MotoGP: Marquez wins comeback in Hungary thanks to smart choice of Michelin tires
Marc Márquez (Ducati Lenovo Team) dominated his comeback race at Balaton Park, home of the Grand Prix of Hungary, Round 8 of the 2026 MotoGP™ World Championship. The Spaniard qualified on pole before winning both the sprint and grand prix. Second and third in Sunday's showpiece were Pedro Acosta (Red Bull KTM Team) and Francesco Bagnaia (Ducati Lenovo Team). Tire-choice played a key role in the outcome but all the different combinations delivered high grip and consistency. Read on for more about what happened during the HungarianGP.
Having missed the last two rounds because of injury, Márquez bounced back to win in Hungary after starting from pole position. While on the grid, the Spaniard took the decision to switch to the medium rear MICHELIN Power Slick Medium and got away well to lead during the first of the afternoon's 26 laps.
Next time around, however, Acosta – who had opted for the soft rear – succeeded in finding a way through to take control and pull clear of the defending champion, aided by the grip provided by his rear tire.
The two riders' pace as they battled for supremacy was such that they were able to pull several seconds clear of their pursuers, and it is during this phase that they both clocked their best laps of the afternoon.
At around the halfway point, Márquez was able to benefit from the consistency of his medium rear tire and eventually find a way past Acosta on Lap 15. From that point, the Ducati star was able to control from in front and win by a margin of 1.3 seconds. The result was his 100th world-class victory in total, his 74th at MotoGP™ level and his 50th on Michelin rubber.
His clean-sweep weekend also included success in Saturday's sprint which enabled him to harvest a maximum points-haul (37) and climb to fifth in the championship standings, 72 points behind current leader Marco Bezzecchi (Aprilia Racing).
Acosta's performance on Sunday was rewarded with second place, with Bagnaia (+11s), Ai Ogura (TrackHouse Racing MotoGP) and Luca Marini (Castrol Honda HRC) rounding out the top five.
While all the riders chose the medium front and soft rear for the sprint, tire-choice played a decisive role in the grand prix for which – like Márquez – a number of riders made a last-minute change on the grid. Two different combinations made it onto the podium and, in spite of their differing pairings, Marquez and Acosta both posted quick laps during their battle.
Despite being involved in a collective collision into the race's first corner, Bezzecchi (18 points) and Jorge Martin (160) still occupy the top two places in the Rider's standings. Fabio Di Giannantonio (Pertamina Enduro VR46 Racing Team) is third on 138 points.
Next round: Grand Prix of Czechia, Brno (June 19-21).