Marc Marquez – who dismissed his victory chances on Thursday – starts the Balaton Park MotoGP weekend on top of the timesheets in Free Practice 1.
Last year’s runner-up Pedro Acosta led the early stages before the defending winner moved ahead.
Ducati’s reigning champion Marquez, recovering from shoulder surgery, finished with a 0.169s advantage over Trackhouse Aprilia’s Raul Fernandez with Acosta in third for KTM.
Marquez kept the same tyres throughout the 45 minutes.
Luca Marini was the top Honda in eighth, just ahead of world championship leader Marco Bezzecchi in ninth. Aprilia team-mate and title rival Jorge Martin was twelfth.
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Toprak Razgatlioglu clipped the back of Ai Ogura in the opening minutes, before rising as high as fourth at a track he enjoys after dominating in WorldSBK last season.
Razgatlioglu finished FP1 in tenth, as the top Yamaha rider.
Iker Lecuona, 2026 Hungarian MotoGP.
© Gold and Goose
Alex Marquez and Johann Zarco remain absent due to injuries sustained in Catalunya last month.
Despite retiring at half-distance with a muscle tear in Mugello, Cal Crutchlow is replacing Zarco for a second weekend at LCR Honda, while Gresini has called up WorldSBK rider Iker Lecuona for a Ducati MotoGP debut.
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Lecuona was a full-time MotoGP rider with Tech3 KTM in 2020 and 2021, taking a best result of sixth, but didn’t score during seven replacement MotoGP appearances for Honda.
Unlike Crutchlow, Lecuona knows the Balaton Park circuit from WorldSBK, where he is currently second to Aruba.it Ducati team-mate Nicolo Bulega.
Cal Crutchlow, 2026 Hungarian MotoGP.
© Gold and Goose
2026 Hungarian MotoGP, Balaton Park – Free Practice (1) ResultsPosRiderNatTeamTime/DiffLapMax1Marc MarquezSPADucati Lenovo (GP26)1’38.626s12/19297k2Raul FernandezSPATrackhouse Aprilia (RS-GP26)+0.169s17/19293k3Pedro AcostaSPARed Bull KTM (RC16)+0.298s12/18295k4Fermin AldeguerSPABK8 Gresini Ducati (GP25)+0.472s17/17297k5Fabio Di GiannantonioITAPertamina VR46 Ducati (GP26)+0.532s17/20298k6Francesco BagnaiaITADucati Lenovo (GP26)+0.615s15/17298k7Ai OguraJPNTrackhouse Aprilia (RS-GP26)+0.639s17/19298k8Luca MariniITAHonda HRC Castrol (RC213V)+0.726s16/20299k9Marco BezzecchiITAAprilia Racing (RS-GP26)+0.742s17/19298k10Toprak RazgatliogluTURPramac Yamaha (YZR-M1)*+0.772s18/19290k11Fabio QuartararoFRAMonster Yamaha (YZR-M1)+0.823s19/19289k12Jorge MartinSPAAprilia Racing (RS-GP26)+60.928s19/19298k13Diogo MoreiraBRAPro Honda LCR (RC213V)*+0.964s18/18295k14Maverick ViñalesSPARed Bull KTM Tech3 (RC16)+1.154s20/22295k15Joan MirSPAHonda HRC Castrol (RC213V)+1.192s15/18297k16Franco MorbidelliITAPertamina VR46 Ducati (GP25)+1.200s17/17293k17Brad BinderRSARed Bull KTM (RC16)+1.269s14/18298k18Enea BastianiniITARed Bull KTM Tech3 (RC16)+1.357s17/17298k19Jack MillerAUSPramac Yamaha (YZR-M1)+1.407s16/18292k20Alex RinsSPAMonster Yamaha (YZR-M1)+1.854s12/17291k21Iker LecuonaSPABK8 Gresini Ducati (GP26)+2.036s19/20294k22Cal CrutchlowGBRCastrol Honda LCR (RC213V)+3.578s17/18293k
* Rookie
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Official Balaton Park MotoGP Records:
Subscribe to our MotoGP NewsletterBest lap: Marc Marquez, Ducati, 1m 36.518s (2025)Fastest race lap: Marc Marquez, Ducati, 1m 37.699s (2025)