Francesco Bagnaia believes Marc Marquez’s knowledge from practice at the 2026 Hungarian Grand Prix will now help him solve the main issue after a dark day at Balaton Park.
Ducati colleagues Bagnaya And Marquez He had very contrasting days this Friday, with the former struggling in both sessions, while the latter set the pace in FP1 and was fastest all afternoon. VR46s Fabio D’Giantantonio It also proved the potential of the Ducati GP26.
When Bagnaia finishes on Friday Hungarian GP Down in P14, his fastest lap time was 1:37.986, Di Giannantonio ended practice in P2 with a 1:37.240 and Marquez took P7 with a 1:37.560. KTM’s Pedro Acosta set the pace at Balaton Park with a lap of 1:36.827.
Pedro Acosta at Hungarian GP 😮💨 Who will join the top 10 in Q2?
Francesco Bagnaia thinks Marc Marquez’s Hungarian GP practice ‘data’ shows similar rear grip problems
A mistake on lap 13 could have cost Bagnaia an automatic Q2 place, with Pol Espargaro reckoning he had added three or four tenths of a second to his time. It also had a wider impact, as Espargaro Bagnaia felt “desperate” in practice at Balaton Park. later.
Read more: Pedro Acosta tops Hungarian GP experience while Francesco Bagna heads into Q1
Bagnaia pointed to a surprising lack of rear grip as the cause of his struggles in the Hungarian GP, which Marquez said he also experienced after seeing the data. The 29-year-old feels that the same problem can be “advantage” of both works Ducati riders.
VR46 racer Di Giannantonio’s data from practice did not show the same problems with the rear grip that Bagnaia experienced. So, Bagnaia won’t be afraid to emulate his compatriot’s set-up on Saturday, as Di Giannantonio was seen enjoying plenty of back-hand grip “if necessary”.
“Unfortunately, I never expected this situation,” Bagnaya said Motorsport.com. “It’s true that it’s a track that doesn’t really suit my style of riding, but with the feel of the front this year, I’m happy and I’m having more fun on this track.
“Last year was a disaster, this year at least I can get into the corners. But I’m still having a lot of problems with the rear grip, which I didn’t expect here, because the road grip is theoretically high, so I didn’t think it would be a problem.”
“But every time I try to get some speed, when I lean into a corner and close the throttle, the rear wheel starts on its own. I can’t do anything about it because it’s one thing when you start with the brake or throttle, but when it starts on its own, there’s a serious grip problem.”
“It’s also true that when I looked at the data from my best lap, I would have been seventh fastest and made it to Q2 if it hadn’t started. We also looked at the data of the other Ducati riders, and it looks like me and Marc are in a very similar situation, and that can be an advantage because it can help us understand where we need to go.
“And it’s an added advantage to have Diggia opposite us, who seems to have a lot of backside. So we’ll try to understand and try to copy him if necessary.”
What are your thoughts on Hangaroring hosting the Hungarian Grand Prix next year?
Francesco Bagnaia has hinted that Balaton Park will be off the calendar after 2026.
A mistake on Bagnaia’s fastest lap, which cost him the projected three-tenths, moved the Ducati rider to around P8 instead of P14. He may still be slower than Marquez, but at least it puts the Turin native in the Q2 places.
Bagnaia will now hope that Ducati will use the information of Marquez and especially Di Giantantonio to improve his rear grip before Q1 in order to qualify for the Hungarian GP on Saturday. If they fail, the Turin native is looking at a frustrating setback a week away from the podium at Mugello.
It appeared last Sunday Bagnaia finished third at the Italian Grand Prix.It has produced the best race of the 2026 MotoGP season so far. The Ducati star battled Aprilia Assen’s Marco Bezecic for the lead at Mugello before falling back after losing to a high tire wear.
Receive competition news and updates twice a week to your mailbox
