During a private Ducati test at Balaton Park in Hungary earlier this week, Pecco Bagnaia posted the fastest lap time, beating his factory teammate Marc Marquez. Although Ducati did not officially disclose the lap times, Bagnaia revealed on Instagram that his quickest lap aboard the Panigale V4 was 1 minute 41.468 seconds, narrowly ahead of Marquez’s 1 minute 41.5 seconds.
Other Riders’ Performances and Test Context
Fermin Aldeguer from Gresini Ducati secured third place in the time sheets, trailing Bagnaia by three tenths but just ahead of VR46 rider Franco Morbidelli and Alex Marquez. Fabio Di Giannantonio finished the day roughly half a second behind the fastest time. Given the exploratory nature of this session and the use of the Panigale V4 instead of the standard MotoGP bikes, lap times provide limited insight into competitive performance.
Riders and teams are expected to return to their usual MotoGP machinery during the upcoming Hungarian Grand Prix, scheduled for August 22-24 at the same circuit.
Riders Reflect on Balaton Park’s Layout and Challenges
Pecco Bagnaia described the circuit as compact, with particular attention needed when navigating chicanes. He remarked,
“First impressions of Balaton are good,”
adding,
“The layout is very small, and you need to be cautious in the chicanes. With a MotoGP bike, everything will be different.”
Marc Marquez highlighted the uniqueness of the track, especially the numerous braking and acceleration zones requiring a distinct riding approach. He stated,
“The track layout is very unique and unusual,”
and added,
“Riding it will require a slightly different style with the MotoGP bike – there are many braking and acceleration zones, so adaptation will be key. The more laps you do, the more you enjoy it, and you really feel the speed. The asphalt is excellent – they’ve done a great job.”
Marquez also expressed enthusiasm about the upcoming race, saying,
“After having fun with the Panigale, I’m really looking forward to racing here with the MotoGP bike.”
Comparison With WorldSBK Track Record
Bagnaia’s best lap was notably slower than the track record set recently by Toprak Razgatlioglu during the World Superbike (WorldSBK) round held from July 25-27. Razgatlioglu, riding a BMW, set an outstanding pole lap time of 1 minute 38.357 seconds in Superpole, nearly three seconds faster than Bagnaia’s effort. However, this gap is expected due to the differences in machinery and test conditions and should not be seen as a direct comparison of speed or skill.
