Marco Bezzecchi
Ducati rider Francesco Bagnaia failed to advance to Q2 during a qualifying session for the first time in the 2025 season, after only managing fifth during Q1 at Balaton Park.
The 28-year-old will now start the first Hungarian Grand Prix since 1992 from only P15, after posting a personal-best lap time of a 1:37.096 during Q1 on Saturday morning. His best time was 0.296 seconds off the pace set in Q1 by Marco Bezzecchi of Aprilia, who set a 1:36.800.
Bagnaia was only 0.049s away from advancing to Q2, with VR46 rider Fabio Di Giannantonio progressing with a 1:27.047 with the same Ducati Desmosedici GP25 as the Bologna Bullets’ factory rider. KTM’s Brad Binder and Pramac Yamaha’s Jack Miller also beat Bagnaia’s effort.
Failing to reach Q2 at the Hungarian GP also adds yet further woe to the Italians’ campaign. Bagnaia is only third in the riders’ championship and 197 points behind his teammate Marc Marquez ahead of the Sprint Race at Balaton Park, with Alex Marquez also 55 points ahead.
Francesco Bagnaia ‘blew it’ under braking during qualifying for the Hungarian Grand Prix
The Hungarian GP even follows Bagnaia’s outburst demanding Ducati “explain” his troubles at the Red Bull Ring, having only achieved P8 in the Austrian Grand Prix after also retiring in the Sprint Race. Marc Marquez won the Austrian GP with a 12.486s margin back to Bagnaia.
READ MORE: Everything to know about Francesco Bagnaia from net worth to race number
Yet the only person whom Neil Hodgson could blame for Bagnaia failing to advance from Q1 at Balaton Park was the Ducati rider himself. The 2003 World Superbikes champion believed the 28-year-old “blew it” after he went deep at Turn 5, which put Bagnaia off line for Turn 6.
Hodgson said on TNT Sports 2 (23/08, 10:02): “He’s deep there. Yep, he’s blown it. He’s definitely too wide through that corner, so he’s going to have lost time.”
Hodgson also added that it was “unreal” to see Bagnaia struggle so much with the soft tyres after the Ducati ace abandoned his penultimate flying lap during Q1 at Balaton Park. He also bailed out of his final flying lap, after sticking his GP25 on its nose under braking into Turn 5.
“I would not want to be in that factory Ducati garage on his side,” Hodgson continued.
Sylvain Guintoli fears that Ducati rider Francesco Bagnaia has ‘not hit rock bottom yet’
But while Balaton Park saw Bagnaia produce his worst qualifying result of the 2025 MotoGP season so far, Sylvain Guintoli fears the Ducati rider has “not hit rock bottom yet”. The 2014 WSBK champion fears Bagnaia continues to get worse, as his woes aboard the GP25 persist.
READ MORE: Everything to know about Ducati from the MotoGP team’s riders to hierarchy
Guintoli noted (23/8, 10:12): “It can happen very easily. You can see the rear wheel coming up and the bike getting out of shape. What happens is, when you’re on the back foot, and you know you’ve got to go that extra inch, you get angry and start to override the bike.
“So, for Pecco, he’s trying. He’s trying everything, he’s giving it all he’s got and even a little bit more. And that’s his worst qualifying for ages, so it’s getting worse. It’s going to take a bit of time for him to come full circle and reset. And it feels like he’s not hit rock bottom yet.”
Marquez sees that Bagnaia has lost confidence, too, with the two-time MotoGP champion’s form continuing to disappoint while the Spaniard dominates since joining the factory Ducati team in 2025. The champion-elect even got his eighth pole position of 2025 at Balaton Park.
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