2026 MotoGP Hungary LIVE: Qualifying updates from Balaton as Marquez takes pole

Live coverage of the qualifying session at the 2026 MotoGP Hungarian Grand Prix from Balaton Park. Qualifying is due to start at 10:50 local time, with the Sprint coming up this afternoon at 15:00.

Key Moments

• Marquez steals pole from Acosta
• Marquez, Di Giannantonio crash at turn one
• Bagnaia, Marini advance to Q2
• Marc Marquez fastest in FP2

Pedro Acosta comes into Saturday having been comfortably the fastest rider yesterday and the only rider to lap in the 1m36s bracket. His advantage over the field was over 0.4 seconds, enough to impress championship leader Marco Bezzecchi, although his weekend at Balaton came unravelled precisely at this point of the weekend last year, when he crashed at turn eight in qualifying.

Fabio Di Giannantonio was the fastest rider behind Acosta and continued to assert himself as Ducati's strongest rider in 2026, at least while Marc Marquez is recovering his physical condition. Di Giannantonio and Marquez were among only three Ducati riders to finish Practice in the top-10, Marquez finishing seventh after topping FP1, to his surprise. The other was Fermin Aldeguer in fourth.

Just ahead of Aldeguer was the leading Aprilia of Raul Fernandez, complete with his new Trackhouse livery, just under 0.2 seconds clear of championship leader Marco Bezzecchi in sixth. Jorge Martin also made it into the top-10, as did Yamaha and Honda thanks to Jack Miller and Diogo Moreira, respectively.

Francesco Bagnaia did not make the top-10 and will be in Q1 this morning, and is also concerned about the race start due to track grip in turn one.