the end of the opening lap, then lost time after running wide while attacking Diogo Moreira. He eventually got past the Honda rider and finished sixth, but by then the podium group was gone. The result was only the second time this season Martin has finished a Sprint without standing on the podium.

Moreira and Bastianini make their moves

Diogo Moreira again showed well for Pro Honda LCR. From 11th on the grid, he was sixth at the end of lap one and held a place in the top seven throughout the Sprint. His fastest lap, a 1m38.476, was just seven-thousandths slower than Bagnaia’s best, and good enough to rank 11th overall on the fastest-lap sheet.

Enea Bastianini also made useful ground from 14th on the grid to eighth at the finish. His opening lap lifted him to tenth, and he was up to eighth by lap three. From there, he held position to bank two points for Red Bull KTM Tech3, despite again reporting front-edge grip issues that started after only a few laps.

Tech3 team manager Nicolas Goyon noted that Bastianini’s Sprint lap times were broadly comparable with Acosta’s, and the timing sheets give that comment some weight. Bastianini’s best lap was a 1m38.431, only 0.099 seconds slower than Acosta’s personal best, but the difference was that Acosta had track position from the start, while Bastianini was recovering from the fifth row.

Bagnaia salvages the final point

Francesco Bagnaia’s ninth place kept his Sprint points streak alive, but it was another hard afternoon for the Ducati Lenovo rider. He started fifth, was eighth at the end of lap one, and spent the rest of the Sprint trying to limit the damage rather than joining the podium fight.

Bagnaia said he was braking hard but losing too much drive on the corner exit as the rear of the bike moved around. His best lap, a 1m38.469, was good enough for tenth on the fastest-lap list, but the early loss of track position proved costly. He finished 8.237 seconds behind Marquez and only 0.232 seconds ahead of Fabio Di Giannantonio, who had started fourth but also lost ground early.

The one consolation is that Bagnaia remains the only rider to have scored points in every Sprint so far this season. That is worth noting, but the contrast inside the Ducati factory garage was stark: Marquez won from pole and became the equal-most successful Sprint rider in MotoGP history, while Bagnaia took the final point.

Yamaha still short of the points

Toprak Razgatlioglu was the best of the Yamahas in 13th, a result that does not tell the full story but still underlines how much work remains. Starting 18th, the Turkish rider was 16th at the end of lap one and gradually worked forward, eventually finishing ahead of Jack Miller, Joan Mir and Brad Binder.

Razgatlioglu’s best lap, a 1m38.759 on lap 12, was 13th-fastest overall and within nine-tenths of Marquez’s race-best lap. He was also only 0.024 seconds slower than Luca Marini’s best lap on the Honda. The issue, as Razgatlioglu and the Pramac Yamaha team both identified, remains acceleration and corner exit. On a track with several slow exits and short bursts of drive, that weakness was costly.

Miller finished 14th after spending much of the race in and around the lower edge of the top dozen. The Australian said the hotter, lower-grip conditions made tyre management more critical, and that a battle with Ogura cost him rhythm in the final laps. Fabio Quartararo was 17th, Alex Rins 21st, leaving Yamaha without Sprint points from the factory team and still searching for a bigger step on Sunday.

Bring on Sunday

Marquez now has 18 Sprint wins, drawing level with Jorge Martin at the top of the all-time Sprint win list. He also recorded his 33rd Sprint podium, tying Bagnaia for second on that measure. The larger Sunday storyline is even more significant: Marquez will be chasing his 100th Grand Prix victory across all classes, a milestone previously reached only by Giacomo Agostini and Valentino Rossi.

Bezzecchi, meanwhile, takes a 20-point championship lead over Martin into the Grand Prix. Three Aprilias finished in the top six, Ogura had the second-fastest lap of the Sprint, and Trackhouse again had both riders showing competitive pace at different stages.

The Sprint also made one thing clear: Balaton Park is unlikely to reward riders who give up track position cheaply. With the tyre choice uniform across the field and passing opportunities limited, Sunday’s longer race may come down to the same fundamentals: the start, front temperature in traffic, and who can maintain drive without overstressing the rear. That also means that riders will have their elbows, knees and everything else out to try and forge an advantage into turn one when the lights go out on Sunday…

Balaton Park MotoGP Sprint Race Results

MotoGP Championship Points

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Balaton Park MotoGP Sprint Race Quotes

Marc Márquez – P1

“The strategy was clear: try to get through Turn 1 first and then ride the first three or four laps as if it were qualifying. Everything went according to plan, and in fact, when I realised I had a second and a half or two to go, I rationed my energy, especially in view of tomorrow, which will be a longer race. We’ve made a step forward on the left-handers; now we need to improve on the right-handers too, but we’ll get there too. This result doesn’t mean we’ve solved the physical situation in three days; we’ve simply changed the track, and here there are only three right-handers where you have to push. There’s still a bit of a road ahead.”

Pedro Acosta – P2

“An amazing pace from the beginning. I did not make a great start and everyone was struggling today in a tricky Turn 1. We have to be happy. We’re back on the podium and we just have to try and improve for tomorrow.”

Marco Bezzecchi – P3

“The start didn’t go badly at all because that was still a complicated position, all the way on the inside, and the first corner here is rather tight, with somewhat particular asphalt conditions. It’s important to try to stay focused and do a good job on Sunday as well, but I’m pleased so far.”

Raul Fernandez – P4

“I’m really happy. On a track where we can’t use our style 100%, we’re quite competitive. Also, this morning, I made a mistake but I had good potential to be at least on the second row. In the Sprint, we had really good pace and I tried to overtake Marco (Bezzecchi) until the end, but I didn’t have the chance. On this track it’s really difficult to be close, I had overheating on the front tyre and then it’s quite difficult to attack because you can’t stop the bike. Using the soft is not great for us, but here we couldn’t make the medium work for the Sprint. Overall, I think it was a positive day again, we took some important points for the team and I feel we are on a good path – we have good pace for tomorrow.”

Fermin Aldeguer – P5

“We lost the podium position at the first corner. There are still plenty of positives to take away: a great pace, an important save from what could have been a crash, and a lot of good feelings heading into tomorrow’s race. We knew this would be a difficult track for overtaking, one where you really have to make moves happen. I tried, but especially against Bezzecchi, I struggled to stay in the slipstream on corner exits.”

Jorge Martin – P6

“I started well, but in the early laps I struggled a bit in traffic. I tried to overtake Moreira, but I went wide and lost more than a second and, consequently, I also lost contact with the group ahead of me. Despite this, I kept pushing and giving it one hundred percent all the way to the end. The sensations aren’t the best and we need to continue working to find the confidence that will allow me to ride the bike in a more natural way. However, the overall balance is positive.”

Diogo Moreira – P7

“Today I gave absolutely everything in the Sprint. I did my best and got the most out of our package to secure this result. We know we can be more competitive in Sprint races, and that’s what I tried to make the most of today. We’re working really well and making progress every weekend, so we need to keep this momentum going and see what we can achieve tomorrow.”

Enea Bastianini – P8

“My potential was a bit higher but all weekend I’ve made mistakes in the heavy braking areas. It was very difficult to stop the bike and that also happened in my second run in Q1. In the afternoon, we improved a bit in the Sprint. In Turn 1 I was really competitive and could overtake some riders. My pace wasn’t so bad, but I suffered a lot with front edge grip, like we did in the last two or three rounds. The problem starts after two or three laps and the front starts to move. We’ll try and improve this for tomorrow.”

Francesco Bagnaia – P9

“We had the pace to be further ahead, but it’s a shame about the start. The conditions today were unusual: if you find yourself behind, it’s difficult to overtake. I’m braking really hard, but on the exit, when I’m trying to find speed, the rear of my bike goes off and I end up losing a lot of ground. Marc made a step forward in terms of grip today, and I hope we can do the same for tomorrow’s race. Fortunately, we did well in qualifying, especially getting through Q1: a fifth place, given the characteristics of the circuit and my riding style, is a very good result. The goal now is to finish top five in the race as well.”

Fabio Di Giannantonio – P10

“Obviously, I’m not happy with how the race went. The start wasn’t bad, but I think we can still improve the bike for tomorrow. On this track, where braking is very difficult, it’s important to get a good race start and stay as close as possible to the riders in front of you. In general, I always struggle a bit in the opening laps because, with a full tank, the bike puts a lot of load on the front end, and this situation improves as the laps go by. Today we struggled more than usual. I think we have identified a change to make for tomorrow that could allow us to take a step forward.”

Ai Ogura – P11

“My start was OK but, in the first sector, in turn one, two, three and four, after the start I couldn’t find the space. This was the biggest problem in the Sprint today. We were on the outside of turn one and everybody looks for the inside. That definitely doesn’t help but I need to firstly qualify better but also manage better from this kind of starting position. We have another race tomorrow and somehow we need to do better.”

Luca Marini – P12

“Positive to come through Q1 today, we were able to put together a good lap at the right time. It’s the first time all year that I have felt strong like this in Qualifying. Not our best start today, we have become used to better ones and then my braking point wasn’t ideal so we could have made up some more places with a bit more risk. I was behind Pecco and Diggia for a while, but I didn’t have the same speed or feeling as this morning – much less grip than before. We need to check how we can improve the grip and the turning for tomorrow, understand what tyre to use depending on how the temperature behaves as it was quite hot today.”

Toprak Razgatlioglu – P13

“The race was not too bad overall. I lost quite a lot of time at the start, especially in the first corner, and that made the opening laps difficult. From that point on, I focused on finding my rhythm and my pace improved as the race went on. The positive thing is that I‘m much happier with the bike under braking now. We found some improvements in Mugello and continued in the same direction here, which has given me more confidence entering the corners. Our main limitation is still on acceleration and corner exit. We know where we are losing performance and the engineers can clearly see it in the data. We are working to improve the first touch of the throttle because that area is costing us a lot of drive and grip. Even with those difficulties, I‘m enjoying this circuit and I feel competitive in several sectors, especially through the chicanes. If we can make another small step tomorrow, I believe we can improve our pace again and have a stronger race.”

Jack Miller – P14

“It was a more difficult day for us today. The conditions were quite challenging and we struggled a bit more than we did yesterday, so now the focus is on analysing all the data and understanding what we can improve for tomorrow. The race itself wasn‘t too bad. I was running reasonably well until I got involved in a battle with Ai Ogura. We went back and forth a few times and, while trying to stay with him, I lost a bit of my rhythm and that affected the final laps of the Sprint. The hotter conditions made things more complicated. Compared to Friday, grip levels felt lower and tyre management became much more critical. Throughout the race, I was constantly trying to keep the tyre temperature under control and that made it difficult to fully exploit the bike‘s potential. Even so, we gathered a lot of useful information. We know which areas need improvement and we’ll use everything we’ve learned today to try and take another step forward in tomorrow‘s Grand Prix.”

Joan Mir – P15

“We were really close to getting through Q1 with Luca, a shame to miss out but I think I made up for it with my start to the Sprint! A tricky day today, in the Sprint we had a lot of vibration again and it was quite complicated to ride how I wanted. You probably saw me drop quite some places in the Sprint and this was just from a small mistake, nothing strange. I did my best to get the bike home, stay with my teammate for as long as could and try to improve for tomorrow. The condition of the track changed quite a lot from this morning to the afternoon so we need to check what the situation will be on Sunday.”

Brad Binder – P16

“I had a great launch off the line but went too wide into Turn 1 and gave up something like five seconds. I went backwards on that first lap. After that I tried my best to get rolling but I had massive understeer and was struggling to keep the front up. I really hope we can find something for tomorrow to make the front stick.”

Fabio Quartararo – P17

“I was trying to play with the limit in qualifying and sometimes that doesn’t work out, like in Turn 14. Without good grip here, I’m making a lot of mistakes, and also the front grip is not great here, which I didn’t expect. So, I’m just trying to do my best.”

Iker Lecuona – P18

“Overall, it was still a positive day. We had some good sessions this morning and a decent qualifying. We had a lot of speed today and I enjoyed myself, but unfortunately this track is really difficult for overtaking. I have to admit I took the start calmly and didn’t want to overdo it. I found myself almost at the back, but I was able to make several passes on a circuit where overtaking is very challenging. We definitely had the pace to finish inside the top 12, but today it just wasn’t possible.”

Maverick Viñales – P19

“I need to understand how to ride this bike here. It’s very complicated, and I’m not able to find any strong points which I can rely on to make the lap time. It feels like every time I brake late, I miss the corner, or I try to increase my corner speed, and I find the bike doesn’t turn. I need to work on this. In the Sprint I couldn’t disengage the start device at Turn 1 and it stayed down for a few corners. But it was OK, because I then had some space to work. We put in a different setting after Qualifying and we saw some positives and negatives that would’ve been hard to see if I was riding in the group. We’re working and trying to understand how to be quicker.”

Franco Morbidelli – P20

“It has been a very complicated weekend so far. The feeling, both in qualifying and in the Sprint, has been completely different compared to last year, when we were faster and managed to finish on the Sprint podium. We need to keep working and try to solve what is preventing us from being as fast as we should be. A night of hard work awaits us so we can arrive tomorrow with improvements.”

Alex Rins – P21

“This morning we found something on the set-up. It didn’t fix all the problems that we have, but it allowed me to put the bike wherever I wanted. That said, the Sprint was tough for me because I had to deal with some vibrations. I was trying to understand how to get rid of it, but I couldn’t succeed. For sure, the team will investigate what caused it and then let’s see what we can do tomorrow.”

Cal Crutchlow – P22

“The shoulder is not too bad, actually better than I expected. I wanted to save some energy and manage the race in a smart way, and we managed to do that. I’m losing some time in the changes of direction, but in other areas I’m performing quite well. Right now, we’re not focused on the result; we’re focused on understanding more and continuing to make progress. This circuit is demanding for me because I have no references here, as it’s completely new. In any case, we’re doing a good job and I’m feeling comfortable on the bike. Let’s see what we can do tomorrow!”

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Team Managers

Aki Ajo – Red Bull KTM Factory Racing Team Manager

“Another Sprint podium for Pedro and we have to be happy, especially after a challenging weekend in Mugello. It’s a really good result, and also shows the good pace for tomorrow’s longer race. Since yesterday we could see this track and the conditions suit Pedro and our target is to be one position higher on Sunday. An unfortunate race for Brad and because of that first lap with group traffic. It’s tough in this category to get back through. We hope he will also have a better chance tomorrow.”

Fabiano Sterlacchini – Aprilia Racing

“We struggled in qualifying with all our riders, but we were coming from an outstanding Friday, with four RS-GP26 machines in Q2. The sprint race was influenced a bit by the low grip level. All our riders complained of some difficulties riding – some in the initial stages and some in the final stages. We tried to limit the damage and achieve the best possible result. The overall picture is still positive, with Marco on the podium and three Aprilias in the top six.”

Davide Brivio – Trackhouse MotoGP Team Principal

“I think it was a good Sprint from Raul today. We knew on this track it’s difficult to overtake so it’s also tricky to battle with the other riders. He was behind Marco and the best he could do was to keep the position. P4 is quite good – congratulations to Raul. I think we also saw something today that we can hopefully try to improve for tomorrow to be a bit better. Ai lost a few positions in the first corners to avoid some contact with other riders and then it was difficult to recover. But, once again, at the end he was the fastest guy on the track, second best lap of the Sprint and he made three or four overtakes. He was the only one doing this so a very good end of race. Hopefully, this is a good test for tomorrow and we are looking forward to improving the bike a little bit and the position on the track.”

Nicolas Goyon – Red Bull KTM Tech3 Team Manager

“Honestly, we all expected a little more coming to Hungary, but we’ve been struggling a bit. Enea only qualified 14th today, but he had a good start and ended up in P8 after passing Pecco Bagnaia and Fabio Di Giannantonio. So, this is a good result here. His lap times in the Sprint were very similar to Acosta’s, and he ended up in P2 today. All in all, this gives us some hope for tomorrow. With a bit of work, we should get a good result in the main race. On the other side of the garage the weekend has been more difficult for Maverick. We don’t hide behind the condition of his shoulder for the lack of performance. He’s just struggling with his bike at the moment. We’re still looking for a fast setting for him. We need to keep our heads down and try and bring his confidence back. It’s time to work and let’s see the result tomorrow.”

Gino Borsoi – Prima Pramac Yamaha Team Manager

“Overall, the weekend has been going quite well so far. Since Friday, Toprak has consistently shown the pace to be inside the top ten. He struggled a little more in qualifying, but that was something we expected because we are still not able to fully exploit the extra grip offered by the soft tyre. What was encouraging once again is what happened during the race. Just as we saw in Mugello, from the middle of the Sprint onwards our pace was much closer to the front runners, often within around half a second per lap. That confirms once again that, on used tyres, the gap is not as large as the final positions might suggest. Jack also delivered a very solid race, fighting hard throughout the Sprint and showing competitive pace. Both riders were able to be much more involved in the battles around them than on some of the previous circuits. Of course, these are not yet the positions we ultimately aspire to fight for, but the signs are positive. If we can repeat this level of performance in tomorrow‘s Grand Prix, it would be another important step forward for the project.”

Massimo Meregalli – Monster Energy Yamaha MotoGP Team Director

“We arrived at Balaton with the aim to understand how our bike performs at this circuit. Although last year was challenging, we didn’t expect to face this level of difficulty. It has been a very tough qualifying and Sprint for us today. Starting from P15 and P20, we knew it would be an uphill battle, and the low-grip conditions at the start of the race didn’t help us either. Unfortunately, we weren’t able to make the progress we had hoped for over the 13 laps. We are anticipating another demanding race tomorrow, but we will stay focused, analyse everything carefully, and keep pushing to extract the maximum from our package.”

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Balaton Park MotoGP Combined Qualifying Times

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Moto2 Qualifying

Guevara grabs Balaton Moto2 pole as Agius joins front row

Izan Guevara timed his run to perfection at Balaton Park to claim Moto2 pole position, the BLU CRU Pramac Yamaha Moto2 rider producing a 1m40.280 late in Q2 to edge Filip Salac by just 0.024 seconds.

Senna Agius made it an especially strong qualifying result for Australian interests, the Liqui Moly Dynavolt Intact GP rider completing the front row, only 0.035 seconds from pole. Championship leader Manuel Gonzalez had earlier looked a strong candidate for pole after topping Friday and Saturday practice, but the Spaniard was ultimately pushed back to fourth, still only 0.061 seconds away from Guevara.

That top-four spread underlined how tight the intermediate class was around Balaton Park. Guevara, Salac, Agius and Gonzalez were split by just over six-hundredths, while less than three-tenths covered the top nine and just over half-a-second covered the top dozen.

Guevara’s pole came after a difficult start to the weekend. The Spaniard said he and the team had been working through front brake issues that had carried across from Mugello, while his first hot lap in Q2 was cancelled for exceeding track limits. His second lap briefly put him near the sharp end, but the decisive strike came on lap six of seven, when he delivered the 1m40.280 that secured his second pole position and third front-row start of the 2026 Moto2 season.

The result was all the more useful given the nature of Balaton Park. Several riders noted that the circuit is tight and technical, with limited places to make clean passes. Agius said the extra pressure to qualify well came from knowing how difficult overtaking could be on Sunday, while the track also felt noticeably more slippery than it had during practice.

Agius adapted well to those conditions. Having missed this event last year through injury, he built through the weekend and put himself on the front row with a 1m40.315. That puts the Australian in a prime position to attack early rather than spend the opening laps trying to work through traffic.

Gonzalez will start from the head of the second row alongside Alex Escrig and Daniel Holgado. Gonzalez said the result was not quite what he had hoped for after his practice form, but he remains confident in his race pace on used tyres. His priority now is clear: make a good start, complete a clean first lap and stay in the fight for victory.

Holgado also has reason to be encouraged. The CFMOTO Inde Aspar Team rider improved late to sixth with a 1m40.470 and said his race simulation had been strong, especially over the second half of the run. His team-mate David Alonso will start ninth after a small mistake in the final corner cost him the chance to move further up the order. Alonso’s 1m40.557 still left him only 0.277 seconds from pole, but on a circuit expected to make overtaking awkward, that lost row could prove expensive.

Collin Veijer and Alonso Lopez will start seventh and eighth, directly ahead of Alonso, while Daniel Muñoz completed the top ten. Barry Baltus, Celestino Vietti, Zonta van den Goorbergh, Jose Antonio Rueda, Tony Arbolino, Aron Canet and Alberto Ferrandez completed the classified Q2 order.

Ferrandez was 17th after his first flying lap was also cancelled for track limits, while Ivan Ortola was not classified in Q2 after going down early at turn one. The Moto2 race is scheduled for 12:15 local time on Sunday.

Balaton Park Moto2 Qualifying Times

Moto2 Championship Standings

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Moto3 Qualifying

Almansa denies Quiles for Moto3 pole at Balaton Park

David Almansa claimed the Moto3 pole position at Balaton Park, the Liqui Moly Dynavolt Intact GP rider denying Maximo Quiles by just 0.064 seconds in a Hungarian Grand Prix qualifying session that proved more complicated than the raw timing sheet suggests.

Almansa’s 1m45.686 came on lap six of eight and was enough to give him his third pole position of the year. Quiles, who had broken the circuit record earlier in the day, had looked well placed to take pole for the CFMOTO Gaviota Aspar Team, but his 1m45.750 left him second as Almansa struck late.

The front row will be an all-Spanish affair, with Brian Uriarte third for Red Bull KTM Ajo. The gap from Quiles to Uriarte was a substantial 0.573 seconds, suggesting Almansa and Quiles may have a small pace margin over the rest of the field heading into Sunday.

Almansa said his pole lap was not perfect, as he felt he left a hundredth or two in the final corner, but the result still mattered. He also suggested that he and Quiles appear to have slightly more in hand than the rest, although he said his side of the garage still had areas to address before the race.

Quiles was left to rue a tense final phase of qualifying. The Aspar rider said he had riders queued up behind him, which made it harder to execute the lap he wanted, and he admitted to making mistakes in a few corners. He also wondered whether changing tyres had been the right call, as he felt more comfortable on used rubber.

Valentin Perrone will head the second row from Jesus Rios and Rico Salmela, while Marco Morelli starts seventh after being in the mix for a top-five result during the session. Morelli said he still had room to improve but was pleased to have secured a third-row start, adding that his race objective will be to latch onto the front group early.

Adrian Cruces qualified eighth, ahead of Veda Pratama, while Australian Joel Kelso will start tenth for GRYD Racing. Kelso matched Adrian Fernandez’s 1m46.862, but the Australian was classified ahead, putting him on the fourth row. Casey O’Gorman, Ruche Moodley, New Zealander Cormac Buchanan, Matteo Bertelle, and Guido Pini completed the Q2 order.

David Muñoz endured a bruising session and was listed as not classified in Q2 after a crash. Muñoz said he was sore but okay and thanked his crew for their efforts to get him back on track in time. Alvaro Carpe was also listed as not classified in Q2.

For Sunday, the key question is whether Almansa and Quiles can make an early break. Quiles said he hopes the lead group is small, while Morelli also expects a select group of three or four riders to shape the race. Around Balaton Park, where track position and rhythm are likely to be critical, the first two laps could be decisive.

Balaton Park Moto3 Qualifying Times

Moto3 Championship Standings

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2026 MotoGP Calendar

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