Marc Marquez Urged to Be Extra Cautious in Opening Sector of Balaton Park Circuit Amid Potential Crash Spot
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| Marc Marquez Urged to Be Extra Cautious in Opening Sector of Balaton Park Circuit Amid Potential Crash Spot. |
Marc Marquez has been advised to take extra care through the opening sector of the Balaton Park Circuit in Hungary, especially around Turns 2 and 3. This warning comes from Ducati test rider Michele Pirro following a major crash that happened during the World Superbike (WSBK) race at the newly built track last July.
The incident occurred in the first full-distance WSBK race when former Ducati MotoGP rider Andrea Iannone collided into the back of Danilo Petrucci at Turn 2. The pile-up also involved Garrett Gerloff, Remy Gardner, and Iker Lecuona, all of whom were injured, causing officials to red-flag the race.
Pirro, who has tested the 4.1 km circuit twice — including a Michelin tire test in June riding a MotoGP bike — said that improvements were made to the asphalt after that test. He noted that both Marquez and his teammate Francesco Bagnaia recently tried the track on a Ducati Panigale V4 R and showed great enthusiasm, enjoying the unique character of the venue compared to other tracks on the MotoGP calendar.
“After the test last June, some improvements were made to the asphalt and I saw all our riders very enthusiastic,” Pirro told GPOne. “Marquez and Bagnaia were happy because they had fun with the Ducati. I think they’ll wear out more brake pads than tires!”
Pirro emphasized the need for extra caution in the early section of the track, especially Turns 2 and 3, considering the serious crash that happened during the WSBK race. He described Balaton Park as an uncommon circuit with lots of braking zones and many restarts.
“We will have to adapt our riding style a bit compared to usual. In my opinion, all the riders will be up to the task,” added Pirro.
Hungary will host its first MotoGP race since 1992 at Balaton Park on August 24. Before MotoGP’s arrival, the World Superbike Championship was the first major international series to race at the venue, staging three races in July. The private test by Marquez and Bagnaia also gave a positive impression of the track’s stop-and-go nature and low-speed layout.
