The summer break was cut short for the Ducati Lenovo Team, as Francesco Bagnaia and Marc Márquez traded beaches for bikes, getting back in the saddle at Hungary’s brand-new Balaton Park Circuit.
Joined by the full Ducati Corse MotoGP lineup—including riders from VR46 Racing, Gresini Racing, and test rider Michele Pirro—the squad turned up the heat for a one-day test on the Ducati Panigale V4 S. The aim? Get a feel for the track before the circuit hosts its first-ever Hungarian GP on August 22–24,2025. 
It wasn’t your typical pre-race shakedown. With seven riders on track—Bagnaia, Márquez, Fabio Di Giannantonio, Franco Morbidelli, Alex Márquez, Fermín Aldeguer, and Michele Pirro—the session doubled as both a technical reconnaissance and a full-on team-building event. Between them, Bagnaia and Márquez clocked around 70 laps, gathering crucial feedback ahead of their return to full-speed MotoGP action at the Austrian GP (August 15–17, 2025).
Rider Reactions from Balaton Park
Francesco Bagnaia (#63 – Ducati Lenovo Team):
“Getting back on the bike after the holidays always feels good. Balaton Park is a tight circuit—you have to be smart in the chicanes—but I really enjoyed it. The layout is technical and fun.
Riding the Panigale V4 here is a blast, especially when you start sliding around. It’ll be a whole different game with the Desmosedici GP, but I’m already looking forward to it.”
Marc Márquez (#93 – Ducati Lenovo Team):
“What a day! It was great to be on track with the whole Ducati Corse squad. The Balaton layout is definitely unusual—it’s a stop-and-go kind of track, which means you need to ride a little differently.
But once you get into the rhythm, it’s seriously fun. The asphalt is great, and the team did an excellent job getting us ready. I can’t wait to return with the MotoGP bike!”
With Hungary set to debut on the MotoGP calendar this August, Ducati’s early move to scout the track underscores their commitment to staying one step ahead. Between high-speed bonding, technical insights, and a few controlled slides on the Panigale V4 S, the red-clad riders made one thing clear:
Ducati is already dialed in for Balaton.