A circuit built for cars is probably not inherently secure for motorcycles. It is a undeniable fact that MotoGP confronted during its first visit to Balaton Park in Hungary last weekend. The narrow circuit, described as Monaco for bikes, produced its most dramatic crash during qualifying on Saturday. Pedro Acosta’s KTM tumbled through a gravel trap and flipped over the catchfence right into a TV camera. Thankfully, the cameraman was unharmed. Series organizers, seemingly deciding the incident was a fluke, sent the crewmember back to the identical position on Sunday.
Our cameraman, Joao, avoiding @37_pedroacosta‘s bike impact might be essentially the most shocking video you may see today! 😮
We’re so glad to see he’s okay! 🙏#HungarianGP 🇭🇺 pic.twitter.com/o9SslLPDhT
— MotoGP™🏁 (@MotoGP) August 23, 2025
Acosta dropped his bike while following KTM stablemate Enea Bastianini through Turn 8. The 21-year-old safely slid clear off his bike because it essentially became a kinetic weapon. The RC16 shed parts because it tumbled, but it surely didn’t shed any speed. Highlighting the dearth of runoff, the bike quickly reached the inflated air fence and launched up into the elevated camera position to hit the camera directly. The footage simply shows Red Bull-branded bodywork hitting the lens. Understandably, the cameraman abandoned his equipment and scrambled to the opposite side of the platform.
Issues go far deeper than simply flying motorcycles
Despite the flying bike, the multiple open chicanes are arguably a more dangerous aspect of Balaton Park’s design. If a rider went down at the primary apex, they and their motorcycle would slide across the exit after the second apex. They’d be directly in the trail of oncoming motorcycles, the deadliest position that a fallen rider might be in. Balaton Park obviously doesn’t need to draw attention to the risks. In keeping with Motorsport.com, track board member Gianpaolo Matteucci said after Saturday’s running:
“The word ‘unique’ is one we’re hearing from the riders. All of them love challenges and it is clear our circuit has offered them this. Today, the fans were actually entertained and I’m sure it can be the identical tomorrow for the grand prix.”
Sunday’s feature race was a comparatively clean affair with Marc Márquez winning his seventh consecutive grand prix, extending his lead within the MotoGP title fight to 175 points over his brother Álex. It’s only a matter of time until the older Márquez brother seals his ninth world championship. It should also only be a matter of time until MotoGP returns to Balaton Park. Series organizers signed a lucrative ten-year cope with the Hungarian government. The contract doesn’t stipulate where within the country MotoGP has to race, however the series has a 2026 cope with Balaton Park’s promoters.
This Article First Appeared At www.jalopnik.com
