Overview
- Marquez said he can “forget” about fighting for a podium at Balaton Park unless rivals make mistakes, a position he voiced on Thursday ahead of the Hungarian Grand Prix.
- He returned to racing at Mugello after a second operation to remove a screw that was pressing a nerve, where he qualified the top Ducati in fourth but fell to seventh in the race.
- Marquez is still hampered by reduced shoulder strength and a healing foot fracture from a Le Mans crash, limitations he says sap his confidence and race pace.
- Aprilia’s riders Marco Bezzecchi and Jorge Martín have opened a clear performance gap, with Bezzecchi extending his title lead after a Mugello one-two that underlines Ducati’s current challenge.
- Balaton Park historically suits Marquez after his double wins there in 2025, but he frames Brno in a few weeks as the realistic checkpoint for visible physical and confidence gains.