Winners and losers from MotoGP’s Hungarian Grand...

As MotoGP visited a new circuit with its own unique challenges, stringing collectively a fantastic (and even horrible) weekend proved tough for many riders and groups. Even Marc Marquez’s grand prix didn’t go fully to plan, though he inevitably gained all of it the identical and can journey again to Spain together with his customary haul of 37 factors. 

Scales have been balanced all over the place you appeared. Jack Miller, for instance, had a rotten time on the observe… however acquired his Pramac contract prolonged for 2026. The Balaton Park observe additionally had a combined report card, with a couple of safety concerns balanced out by racing that was higher than many anticipated. 

Sifting by way of the ups and downs of MotoGP’s first journey to Hungary in 33 years, a couple of patterns nonetheless emerge. Listed here are a number of the winners and losers from a busy weekend on the shores of Lake Balaton.     

Winner: Honda’s manufacturing facility crew 

Eventually, nearly every part went to plan for the HRC crew. Granted, the twisting, turning problem that’s Balaton Park was a very good match for the RC213V. Nevertheless it took a crew effort to profit from it. 

Luca Marini specifically appeared to search out useful tempo from the get-go because the riders ventured out on Friday to study the circuit, ending FP1 in fourth place. Later that day, each he and Joan Mir made it instantly into Q2. They proceeded to line up ninth and tenth on the grid. Respectable however not exceptional. 

However staying out of hassle on the first nook of the dash proved a wise transfer, as Marini got here residence fourth and Joan Mir sixth. For context, neither of them has beforehand had a high seven in a dash all season. Marini backed that up with a fifth within the grand prix, the crew’s finest Sunday end of the yr. That race did, nevertheless, present the one blot in Honda’s copybook: Mir rediscovering his crashing behavior. 

Loser: LCR Honda 

Johann Zarco, Crew LCR Honda

Photograph by: Gold and Goose Pictures / LAT Pictures / by way of Getty Pictures

The weekend started with additional proof that the second LCR Honda seat – for which Diogo Moreira has signed up subsequent yr – seems to be underneath some kind of curse. Aleix Espargaro was resulting from have a second go at changing the injured Somkiat Chantra in Hungary, however yet one more biking accident put paid to that plan. This meant that for the third time in 4 races, LCR was all the way down to a one-rider crew.  

Nor was Johann Zarco in a position to convey a lot cheer to Lucio Cecchinello’s crew. The person who led the Honda fleet earlier within the yr and even gained a grand prix was nowhere to be seen in Hungary, reporting that he had “misplaced the circulate on the bike”. 

The Frenchman missed Q2 for the primary time since Italy. In between lapping not significantly rapidly, he crashed on Friday afternoon and once more (at excessive pace) within the grand prix. He was additionally punted out of the dash on the primary lap by an out-of-control Enea Bastianini. 

By the top of the weekend, Zarco thus had the doubtful honour of being the primary MotoGP rider to succeed in 20 falls (counting all periods) for the season. 

Winner: VR46 Ducati 

Franco Morbidelli, VR46 Racing Crew

Photograph by: Gold and Goose Pictures / LAT Pictures / by way of Getty Pictures

Valentino Rossi’s squad options regularly on this listing – however you by no means know if it’s going to be a winner or a loser. The most recent episode in what Fabio Di Giannantonio described as “a rollercoaster” of a yr, nevertheless, was a very good one for the yellow Ducatis. 

Perhaps it was the truth that we have been again at a decent and twisty observe, however the VR46 pair was aggressive for the primary time because the Sachsenring. Di Giannantonio snuck by way of Q1 to place his bike on the entrance row, with Franco Morbidelli lining up fifth. The duo then promptly collected medals within the dash, behind the inevitable Marc Marquez. 

Then got here some dangerous luck, as a mechanical gremlin struck Di Giannantonio’s bike on the way in which to the grid. He ended up beginning the grand prix from the pitlane, which led to him solely scoring one level. Morbidelli dropped again to sixth after operating second early on, nevertheless it was good to see him keep out of hassle at first of each races. 

Loser: Alex Marquez 

Alex Marquez, Gresini Racing

Photograph by: Gold and Goose Pictures / LAT Pictures / by way of Getty Pictures

The youthful Marquez attracted loads of reward for his pace and consistency early within the season. However his latest distracted run of races continued with a very dangerous weekend in Hungary. 

The Gresini Ducati rider had an OK Friday, however was solely Eleventh-fastest in qualifying. That was earlier than the appliance of a three-place grid penalty on Sunday, which he earned for absent-mindedly impeding Francesco Bagnaia and Jack Miller within the Friday afternoon session. 

As in Austria, Alex Marquez didn’t seem to have an urge for food for carving by way of the pack. Attrition helped him end the dash eighth, whereas a fall early within the grand prix contributed to a decidedly underwhelming 14th place. A paltry 4 factors for the weekend was hardly worthy of a person nonetheless comfortably second on the earth championship.  

Winner: Jorge Martin 

Jorge Martin, Aprilia Racing

Photograph by: Gold and Goose Pictures / LAT Pictures / by way of Getty Pictures

Jorge Martin was a tad faster than Marco Bezzecchi on Friday, however each missed automated Q2 qualification. The query was whether or not Bezzecchi would depart Aprilia’s controversial star signing behind for the remainder of the weekend, as he had achieved in Austria. When Marco dominated Q1 and made it to the entrance row as soon as once more, whereas Jorge did not progress, the reply gave the impression to be sure. 

However Martin had different concepts on Sunday. On the again of a gradual experience to ninth within the dash, he actually acquired his head down within the Hungarian Grand Prix. Thumbing his nostril on the notion that you just couldn’t overtake at Balaton Park, he made it from sixteenth on the grid all the way in which to fourth on the flag. His quickest race lap was solely 4 thousandths away from Bezzecchi’s – little surprise that Martin declared “I’m again” after the race. 

Loser: Francesco Bagnaia 

Francesco Bagnaia, Ducati Crew

Photograph by: Gold and Goose Pictures / LAT Pictures / by way of Getty Pictures

Simply if you thought ‘Pecco’ had hit all-time low, he earns himself yet one more point out on this column by reaching a good decrease low. The weekend started with him attempting to backtrack on feedback he had made after his Austrian catastrophe – however there was no signal of a contemporary begin out on observe. Bagnaia wasn’t simply gradual, he appeared dedicated to attempting out many of the escape roads on the circuit as his battles underneath braking continued. 

With out even a straight on which the Ducati might make up a while on the remainder, Bagnaia by no means appeared a practical menace to make it to Q2. His final probability, in Q1, noticed the misplaced Italian solely set one consultant lap time – and it was nowhere close to fast sufficient. 

The Turinese trundled to an sad thirteenth within the dash earlier than discovering one thing like a candy spot on race day. However feeling upbeat after ending ninth, if you’re a double world champion, tells its personal story.