Marc Marquez phenomenal, makes it 100 at Balaton: Ducati grateful for Aprilia's pile-up

Aprilia drama at the start, then Marc outduels Acosta and completes a perfect weekend in Hungary: the Ducati rider believes in the World Championship.

The 2026 Hungarian Grand Prix ends with Marc Marquez triumphing in the MotoGP long race held this afternoon at the Balaton Park Circuit. The decision to fit the medium rear tire proved spot on and helped him claim his 100th victory in the Motorcycle World Championship. Pedro Acosta, second, had started on the soft and led for a few laps: he tried to respond blow for blow to the Ducati rival, but eventually had to give in and settle.

Pecco Bagnaia also steps onto the podium, virtually never shown during the live TV broadcast: he rode a solitary race. The Ducati Lenovo MotoGP team can be happy, also because it benefited from the incredible incident at the start of the race, when at the braking for turn 1 Jorge Martin caused the crashes of Marco Bezzecchi, Raul Fernandez, Fermin Aldeguer and Fabio Di Giannantonio (HERE the details). A Sunday to forget for Aprilia.

The only RS-GP26 to reach the finish was Ai Ogura’s, fourth ahead of an excellent Luca Marini on Honda. Also in the points were Diogo Moreira, Iker Lecuona, Jack Miller, Enea Bastianini, Brad Binder, Toprak Razgatlioglu, Diggia, Alex Rins, Franco Morbidelli and Maverick Vinales.

LAP 1/26: Marquez holds the lead ahead of Acosta. Martin takes out Bezzecchi, Di Giannantonio, Fernandez and Aldeguer by arriving way too hot into the first corner.

LAP 2: Acosta slips past Marquez, the top two have pulled a gap on the rest. The KTM rider has a soft rear tire, the Ducati man a medium.

LAP 4: Acosta, Marquez, Bagnaia, Miller, Marini, Bastianini, Moreira, Mir, Ogura, Quartararo, Razgatlioglu, Lecuona, Binder, Rins, Vinales in the points.

LAP 5: Acosta is 1.3s ahead of Marquez, who in turn is 1.1s ahead of Bagnaia. Surprising to see Miller fourth.

LAP 7: Marquez is less than a second behind Acosta, while Bagnaia is 2s off his teammate and over 2.7s ahead of the Miller-Marini-Moreira-Bastianini-Mir-Ogura-Lecuona group. LONG LAP PENALTY FOR BASTIANINI for unsafe rejoin. On the previous lap he ran wide and, in trying to get back on line, didn’t look for oncoming riders, causing contact with Mir. The investigation resulted in a penalty.

LAP 8: Bastianini serves the long lap, rejoins eleventh behind Razgatlioglu.

LAP 9: 7–8 tenths between Acosta and Marquez. Bagnaia a lonely third. Miller still fourth, hounded by the Honda trio Marini-Moreira-Mir.

LAP 12: Acosta has about half a second over Marquez. Marini is fourth after passing Miller.

LAP 14: Marquez is glued to Acosta and seems to have more pace. Marc passes, Pedro reacts and retakes the lead: there’s contact too! The duel heats up.

LAP 15: Marquez manages to complete the overtake on Acosta and takes the lead of the MotoGP race at the Balaton Park Circuit. Mir crashes at turn 11.

LAP 16: Marquez has more in hand and already gains a 1s advantage over Acosta. Bagnaia 4.5s off the KTM rider and 6s ahead of Marini, who has Miller, Ogura, Moreira, Lecuona, Binder and Razgatlioglu behind.

LAP 17: Ogura passes Miller, moves up to fifth.

LAP 21: Marquez has 1.7s over Acosta and looks to manage it. Bagnaia, Marini, Ogura, Moreira, Miller, Lecuona, Binder and Bastianini complete the top 10.

LAP 23: Marc’s lead over Pedro stretches beyond 2s, and the latter has to concede. Quartararo returns to the box, while Diggia is back in the points after rejoining the race.

LAP 25: Ogura overtakes Marini for fourth.

LAP 26 (FINAL): Marc Marquez triumphs at the Balaton Park Circuit, 100 victories in the Motorcycle World Championship! Acosta and Bagnaia on the podium.