Marc Marquez (Ducati Lenovo Team) vs Pedro Acosta (Red Bull KTM Factory Racing) went to the wire to decide pole position at Balaton Park, with the #93 just coming out on top by half a tenth. Despite early drama for Marquez as he slid out at Turn 1, he continued on to eventually set a 1.36.785 and deny Acosta by 0.053. Completing the front row, Fermin Aldeguer (BK8 Gresini Racing MotoGP) gives chase in P3, but three tenths off the top.<\/p>\n
Q1: LATE MOVES ON TOP
In Q1 there were several key names looking for a way through \u2013 including Barcelona and Mugello podium finisher Francesco Bagnaia (Ducati Lenovo Team). As Honda HRC Castrol held onto a provisional 1-2, Bagnaia was down in P9 after the first runs \u2013 but the #63 then pulled out a fast one to be leading the way as the seconds ticked down on the clock.<\/p>\n
That demoted Joan Mir (Honda HRC Castrol) to third and left it as Bagnaia and Luca Marini (Honda HRC Castrol) heading through. A late lap from Fabio Quartararo (Monster Energy Yamaha MotoGP) saw the Frenchman lose out in the final sectors and his challenge fade, left in P15 overall.<\/p>\n
Q2: THE DUEL HEATS UP
The drama was immediate in Q2, with Marc Marquez sliding out at Turn 1 \u2013 a true slide out low side, no harm done \u2013 followed nearly immediately by Fabio Di Giannantonio (Pertamina Enduro VR46 Racing Team) doing the exact same thing about 5m further round the corner. Both kept it running and both kept running too, opting to stay out and neither pitting in.<\/p>\n
Meanwhile at the top, there were red sectors coming in and a familiar name in P1 after his Friday Practice domination: Acosta. The #37 was fourth tenths clear of Martin before another assault came in, with Marc Marquez slotting into second, still over two tenths off, ahead of Raul Fernandez (SuperFile Trackhouse MotoGP Team) and then Aldeguer \u2013 shuffling Martin down to fifth.<\/p>\n
The wick was soon to turn up. Acosta was flying and bettered his own provisional pole lap by another chunk \u2013 and then came Marquez. The #93 was on the pace but not pulling out much of a gap, keeping fans glued to the screen to see whether he\u2019d just do it over the line \u2013 and he did. By hundredths.<\/p>\n
Acosta was still out there but wasn\u2019t able to quite take it back, and then he\u2019d rolled out of it \u2013 leaving Marquez on another hot lap trying to better his own best, and Diggia the only other rider who looked like he might have something in the locker. Marquez crossed the line to go 0.006 faster, and Diggia saw his time fade round the lap. So that\u2019s that: it\u2019s the #93 on pole, with Acosta forced to settle for second by 0.053, and their speed setting the stage for what could be an instant classic Sprint this afternoon.<\/p>\n
THE GRID SETS THE STAGE
Marquez vs Acosta heading the grid promises quite a show, but they very much have company. Aldeguer moved up to take that P3 last on, denying Di Giannantonio as he heads up Row 2 in fourth. Bagnaia went from Q1 to take fifth on the grid, with Championship leader Marco Bezzecchi (Aprilia Racing) sixth on the outside of the second row. After showing some serious speed in the first two sectors, a mistake on one lap and time fading in Sector 3 sees the #72 looking for more in race trim.<\/p>\n
Fernandez was shuffled down to seventh ahead of Martin, with Marini taking P9 after coming through Q1. Ai Ogura (SuperFile Trackhouse MotoGP Team) takes P10 and will be looking to move forward, as will Diogo Moreira (Pro Honda LCR) from P11. Jack Miller (Prima Pramac Yamaha MotoGP) completes the Q2 runners in P12, starting just ahead of Mir after the #36 got left in Q1.<\/p>\n