MotoGP’s first-ever Balaton Park lap times are considerably faster than WorldSBK
MotoGP bikes are already way faster than what WorldSBK managed at the Balaton Park circuit.
MotoGP machines have spun their first-ever laps around the newly-built Balaton Park circuit, and they are considerably faster than the best lap time from last month's WorldSBK round.
If we take the fastest WorldSBK time from the recent Hungarian round (1:38.357s), which was set by Toprak Razgatlioglu on his BMW M1000 RR in qualifying, and put it against Pedro Acosta’s top time of 1:37.061s from Friday practice, then the margin is a healthy 1.3 seconds faster in favour of the MotoGP bike.
Marc Marquez had already beaten Razgatlioglu’s time in FP1 by 0.401s to underline how quick MotoGP bikes are against Superbike machinery, even with the track having a tight and twisty layout.
Such circuits normally result in the gaps between MotoGP and WorldSBK machines shrinking as top speed makes less of an impact. However, the margins we saw today are only expected to grow between the two types of bikes, as qualifying is usually the fastest session of a MotoGP weekend.
Furthermore, all 21 MotoGP riders that took part in the afternoon practice were faster than Razgatlioglu’s Superpole time.
Acosta beats Marc Marquez to top spot by 0.006s in practice
After dominating the opening practice at the Balaton Park circuit, Marquez, who usually adapts to new circuits better than any other rider, had to play second best to the KTM rider who sprung a surprise.
While Ducati’s advantage over the rest of the field has somewhat shrunk in 2025, the Italian brand still remains the manufacturer to beat. Marquez has won the last six races and six sprints, but even his younger brother Alex has been dominant if you compare him to non-Ducati riders.
That said, Acosta topped Friday practice by just 0.006s ahead of Marc Marquez, despite suffering a late highside. The next best non-Ducati rider was Enea Bastianini in fifth.
Fancy watching a MotoGP bike, with an onboard camera angle go round the Balaton Park circuit? If you do, you're in luck, as the video below shows Acosta riding the track on his RC16 during today’s practice.
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After graduating with a sports journalism degree, Robert joined Crash.net to lead the WorldSBK coverage in 2021, while also providing MotoGP coverage. Fulfilling that role for over three years, Robert was able to put his knowledge about all things racing to the test.
