The Japan Times - 'Fresh' Marc Marquez wins Hungarian MotoGP sprint

The Spaniard, riding for Ducati, had earlier secured pole despite a dramatic qualifying session that saw him crash on his opening lap. However, he recovered quickly to top the times and carried that momentum into the sprint.

From the start, Marquez was in complete control and never looked under threat. He pulled away steadily from the field, at one point building a lead of more than two seconds over his closest rival.

KTM's Pedro Acosta finished second after briefly trying to stay in touch in the early laps, while Italy's Marco Bezzecchi, who leads the world championship standings, completed the podium in third for Aprilia.

"On Friday, I was trying to conserve energy, this morning I wanted to qualify on the front row, and for the sprint race my idea was to push hard while I was still fresh and then just survive at the end," said Marquez.

"The strategy worked better than expected, but tomorrow will be a longer race, so we'll see," said the 33-year-old.

The victory marks a significant return to form for the seven-time MotoGP world champion, who had not won a race — sprint or Grand Prix — since the Misano GP in September last season.

Marquez's commanding display at the 4.08km Balaton Park circuit sends a strong signal as the MotoGP season continues, with the reigning champion looking firmly back in control ahead of Sunday's main race.

S.Fujimoto--JT