Race report

MotoGP Hungarian GP: Marc Marquez takes another dramatic sprint win

Ducati rider Marc Marquez only needed good start and first-corner drama to bag yet another MotoGP sprint win

Factory Ducati rider Marc Marquez strolled unchallenged to a 13th sprint win of the MotoGP season at Balaton Park on Saturday.

Several major contenders were eliminated at the first corner, in a crash triggered by the Yamaha of Fabio Quartararo.

Fears that difficulties overtaking around the new circuit would lead to early mayhem proved entirely founded at the start, when the usually clean and measured Quartararo caused carnage with an impossible lunge.

The out-of-control M1 not only speared Enea Bastianini’s KTM off the road, but also cost front-row starter Marco Bezzecchi a great deal of time as he took evasive action. Pedro Acosta was also compromised as he swerved out of the way – while Quartararo himself was an instant retirement.

All of this happened just a fraction after leader Marc Marquez had cleared the area, following a good start by the polesitter. That one error of judgement by Quartararo effectively ended the challenge of half the riders that started from the first two rows: Bezzecchi, Bastianini and the Frenchman himself.

Almost by process of elimination, that left the VR46 riders in second and third. Franco Morbidelli initially led Fabio Di Giannantonio despite starting a row behind him – but Di Giannantonio put a move on his team-mate on the opening lap to secure a second place he would not lose.

Fabio Quartararo, Yamaha Factory Racing, Enea Bastianini, Red Bull KTM Tech 3

Photo by: Gold and Goose Photography / LAT Images / via Getty Images

The factory Hondas also benefitted from staying out of trouble, as Luca Marini took up fourth position ahead of Joan Mir. Next up were Fermin Aldeguer (Gresini Ducati), Pol Espargaro (Tech3 KTM), Bezzecchi and Gresini’s Alex Marquez.

Despite threats of battle erupting, changes in the order were thin on the ground for the rest of the race. But overtaking did not prove entirely impossible. A mistake by Mir on lap four allowed Aldeguer to pass him for fifth place. And later, both Alex Marquez and Jorge Martin passed Espargaro to round out the top nine.

That result gave Martin another point to go with the nine he picked up in the Czech Republic, getting the Aprilia rider into double figures for his injury-ravaged season.

Francesco Bagnaia managed to finish the race following the difficulties that saw him start from 15th position. But the factory Ducati was only able to gain two spots by the chequered flag.

A further first-lap incident saw the recovering Bastianini take out Johann Zarco in a similarly optimistic piece of riding to Quartararo’s. Both Bastianini and Quartararo are likely to face penalties when a post-race investigation by the stewards is complete.

Hungarian Grand Prix - Sprint results

1 - 2
Cla	Rider	#	Bike	Laps	Time	Interval	km/h	Retirement	Points
1	M. Marquez Ducati Team	93	Ducati	13	21'13.465		149.7		12
2	F. Di Giannantonio Team VR46	49	Ducati	13	+2.095 21'15.560	2.095	149.5		9
3	F. Morbidelli Team VR46	21	Ducati	13	+3.595 21'17.060	1.500	149.3		7
4	L. Marini Honda HRC	10	Honda	13	+4.890 21'18.355	1.295	149.1		6
5	F. Aldeguer Gresini Racing	54	Ducati	13	+5.692 21'19.157	0.802	149.0		5
6	J. Mir Honda HRC	36	Honda	13	+6.147 21'19.612	0.455	149.0		4
7	M. Bezzecchi Aprilia Racing Team	72	Aprilia	13	+6.266 21'19.731	0.119	149.0		3
8	A. Marquez Gresini Racing	73	Ducati	13	+7.332 21'20.797	1.066	148.8		2
9	J. Martin Aprilia Racing Team	1	Aprilia	13	+10.779 21'24.244	3.447	148.4		1
10	P. Espargaro Tech 3	44	KTM	13	+12.905 21'26.370	2.126	148.2
11	R. Fernández Trackhouse Racing Team	25	Aprilia	13	+13.148 21'26.613	0.243	148.2
12	J. Miller Pramac Racing	43	Yamaha	13	+14.097 21'27.562	0.949	148.1
13	F. Bagnaia Ducati Team	63	Ducati	13	+14.891 21'28.356	0.794	148.0
14	M. Oliveira Pramac Racing	88	Yamaha	13	+15.342 21'28.807	0.451	147.9
15	A. Ogura Trackhouse Racing Team	79	Aprilia	13	+15.467 21'28.932	0.125	147.9
16	A. Rins Yamaha Factory Racing	42	Yamaha	13	+21.007 21'34.472	5.540	147.3
17	P. Acosta Red Bull KTM Factory Racing	37	KTM	13	+22.245 21'35.710	1.238	147.1
18	B. Binder Red Bull KTM Factory Racing	33	KTM	12	+1 Lap 21'36.186	1 Lap	135.8
dnf	E. Bastianini Tech 3	23	KTM	0	+13 Laps 58.200	12 Laps		Retirement
dnf	F. Quartararo Yamaha Factory Racing	20	Yamaha	0	+13 Laps 4.102			Retirement
dnf	J. Zarco Team LCR	5	Honda	0	+13 Laps 57.998	53.896		Retirement
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