Marc Márquez seventh, Francesco Bagnaia fourteenth in Balaton Park Friday Practice for Ducati Lenovo Team
Ducati Lenovo Team's Marc Márquez finished seventh and Francesco Bagnaia fourteenth in Friday practice at Balaton Park, with Bagnaia forced into Q1.
- 7th
- 14th
- ~0.4 seconds
What Happened
The Ducati Lenovo Team ended Friday practice at Balaton Park with mixed results. Marc Márquez, fastest in FP1, finished seventh overall after running wide during his time attack. Francesco Bagnaia placed fourteenth, missing direct Q2 entry by roughly four tenths due to a mistake at turn sixteen. Both riders face challenges ahead of qualifying and the sprint race.
“Our problem at the moment is that I'd like to push hard on every lap, but I can't. I need to do it only at certain times and this doesn't help me keep my concentration level high. This is why I went wide during the time attack, as it's not easy for me to find the right references, especially under braking.”
“We didn't manage to finish in the top ten because, during the time attack, the rear stepped out on corner entry at the final corner. I lost around four tenths, which would have been enough to secure direct access to Q2. I'm struggling a lot with rear grip and, to some degree, I'm surprised by it, especially considering the characteristics of this track.”
The team will resume on Saturday with FP2 at 10:10 local time, followed by Q1 at 10:50 and Q2 at 11:15. The eighth Sprint of the season, covering 13 laps, starts at 15:00.
Why this matters
The qualifying positions are critical for the Ducati Lenovo Team at the new Balaton Park circuit. Bagnaia's rear grip issues cost him a top-ten spot, while Márquez struggles with concentration during time attacks. Their performance in Saturday's qualifying and sprint will depend on solving these problems.
Terms in This Story
- Q1
- First qualifying session, where riders compete for the two fastest times to advance to Q2.
- Q2
- Second qualifying session for the top ten riders, determining grid positions for the race.
- FP1
- First free practice session, used for initial track acclimation and setup.
Summarised from the linked release; details can be imperfect — always verify against the original source.