MotoGP: Marquez and Bagnaia get acquainted with Balaton Circuit as Ducati holds special test running in Hungary

With still a week to go until the action resumes at the Red Bull Ring, Ducati brought the summer break to a premature end for seven drivers - including Marc Marquez and Francesco Bagnaia - as the Borgo Panigale-based manufacturer held a special test at the brand-new Balaton Lake Circuit.

MotoGP will make its return to Hungary at the end of August, with the brand-new Balaton Park Circuit set to host the third MotoGP Hungarian Grand Prix.

The track has a length of 4.115 km, and is located near Balatonfőkajár, some 85 km southwest of Budapest. The track, which was opened in May 2023, is designed to host regional and international races.

The main phase of construction for the Balaton Park started in 2019. The racetrack is owned by a private group of investors led by former racecar driver Chanoch Nissany, with the circuit's secondary goal to be to act as a test circuit for Nissan. The project was financed using the investors' own equity, without any involvement from banks or external funding.

The Superbike World Championship hosted the first international race at the Balaton Park Circuit in July. Ahead of its debut weekend, a number of WorldSBK riders held a test at Balaton Park Circuit to test the track. Among those in attendance were Honda HRC duo Iker Lecuona and Xavi Vierge riding the standard CBR1000RR-R.

In late June 2025, test riders from five MotoGP manufacturers Honda, Yamaha, KTM, Ducati, and Aprilia tested the Balaton Park Circuit. The five test riders included Augusto Fernández of Yamaha, Michele Pirro of Ducati, Pol Espargaró of KTM, Stefan Bradl of Honda, and Lorenzo Savadori of Aprilia.

With only over two weeks ahead of the MotoGP round, Ducati has organized a test run for seven drivers this Tuesday. Among the riders were six Ducati riders, Marc Márquez, Francesco Bagnaia, Alex Márquez, Fermin Aldeguer, Fabio Di Giannantonio, and Franco Morbidelli and test rider Michele Pirro. This private test was conducted on the latest Ducati Panigale V4S motorcycle.

Ducati's statement read: "The holidays ended prematurely for the Ducati Lenovo Team and the other Ducati Corse MotoGP teams. Marc Márquez and Francesco Bagnaia, together with the riders from VR46 Racing Team and Gresini Racing Team, headed to Balaton Park for a day of testing on the Ducati Panigale V4 S.

"It was a busy Tuesday, a team-building event with seven riders on track (together with Marc and Pecco, also Fabio Di Giannantonio, Franco Morbidelli, Alex Márquez, Fermín Aldeguer and Michele Pirro) to get used to the Hungarian track, which will host the Hungarian GP for the first time the weekend of August 22-24. A total of approximately 70 laps between Pecco and Marc and a more than positive feedbacks ahead of the imminent return to racing (next track event - August 15-17, Austrian GP at Spielberg)."

Commenting on his day at the Balaton Park Circuit, Bagnaia said: "Getting back on the bike after the holidays is always nice. My first impressions of the Balaton track are good.

"The track is small, you have to be careful in the chicanes, but I'm satisfied. The layout is unique, and we're having fun. It will be different with the Desmosedici GP, but for now I'm enjoying it with the Panigale V4, even trying to slide it".

His team-mate Marc Márquez commented: “A great day on track with the entire Ducati Corse Squad. I'm happy; the track layout is unique and unusual.

"It will require a slightly different riding style; it's a stop and go track and you'll need to adapt. The faster you get into the rhythm, the better it gets, and you can really enjoy the speed. The tarmac is good; they did a great job. I can't wait to race here with the MotoGP bike".