MotoGP Hungary, FP1 classification: Marquez leads at Balaton, Bezzecchi 9th

First free practice session led by the Ducati champion, with the best Aprilia being Fernandez’s. Marini (Honda) and Razgatlioglu (Pramac Yamaha) in the top 10.

The morning at the Balaton Park Circuit ends with the best time set by Marc Marquez who, despite not being in perfect physical condition yet, was the fastest of all in FP1. Best lap in 1'38"626. Behind him is Raul Fernandez’s Aprilia, 169 thousandths down on the reigning MotoGP champion. The session’s virtual podium is completed by Pedro Acosta’s KTM, 298 thousandths behind the Ducati rider.

Three different manufacturers in the top three positions, followed by a Ducati trio of Fermin Aldeguer, Fabio Di Giannantonio, and Pecco Bagnaia, all more than 4 tenths down on Marquez. In seventh place is the other Aprilia Trackhouse, ridden by Ai Ogura, ahead of Luca Marini’s Honda.

Marco Bezzecchi, leader of the MotoGP overall standings and recent winner at Mugello, finished FP1 with the ninth fastest time. A 742-thousandth gap to MM93. The top 10 is closed out by Toprak Razgatlioglu with the Yamaha of the Prima Pramac team. The three-time Superbike world champion is feeling fairly comfortable at the Balaton Park Circuit, where he had already raced in 2025 with the BMW M 1000 RR in the production-based championship. It’s a different story now, but the characteristics of the track seem to suit him and his current bike.

The lap times and gaps from this first free practice session should be taken with a grain of salt; each team carried out specific work with their riders. In the afternoon, during Pre-Qualifying, we should get a clearer picture of the pecking order in Hungary.

Paolo Bonora, Aprilia race manager, spoke to Sky Sport MotoGP: "Here we need to show that this year’s bike has taken a step forward. It’s a completely different track, more stop-and-go and narrower, so some setup adjustments are needed. Last year, sorting out agility while maintaining stability was key. It seems we’ve taken a step forward in both directions. This is a very particular layout and all these aspects will be highlighted; we hope to confirm the improvements. Turns 1 and 7 have been resurfaced, we’ll fully understand the situation from the data".

Michele Masini, BK8 Gresini Racing team manager, also spoke to Sky Sport MotoGP about Alex Marquez’s condition and the presence of Iker Lecuona as a substitute: "We spoke with Alex earlier as well. He was with the physiotherapist; he’s doing everything possible and even the near-impossible to recover as soon as possible. Obviously, he’s paying maximum attention, with the goal of taking a step forward each day toward full recovery. We’re not in a hurry; the priority is that he returns at 100%, then we’ll decide when he’ll be back on track. Lecuona did a very long first run and did very well, improving lap after lap. We’re happy to have given him this opportunity, given that he’s having a very good Superbike season. We hope he can have a weekend of growth, while enjoying himself".

Before on-track action began, some important official communications arrived. One concerned the Pit Lane Procedures, with an update made necessary following what happened at Jerez. Many will remember that in the Sprint Marc Marquez crashed at the final corner and then cut across the track and grass to enter the pit lane. A maneuver contested by many and not penalized, because the regulations did not provide for any kind of penalty. The Ducati rider had performed an action deemed irregular.

The procedures have now been formally updated, in line with the pit lane entry protocol issued by Race Direction ahead of the French Grand Prix. In all on-track sessions, including races, the only permitted entry and exit to/from the pit lane is by using the designated entry/exit point and route, delimited by the white dashed line, following the access road to the pit lane and crossing the designated timing point for pit lane entry.

In all cases, the specific information issued by Race Direction for each circuit, defining prohibited routes, applies. If the white dashed line is not crossed or the pit lane entry/exit road is not used in full, the Stewards may impose the appropriate penalties. The regulation update will prevent cases similar to the one involving Marquez at the Spanish GP.

Another important announcement this morning was released by the American team Trackhouse, renamed SuperFile Trackhouse MotoGP Team after signing a multi-year contract with SuperFile, a Chicago-based company that has become the new title partner of Justin Marks’s team.

A partnership between the parties had already been formalized at the United States Grand Prix in Austin, where Ai Ogura and Raul Fernandez raced with SuperFile logos on the front of their Aprilia RS-GP26s. The first full SuperFile livery, however, was unveiled at the Spanish Grand Prix in Jerez. The agreement has now been expanded and also covers the team’s naming rights.

Surely the good results achieved by Ogura and Fernandez are helping Trackhouse attract sponsors. The Aprilia RS-GP26 is super competitive and, not by chance, the Noale factory team has also recently announced an important partnership with Monster Energy, which will also become title sponsor from 2027.