Marquez escapes Acosta and Bezzecchi to extend unbeaten run

The #93 delivers another double as KTM and Aprilia taste podium success in Hungary, while Martin earns season-best result in P4

He was made to work for it in the opening half of the Grand Prix, but in the end, Marc Marquez (Ducati Lenovo Team) pulled out a seventh consecutive victory to continue his majestic 2025 unbeaten run at the Michelin Grand Prix of Hungary. 4.3s was the #93’s winning margin over second place Pedro Acosta (Red Bull KTM Factory Racing), as early Grand Prix leader Marco Bezzecchi (Aprilia Racing) collected P3 behind the Ducati and KTM stars.

DIGGIA INTO PITLANE, CONTACT BETWEEN BEZ AND MARC
Before we had lights out, Fabio Di Giannantonio (Pertamina Enduro VR46 Racing Team) was forced to start from pitlane after the Italian suffered a technical issue, meaning P3 on the grid and the Tissot Sprint silver medallist was out of victory contention.

There was drama aplenty on the opening lap too as Marc Marquez and Bezzecchi made contact at Turn 2 after the title race leader ran wide at Turn 1. It was the Italian that led from compatriot Franco Morbidelli(Pertamina Enduro VR46 Racing Team), with Marquez slotting into P3. Then, Enea Bastianini (Red Bull KTM Tech3) slid out at Turn 12 from P4, before Alex Marquez (BK8 Gresini Racing MotoGP) crashed on the opening lap too. The #73 remounted but he was P19 and eight seconds away from Alex Rins (Monster Energy Yamaha MotoGP) at the rear of the field.

MARC VS BEZ LIGHTS UP BALATON
The Grand Prix then settled, for a while at least. Bezzecchi led Morbidelli by 0.8s at the end of Lap 3, with Marquez 0.2s behind the VR46 Ducati. Acosta had made a good start too, and the #37 was in P4, 0.8s away from the rear wheel of Marquez.

Two more riders then crashed in the early stages as both Raul Fernandez (Trackhouse MotoGP Team) and Joan Mir (Honda HRC Castrol) hit the deck at Turn 5 in separate incidents, as Bezzecchi stretched his legs at the front. But Marquez, at Turn 9, carved his way through on Morbidelli to climb into P2, with the gap at 0.7s at the end of Lap 5.

With open Hungarian asphalt ahead of him, Marquez was able to set consecutive fastest laps of the Grand Prix to reel in Bezzecchi. 1.5s in arrears, Acosta forced his way past Morbidelli to climb into P3 and then Marquez hit the engage battle button at Turn 1 on Lap 8.

That didn’t work though, and neither did a similar attempt at Turn 5. Marquez was eager to get ahead of the Italian here but there was no way through for now. On Lap 11, Marquez pounced again at Turn 1 and this time around, it was a pass that stuck. Now then Marco, what was your response? At this stage, not a lot because Marquez set a 1:38.343, Bezzecchi was in the 1:39s, and the lead grew to 1.1s.

THE LEAD GROWS AS ACOSTA POUNCES
That soon became 1.4s and the more pressing matter for Bezzecchi was Acosta. Meanwhile, Fermin Aldeguer (BK8 Gresini Racing MotoGP) crashed at Turn 1 while he was putting Morbidelli under pressure in P5, which promoted Jorge Martin (Aprilia Racing), who was on a roll steaming through the field, into fifth.

A change for P2 arrived on Lap 16, and it was a move that started three corners earlier when Bezzecchi ran slightly wide at Turn 15. That cost him the drive all the way up the start/finish straight and Acosta, strong on the anchors, picked up the P2 baton. The gap to Marquez? 2.7s.

And that’s a gap that wouldn’t shrink with Marquez controlling the situation at the front. A 1:37.843, compared to Acosta’s 1:38.258, was the knockout blow and with Acosta 2.2s clear of Bezzecchi, it looked like the podium scraps were done with. However, Martin wasn’t done. The #1 demoted Morbidelli to P5 and now, the 2024 King of MotoGP sat 2.6s behind his teammate Bezzecchi.

In the end, Marquez was simply untouchable at Balaton. The 22nd different track the #93 has claimed victory at, and one that sees his dominant march towards a seventh MotoGP title continue. Seven consecutive double wins, a 175-point lead and another pretty much perfect weekend. 

Acosta will rue a tricky qualifying but P2 is his second podium in the last three races, and Bezzecchi’s classy run of form continues – that’s four podiums in the last five Grands Prix, and the Italian is hunting Francesco Bagnaia (Ducati Lenovo Team) for P3 in the standings, as the #63 had a tougher one.

YOUR POINTS SCORERS IN HUNGARY
Chapeau to Martin in P4. That’s the reigning Champion’s best Aprilia result and he did it from P16 on the grid too. What a boost that is for Martin and his side of the box, and the same can be said for Luca Marini (Honda HRC Castrol) as the Italian gets the better of Morbidelli – who had to drop one position for cutting the chicane at Turn 9 – in the closing stages to hand himself and HRC a double top five at Balaton.

Morbidelli was P6, with Brad Binder (Red Bull KTM Factory Racing) and Pol Espargaro (Red Bull KTM Tech3) handing KTM a triple top seven. The latter enjoyed a good fight with Bagnaia and following a mistake on the last lap, the #63 lost a position to the #44 to collect P9 in Hungary.

Fabio Quartararo (Monster Energy Yamaha MotoGP) rounded out the top 10 after the Frenchman had to take a Long Lap penalty for his Tissot Sprint mistake. 11th went to Ai Ogura (Trackhouse MotoGP Team), 12th was Miguel Oliveira (Prima Pramac Yamaha MotoGP), while Rins, Alex Marquez and Di Giannantonio completed the points on a Sunday to forget for the latter duo.

The run continues. MM93 has one hand and four fingers on the trophy and next up, a return to familiar and home territory. What does Barcelona have in store? We'll find out in less than two weeks. Find full results here and see you there!

Follow the stories from Sunday:

Martin arrived in Hungary with high hopes - and he leaves with P4 after a stunner on Sunday, on the pace and then some

Acosta hails mechanics' midnight efforts after slicing up the order into second

"I want to win the title in Japan or Indonesia" - with form like this, will the #93 have a choice?

Bezzecchi on a fourth podium in five, surprise at leading the way and battling at Balaton

The grid debrief our return to Hungary for the first time since 1992

"I felt it on my butt" - just one of many quotable moments from our UNHEARD behind the podium

Alonso battles Moreira and Gonzalez to secure first Moto2 win for Colombia

The first Colombian to win a Moto2 race. It was always going to come sooner rather than later, and it landed with an almighty bang at the Michelin Grand Prix of Hungary as David Alonso (CFMOTO Inde Aspar Team) produced some breathtaking late race pace to beat title-chasing duo Diogo Moreira (Italtrans Racing Team) and Manuel Gonzalez(LIQUI MOLY Dynavolt Intact GP) in a scintillating Moto2 battle at Balaton Park. Moreira's P2 also sees us celebrate the very first South American 1-2 finish in Moto2, as the 2025 title race properly heats up. 

Jake Dixon (ELF Marc VDS Racing Team) negotiated Turn 1 expertly to swoop around the outside at Turn 2 to lead the pack, as drama unfolded further back. Celestino Vietti (Sync SpeedRS Team), Darryn Binder(ITALJET Gresini Moto2), Yuki Kunii (IDEMITSU Honda Team Asia) and Unai Orradre (QJMOTOR – FRINSA – MSI) went down at the tight right-hander, while the leading trio of Dixon, Moreira and Gonzalez began to stretch their legs.

0.7s was the early gap back to fourth place Aron Canet (Fantic Racing Lino Sonego), as we learned Izan Guevara (BLUCRU Pramac Yamaha Moto2) had jumped the start and that meant the Spaniard faced a double Long Lap penalty. Back at the front, Moreira led on Lap 4 and slotted home the fastest lap of the race to lead Dixon and Gonzalez by 0.3s, before eighth place Alonso set the fastest lap.

A second consecutive fastest lap from Moreira meant Gonzalez had to get a wriggle on – and he did at Turn 1 on Lap 6. Gonzalez passed Dixon but now, Moreira’s lead had grown to 0.7s. That was down to 0.3s soon enough though and there was a big moment on the exit of Turn 5 for Moreira. A little warning for the Brazilian, who now had his title rival clinging onto his exhaust pipe.

A few laps went by and for now, Gonzalez was happy to shadow Moreira. When will the #18 feel like it was time to pounce? Lap 15, Turn 5 – that’s when. The title race leader hit the front, so what did the #10 have in response?  The fastest lap of the race was the answer to that, but again, that was bettered by Alonso as the Colombian went into battle with Collin Veijer (Red Bull KTM Ajo) and Dixon for P3.

With five to go, this was on. Gonzalez was out of shape on the exit of Turn 4 and he somehow managed to keep the lead, but boy was that a warning shot. Moreira hadn’t bit back for now but Dixon, Alonso and Veijer were now just half a second behind the lead duo. And at Turn 1 with four to go, Alonso grabbed P3 away from Dixon.

Three to go. Gonzalez led Moreira by 0.2s, with Alonso properly in the victory equation now. It looked like Dixon and Veijer didn’t quite have enough for the top three here, and it was Alonso who was looking the strongest. The #80 was a good 0.3s plus quicker than both Gonzalez and Moriera and at Turn 1 on the penultimate lap, the reigning Moto3 Champion grabbed P2 despite a moment on the front end.

Canet, Veijer, Dixon, Moreira… just Gonzalez to go for Alonso. LAST LAP! Alonso was swarming all over Gonzalez’s rear tyre but there was no way through for now. The next passing place was Turn 9 and Alonso made his move. Late on the brakes, clean as you like, and trying to bite back, Gonzalez lost P2 to Moreira after relinquishing all his momentum on the exit of Turn 10.

Coming into the final split, Alonso had it in the bag but he was wide at Turn 15. That gave both Moreira and Gonzalez a final chance of snatching the 25 points, but Alonso defended well to keep the Brazilian and Spaniard behind him to win his first Moto2 race and become the first rookie to win in the class since Pedro Acosta, as Moreira and Gonzalez made contact out of the final corner on the run to the flag - the former coming out on top. How crucial could that result be in the championship? Only time will tell.

Fourth place went the way of Dixon who ended the race less than a second away from the win, and the British rider was over five seconds clear of the next best Boscoscuro chassis rider which was teammate Filip Salač in P8. Veijer’s P5 signals the Dutchman’s best Moto2 result in what was a classy weekend for the #95, as Canet had to settle for P6. That’s some crucial ground lost in the overall standings for the latter.

Adrian Huertas’ (Italtrans Racing Team) P7 is the rookie’s best Moto2 result, with Daniel Holgado (CFMOTO Inde Aspar Team) and Ivan Ortola (QJMOTOR – FRINSA – MSI) closing out the top 10 behind eighth place Salač to see five rookies clinch top 10s at Balaton Park.

Wow. Let's do that all over again in Barcelona, shall we? Check out full results here!

Quiles vs Perrone ends in elbows and a photo finish

Visors down, elbows out - here comes Moto3! Hungary returned to the MotoGP roster with an epic battle to kickstart Grand Prix Sunday as Maximo Quiles (CFMOTO Gaviota Aspar Team) triumphed over Valentin Perrone (Red Bull KTM Tech 3) by just 0.018s, rubbing elbows to the finish line. An instant classic saw the duel just escape the fight for third, with David Muñoz (LIQUI MOLY Dynavolt Intact GP) coming out on top there to defeat Austrian GP winner Angel Piqueras (FRINSA - MT Helmets - MSI) and Championship leader Jose Antonio Rueda (Red Bull KTM Ajo).

A clean start saw polesitter Quiles get the holeshot ahead of Perrone and Piqueras. Everyone made it cleanly through the opening lap and the pace was fierce from the start between Quiles and Perrone.  A change of lead on Lap 3 at Turn 5 saw the Argentinean take advantage of a mistake by Quiles but at Turn 9, the #28 returned to P1. The all-rookie battle allowed the pack to close up with Muñoz in P3, getting ahead of Piqueras on Lap 4 before pouncing on Perrone at Turn 9 to move into P2.

Whilst the lead battle continued at the front and the places swapped, drama further down at the end of Lap 6 for Scott Ogden (CIP Green Power), who fell at Turn 15, forcing Ryusei Yamanaka (FRINSA – MT Helmets – MSI) and Marcos Uriarte (LEVELUP-MTA) to go into the gravel. By the halfway stage and just like in Austria, Quiles was setting the pace with Piqueras into P2, Perrone third and Muñoz in P4 ahead of teammate Guido Pini (LIQUI MOLY Dynavolt Intact GP). A mistake at the end of Lap 10 by Quiles saw him drop from P1 to P4 though, leaving him the work to do as Perrone hit the front.

With five laps to go, Perrone still led ahead but this time, Muñoz had come into contention in P2 and Quiles had worked his way into P3. Piqueras sat fourth whilst Rueda had managed to bridge the gap to join the lead group in P5. Then, it was all over for Pini who fell from sixth at Turn 11. In the second group, more misfortune for Taiyo Furusato(Honda Team Asia) who crashed from P8 at Turn 1. Everything had been calm at the front but a final lap storm brewed between Perrone and Quiles.

The last lap and just a tenth split them and Quiles looked at Turn 1 but couldn’t quite make the move stick. The next big opportunity was into Turn 5 and this time, it was enough. It wasn’t over though as Perrone built momentum coming through sector three and with a run through the chicane at Turn 15 and 16, made a heroic attempt at the final corner to lead. It looked like he had it done but with a better run to the line, Quiles got alongside, banged elbows with the #73 and did enough to take an epic win. Perrone’s P2 is his best finish and a second podium in five GPs whilst Muñoz made it a fifth podium in a row. Piqueras held on to fourth to take 3 points out of Rueda’s title lead, the #99 finishing fifth.

Adrian Fernandez (Leopard Racing) had a quiet Grand Prix but took top Honda honours in sixth ahead of teammate David Almansa, with Joel Kelso (LEVELUP-MTA) securing eighth. Alvaro Carpe (Red Bull KTM Ajo) was ninth with Jacob Roulstone (Red Bull KTM Tech 3) returning to the top ten for the first time since Germany. That's a wrap on Hungary - next up it's home turf for many and familiar turf for nearly all.  Check out the full results from Moto3 and see you in Catalonia!