Image: from Michelin Motorsport X @Michelin_Sport
By Open Chronicle with agencies
Marc Márquez made a strong start to the Hungarian Grand Prix weekend by topping the opening MotoGP practice session at Balaton Park on Friday morning.
The Ducati rider posted the fastest lap of the session with a time of 1:38.626, immediately establishing himself as one of the favorites for victory at the eighth round of the 2026 MotoGP World Championship.
Márquez finished 0.169 seconds clear of Raúl Fernández, who delivered an impressive performance aboard the Trackhouse Aprilia to secure second place. Pedro Acosta continued KTM’s encouraging form by claiming third, while Fermín Aldeguer placed fourth on the Gresini Ducati.
Fabio Di Giannantonio completed the top five on a VR46 Ducati, adding further evidence of Ducati’s strength at the newly introduced Balaton Park circuit.
Ducati and Aprilia Show Early Speed
The opening session featured a competitive mix of manufacturers near the front of the field.
Francesco Bagnaia, Márquez’s teammate at the factory Ducati squad, ended the session sixth fastest. Ai Ogura followed in seventh for Trackhouse Aprilia, giving the satellite team two riders inside the top seven.
Honda also showed signs of progress, with Luca Marini securing eighth place. Championship leader Marco Bezzecchi finished ninth for Aprilia, while Toprak Razgatlioglu rounded out the top ten on the Pramac Yamaha.
Although Bezzecchi did not feature among the session’s leading contenders, the Italian remains focused on maintaining his championship advantage as the season enters a crucial phase.
Martín and Moreira Outside Top Ten
One of the notable surprises of the session was the performance of Jorge Martín. The Aprilia rider and current championship runner-up could only manage 12th place, leaving work to do ahead of the crucial afternoon session.
Brazilian rider Diogo Moreira, the only Brazilian competing in MotoGP this season, finished 13th on his LCR Honda. Despite missing out on the top ten, Moreira remained within striking distance of the fastest riders and will look to improve as the weekend progresses.
Qualifying Places at Stake
The afternoon practice session will carry additional importance, as it will determine the ten riders who advance directly to Q2 qualifying.
With the field tightly packed and several leading contenders separated by only a few tenths of a second, teams are expected to focus heavily on time attacks during the next outing at Balaton Park.
The MotoGP schedule continues on Saturday with a final practice session, followed by qualifying and the Sprint race. The Hungarian Grand Prix itself will take place on Sunday.
Top 10, FP1 Hungarian Grand Prix
- Marc Márquez (Ducati) – 1:38.626
- Raúl Fernández (Trackhouse Aprilia) – +0.169
- Pedro Acosta (KTM)
- Fermín Aldeguer (Gresini Ducati)
- Fabio Di Giannantonio (VR46 Ducati)
- Francesco Bagnaia (Ducati)
- Ai Ogura (Trackhouse Aprilia)
- Luca Marini (Honda)
- Marco Bezzecchi (Aprilia)
- Toprak Razgatlioglu (Pramac Yamaha)