It’s been a tougher start to 2026 for Alex Marquez (BK8 Gresini Racing MotoGP) at times, but the 73’s Friday afternoon outing at the Estrella Galicia 0,0 Grand Prix of Spain saw him right back on top with some searing pace. The 2025 Spanish GP winner ended the opening day of MotoGP action in Jerez with a whopping 0.333s advantage over second fastest Fabio Di Giannantonio (Pertamina Enduro VR46 Racing Team), thanks to Marquez’s rapid 1:35.704. World Championship leader Marco Bezzecchi (Aprilia Racing) completed the top three, while Pedro Acosta (Red Bull KTM Factory Racing) faces Q1 for the first time this season in a session that unearthed plenty of talking points.
There was a slice of drama right from the off in MotoGP Practice after Francesco Bagnaia (Ducati Lenovo Team) slid down the road at Turn 1 on his first flying lap while shadowing 2025 Spanish GP winner Alex Marquez.
Not a start to the session the double MotoGP World Champion was after, but the same can’t be said for Di Giannantonio as the lead Ducati rider in the standings rose to an early P1, with Alex Marquez close behind – 0.046s to be exact.
Around the halfway stage, another MotoGP World Champion was in the gravel. This time, it was Jorge Martin (Aprilia Racing). The notorious Jorge Lorenzo Corner, Turn 13, bit the rider second in the championship as the RS-GP front end washed away early from underneath the 89.
With 20 minutes to go, Di Giannantonio extended his narrow advantage to a much healthier 0.339s after the Italian slotted in some shiny new Michelin rubber, with a trio of HRC machines leaping into the top six having done the same. Johann Zarco (Castrol Honda LCR), Joan Mir (Honda HRC Castrol) and the 36’s teammate Luca Marini were P3, P4 and P6, with reigning World Champion Marc Marquez sitting P5.
Practice really kicked into gear with 13 minutes to go when Ai Ogura (Trackhouse MotoGP Team) and Bezzecchi forced their way into the top five, before Zarco, Fermin Aldeguer (BK8 Gresini Racing MotoGP), and Marini shuffed the Aprilia pair back down the order.
Then, step up Alex Marquez. Two consecutive fastest laps of the session saw the 2025 runner-up land a 1:35.704, within a tenth of the all-time lap record, which moved the goalposts. The gap with nine minutes to go? 0.563s to Di Giannantonio.
Riders with work to do to wrestle their way into the top 10 included Acosta, who endured a huge moment down at Turn 6 while pushing behind teammate Brad Binder. The Spaniard was P15 with six minutes to go, with Pecco P13, and Martin P19.
With just under three minutes to go, we locked eyes on Pecco and Martin. The latter was shadowing his 2023 and 2024 title rival, and both improved their times. Considerably. Pecco went P3, while Martin pinched P5 before Bezzecchi shot up to P2, pushing Martin to P6.
This then left Marc Marquez down in P14, which became P15 when Acosta climbed the leaderboard – but only to P12. Shortly after, the 93 did lift himself into the top 10 with a time good enough for P3, but back to the Acosta watch, his final lap wasn’t enough. It was P15 for Acosta, and P16 for teammate Binder as the factory KTMs face Q1 on Saturday morning.
A dominant Alex Marquez is the rider to beat going into qualifying, with ‘Diggia’ and Bezzecchi sat inside the top three. Marc Marquez is 0.523s away from his younger brother in P4, and also lying half a second away from Friday’s pacesetter are Ogura, Bagnaia, Raul Fernandez (Trackhouse MotoGP Team), Aldeguer, and Martin. The last of the automatic Q2 qualifiers? Enea Bastianini. The sole Red Bull KTM Tech3 rider on track this weekend gives the Austrian factory something to smile about at least.
MotoGP qualifying kicks off at 10:50 local time on Saturday morning in Jerez, with the Tissot Sprint alive at 15:00. Do join us!
