Marquez Masters Hungary Sprint for Seventh Straight Win

Marc Marquez tightened his grip on the MotoGP world championship after a commanding ride in Hungary, where he claimed his seventh consecutive Sprint victory at Balaton Park.

The Spaniard, already on a six-race winning streak in Sunday grand prix events, made light work of the short-format contest. Starting from pole on his factory Ducati, Marquez broke clear early and crossed the line nearly three seconds ahead of the chasing pack.

VR46 Ducati’s Fabio Di Giannantonio settled for second place, while his teammate Franco Morbidelli completed the podium. Marquez now sits 152 points clear at the top of the standings, with younger brother Alex Marquez trailing in second after finishing eighth.

Italian rider Francesco Bagnaia endured another frustrating weekend, finishing only 13th and leaving Hungary without points. The two-time world champion had earlier struggled in qualifying, managing just the 15th-fastest time.

The race itself saw chaos unfold at the first corner. Yamaha’s Fabio Quartararo attempted a late-braking move on Marquez but collided with KTM rider Enea Bastianini. Quartararo went down immediately, while Bastianini managed to stay upright but later ran into Johann Zarco’s Honda, forcing both out of the race.

Stewards handed out swift penalties. Quartararo was given a long lap penalty for “causing a dangerous situation and contact.” Bastianini, who had been able to continue, received two long lap penalties, doubled because of a previous offense, for “irresponsible riding causing a crash.”

Despite the drama, Marquez remained untouchable. “I felt someone really close on the first corner, but from there I quickly found a fast rhythm,” he said. “I’m very happy with this victory.”

With both consistency and momentum on his side, Marquez heads into Sunday’s main event as the heavy favorite, as his title lead continues to grow.