Bagnaia Outperforms Marquez in Ducati Balaton Test, Razgatlioglu's Record Intact
During a recent private testing session for Ducati at the newly constructed Balaton Park circuit, Francesco Bagnaia demonstrated superior pace, recording the fastest lap time. His performance narrowly eclipsed that of his factory teammate, Marc Marquez, in an event focused on familiarization with the new Hungarian track.
While Ducati maintained a low profile regarding the precise figures from the test, Bagnaia himself disclosed on social media that he achieved a best lap of 1 minute 41.468 seconds. Close on his heels was Marc Marquez, the current championship leader, who reportedly posted a lap time of 1 minute 41.5 seconds, just a tenth of a second shy of Bagnaia's mark.
Other Ducati riders also participated, with Gresini Ducati's Fermin Aldeguer securing the third-fastest time, approximately three-tenths behind Bagnaia. Alex Marquez, Fermin Aldeguer's teammate, and VR46 rider Franco Morbidelli, both registered times within a tenth of Aldeguer. Fabio Di Giannantonio concluded the session about half a second off Bagnaia's leading pace.
It's important to note that these test sessions were conducted on Panigale V4 road bikes, not their official MotoGP machines, and were primarily intended for riders to acquaint themselves with the layout of the Balaton Park circuit. Therefore, drawing definitive conclusions from these lap times regarding future MotoGP race performance would be premature. The Hungarian Grand Prix, where riders will compete on their full MotoGP-spec Ducatis, is scheduled for August 22-24.
Reflecting on the experience, Bagnaia shared his positive initial impressions of the Balaton track, highlighting its compact layout and the need for precision through its chicanes. He also acknowledged that the dynamics would shift considerably when navigating the circuit on a MotoGP bike. Marc Marquez echoed this sentiment, describing the track as unique and emphasizing that the MotoGP bikes would necessitate a different riding approach, particularly given the numerous braking and acceleration zones. Both riders praised the circuit's asphalt, indicating a well-prepared surface for future competitions.
Despite the competitive showing among the Ducati riders, their times were considerably slower than the outright track record. This benchmark was established by Toprak Razgatlioglu on his BMW during the World Superbike round held a few weeks prior, from July 25-27. Razgatlioglu's impressive pole lap of 1 minute 38.357 seconds underscores the significant performance differential between World Superbike machinery and the road bikes used in Ducati's test. Such a comparison is expected, as the two categories operate with distinct technical specifications and performance capabilities.