Marc Marquez topped opening practice for the 2026 Hungarian MotoGP at Balaton Park, marking a triumphant return to the top of the timesheets as he continues his recovery from shoulder surgery.
The Spanish rider clocked a blistering 1:38.626 in Free Practice 1 on Friday morning, outpacing Trackhouse Aprilia’s Raul Fernandez by just 0.169 seconds while Pedro Acosta finished third for Red Bull KTM Factory Racing, 0.298 seconds behind the leader.
This marked Marquez’s first pole-position-style result since the 2025 Grand Prix of Hungary, demonstrating that despite still “riding strange” according to his own assessment, the eight-time world champion remains fully capable of fighting at the very front of MotoGP’s premier class.
As the 45-minute FP1 session commenced, the opening twenty minutes proved relatively uneventful compared to the drama that would follow, with most riders focusing on installation laps and system checks rather than pushing for outright speed.
Marc Marquez gradually began to make his presence felt, methodically working through the track’s sectors and building confidence in his shoulder’s ability to withstand the physical demands of the track.
By the midpoint of the session, Marquez had established a clear lead, sitting just over a tenth of a second ahead of the competition but Pedro Acosta and fellow Murcian Fermin Aldeguer began to mount a serious challenge all coming within a tenth of the factory Ducati.
KTM appeared to have found the key to unlocking Balaton Park’s unique characteristics as Acosta then climbed to the summit of the timesheets with a stunning 1:38.012, briefly displacing the seven time premier world champion.
However, that stint didn’t last long as Aldeguer fired his Gresini Ducati GP25 to an impressive 1:37.793, becoming the session leader.
Despite the late drama and the emergence of new leaders, it was ultimately Marc Marquez who reclaimed his position at the top of the timesheets as Raul Fernandez bested Acosta with a final flyer to take second.
Aldeguer finished fourth followed by Ducati stablemates Di Giannantonio and Francesco Bagnaia. Ai Ogura was seventh, while Luca Marini was the top Honda in eighth, with championship leader Marco Bezzecchi and Pramac’s Toprak Razgatlioglu completing the top ten.
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Full 2026 Hungarian MotoGP FP1 Results
| Pos | Rider | Team | Time/Diff |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Marc Marquez | Ducati Lenovo (GP26) | 1’38.626s |
| 2 | Raul Fernandez | Trackhouse Aprilia (RS-GP26) | +0.169s |
| 3 | Pedro Acosta | Red Bull KTM (RC16) | +0.298s |
| 4 | Fermin Aldeguer | BK8 Gresini Ducati (GP25) | +0.472s |
| 5 | Fabio Di Giannantonio | Pertamina VR46 Ducati (GP26) | +0.532s |
| 6 | Francesco Bagnaia | Ducati Lenovo (GP26) | +0.615s |
| 7 | Ai Ogura | Trackhouse Aprilia (RS-GP26) | +0.639s |
| 8 | Luca Marini | Honda HRC Castrol (RC213V) | +0.726s |
| 9 | Marco Bezzecchi | Aprilia Racing (RS-GP26) | +0.742s |
| 10 | Toprak Razgatlioglu | Pramac Yamaha (YZR-M1)* | +0.772s |
| 11 | Fabio Quartararo | Monster Yamaha (YZR-M1) | +0.823s |
| 12 | Jorge Martin | Aprilia Racing (RS-GP26) | +0.928s |
| 13 | Diogo Moreira | Pro Honda LCR (RC213V)* | +0.964s |
| 14 | Maverick Viñales | Red Bull KTM Tech3 (RC16) | +1.154s |
| 15 | Joan Mir | Honda HRC Castrol (RC213V) | +1.192s |
| 16 | Franco Morbidelli | Pertamina VR46 Ducati (GP25) | +1.200s |
| 17 | Brad Binder | Red Bull KTM (RC16) | +1.269s |
| 18 | Enea Bastianini | Red Bull KTM Tech3 (RC16) | +1.357s |
| 19 | Jack Miller | Pramac Yamaha (YZR-M1) | +1.407s |
| 20 | Alex Rins | Monster Yamaha (YZR-M1) | +1.854s |
| 21 | Iker Lecuona | BK8 Gresini Ducati (GP26) | +2.036s |
| 22 | Cal Crutchlow | Castrol Honda LCR (RC213V) | +3.578s |
