Marc Marquez tests at new MotoGP track - there’s already a reason he’ll love it

MotoGP championship leader Marc Marquez and the rest of Ducati’s stable of riders have been testing at Hungarian Grand Prix venue Balaton Park ahead of its debut this month.

The Hungarian Grand Prix has made its way back onto the MotoGP calendar for the first time in over 30 years, with the series heading for the new Balaton Park venue.

Previously, MotoGP during the 500cc era raced at the Hungaroring in 1990 and 1992, with Mick Doohan and Eddie Lawson taking the only Hungarian Grand Prix wins in the premier class so far.

Having been listed as a reserve circuit in recent years, MotoGP will race at Balaton Park on 22-24 August following modifications to the circuit earlier this year.

The circuit is set to provide a level playing field for MotoGP when it heads there in a few weeks.

However, its anticlockwise layout will likely favour Marc Marquez, whose strength in his riding lies in his speed through left corners.

Ducati test at Balaton Park

Ahead of this, Ducati has taken to the circuit on Tuesday 5 August for a private track day featuring all six of its race riders plus tester Michele Pirro.

Marquez and factory team-mate Pecco Bagnaia, Gresini duo Alex Marquez and Fermin Aldeguer, and VR46’s Franco Morbidelli and Fabio Di Giannantonio have spent the day at Balaton Park riding V4 Panigales.

This marks Morbidelli’s return to riding having missed the last two grands prix with an elbow injury from a crash during the German Grand Prix sprint.

MotoGP bikes have already been around Balaton Park, with a Michelin test for factory test riders organised in June.

KTM tester Pol Espargaro said the circuit is: “Fun. It’s okay. We have tracks like this, like Sachsenring - it’s not a very long place but we get used to it.

“So, it’s a matter of getting used to it. What’s most important is that the safety conditions are not bad.”

Ducati follow in Toprak Razgatlioglu's footsteps

Balaton Park is one of MotoGP’s shorter tracks, with the World Superbike lap record from its Hungary round last month a 1m38.357s.

All three races at the Balaton Park World Superbike round were won by BMW’s Toprak Razgatlioglu, who will come to MotoGP next year with Pramac Yamaha.

The Turkish rider was fond of the venue because of its numerous hard braking zones.

“[I’m enjoying] every corner because every chicane I make heavy braking,” he said at the time.