Budapest (Hungary), Aug 23 (IANS) The first-ever MotoGP qualifying session at Balaton Park threw up some drama and surprises, and the grids look set to stage two intriguing showdowns at the Grand Prix of Hungary here on Saturday, with Marc Marquez taking the pole position.
Marquez (Ducati Lenovo Team) starts from the front with a new lap record, his closest challenger so far this weekend, Pedro Acosta (Red Bull KTM Factory); crashed out, Francesco Bagnaia (Ducati Lenovo Team) failed to make it into Q2 while and Marco Bezzecchi (Aprilia Racing) pulled off another comeback from Q1 to the front row.
As in Austria a few days back, both Aprilia Racing riders – Bezzecchi and reigning Champion Jorge Martin – found themselves in Q1, and this time they also had Bagnaia for company. Bezzecchi, who moved through a week ago and converted that into pole in Q2, once again topped the table this time round.
Bagnaia briefly took second before a flurry of challenges from elsewhere, with Brad Binder (Red Bull KTM Factory Racing) pipping the Italian before Fabio Di Giannantonio (Pertamina Enduro VR46 Racing Team) had the final say – slotting in two tenths behind Bezzecchi but taking that coveted second place in Q2. Bagnaia was left behind Binder and Jack Miller (Prima Pramac Yamaha MotoGP) in P13 to P15. The last time the 2022 and 2023 Champion failed to make it out of Q2 was Indonesia 2023 – although he did go on to win…
There was drama almost immediately. The only rider to beat Marc Marquez to the top so far this weekend, Acosta, crashed out on his first attempt – leaving him running back to the pits to try and salvage his shot at pole.
Meanwhile, Marc Marquez was top of the pile – and still setting red sectors on the timing screens. After the first runs, the #93 sat at the top after putting in the first benchmark and then bettering it, with Fermin Aldeguer (BK8 Gresini Racing MotoGP) in second before Enea Bastianini (Red Bull KTM Tech3) and Joan Mir (Honda HRC Castrol) elbowed the rookie down to fourth.
Dusted off and back out for more, Acosta did make it out in time for the second run. The first moves came from Bezzecchi as the #72 reloaded after a short excursion through the gravel to put his Aprila in second, pipping Diggia to it. From there, no one was really able to turn up the wick – with the #93 beating his own best to increase his gap at the top.
That leaves a front row of Marc Marquez, Bezzecchi, and Di Giannantonio, ahead of another impressive day at the office from Bastianini. The ‘Beast’ puts it in fourth ahead of Franco Morbidelli (Pertamina Enduro VR46 Racing Team).
Sixth goes to qualifying empresario Fabio Quartararo (Monster Energy Yamaha MotoGP) as the sole Yamaha in Q2, making it an ever-impressive second row start, with Acosta left down in P7 after his crash. He went back out and set a lap but will be pushing hard to make progress from the off. Aldeguer is eighth, with Luca Marini (Honda HRC Castrol) completing the third row, just pipping teammate Mir.
Red Bull KTM test rider and Tech3 supersub this weekend, Pol Espargaro, completes the Q2 runners after a late crash – and that means it’s Alex Marquez (BK8 Gresini Racing MotoGP) in 11th. Second in the standings, that’s already an expensive place for the #73 to start – and on Sunday, he has that three-place grid penalty too.
Similarly, Binder – Miller – Bagnaia will be an elbows-out fourth row on Saturday, but come Sunday, the #43 will serve that three-place grid penalty. Sunday looks like this from Row 4: Mir, Pol Espargaro, and Binder ahead of Bagnaia, Alex Marquez, and Raul Fernandez (Trackhouse MotoGP Team) on the fifth row. Martin slots into P16 ahead of Miller.
–IANS
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