Hungary’s Balaton Park awoke to MotoGP riders and their race machines on Friday. How did the hotly-debated new circuit compare to expectations?

Friday was a positive day for Pol Espargaro. KTM’s test rider, who is standing in for the injured Maverick Viñales was a brilliant ninth in Practice. He may have tested the RC16 here previously, handing him a temporary edge. But for the second time in three races, the former Moto2 champ proved he is still more than competitive.

Pedro Acosta stole the headline lap time from Marc Marquez on day one of MotoGP’s return to Hungary. Pace analysis favours the Ducati rider,

MotoGP bikes are already way faster than what WorldSBK managed at the Balaton Park circuit. MotoGP machines have spun their first-ever laps around the newly-built Balaton Park circuit, and they are considerably faster than the best lap time from last month's WorldSBK round.

0.006s is the gap splitting Friday pacesetter Pedro Acosta (Red Bull KTM Factory Racing) and Marc Marquez (Ducati Lenovo Team) after an intriguing opening day of action at Balaton Park, as Alex Marquez (BK8 Gresini Racing MotoGP) closes out the top three in Practice at the Michelin Grand Prix of Hungary.

Yamaha is yet to finalise its 2026 MotoGP line-up, leaving two grand prix winners in limbo as it looks to tempt a young gun from Moto2. But with its Austria disaster highlighting the gap Yamaha still has to bridge,

MotoGP: VIDEO - Salucci commented with our Matteo Aglio on Friday's Balaton Park and told a great anecdote: "In 2004, he said that the in-line 4 would last another 20 years... he was right!"

Create a MotoGP™ account now and gain access to exclusive content, such as the MotoGP™ Newsletter, which features GP Reports, incredible videos and other interesting information about our sport.

Francesco Bagnaia told Ducati he was running out of patience after the most recent setback at the Austrian Grand Prix.

MotoGP: In Gresini team's pre-qualifying, Alex obstructed Jack and Bagnaia, while the Pramac rider did the same to Pecco. The penalty is for Sunday's race.

Pol Espargaro will join the MotoGP grid for the second time in 2025 this weekend at Balaton Park to replace countryman Maverick Vinales.

SPIELBERG, Austria, Aug 17 (Reuters) - Six-times MotoGP champion Marc Marquez marked the 1,000th premier class race in history by winning the Austrian Grand Prix for the first time in his career to take a mammoth 142-point lead over his brother Alex in the championship.