Kovács and Deussen Engines impress in their Ducati debut, despite protest

It has been clear since last year that Bálint Kovács is a force to be reckoned with at Hockenheim. It was there, at the 2025 IDM finale, that he secured pole position in the IDM Superbike class. Now the Hungarian has returned to the Hockenheimring with Deussen Engines, a company based on Lake Constance, and its newly formed team. Former Superbike rider Patrick Hobelsberger had been brought in as crew chief, and the team set off on an exciting weekend with their Ducati.

Despite limited preparation time, Kovács secured eighth place on the grid. “In the first race, I was involved in a crash at the start and then tried to fight my way up from last place, despite an electronic problem that had been present since the grid, but I slid out whilst trying to make up ground,” said the Hungarian, describing his incident. “The second race went without a hitch, but I’d lost so much track time over the weekend that I couldn’t really get to grips with the bike. In my opinion, sixth place is still a very good result for a wildcard entry, with a new bike and a new team. Many thanks to Deussen Engines for this opportunity.”

Ducati teammates have issues with the Mectronik bike

However, the weekend didn’t end quite so harmoniously for the Ducati squad after all. On Saturday, team owner Matthias Moser – whose rider Lukas Tulovic was set to clinch the title on Sunday – lodged a protest against Daniel Deussen’s team. The team was accused of using electronics that did not comply with the regulations. However, once the protest fee had been paid, Moser’s complaint was immediately dismissed as he did not hold a competitor’s licence. Lorenzo Zanetti, who was also racing for Moser’s Triple M Ducati Frankfurt team, then lodged a protest after Sunday’s warm-up.

“So that we could even take part in the races with Bálint,” explained Daniel Deussen, “we lodged an appeal against this protest, and so the effect of the stewards’ protest decision in Zanetti’s favour was suspended.” How the ruling before the DMSB Appeals Court would have turned out was of secondary importance, as Kovács, being a guest rider, was not eligible for points anyway. Kovács has since withdrawn the appeal lodged on his behalf. The prospects of success weren’t really good. Regardless, Deussen Engines would like to remain involved in the IDM Superbike series in future.