Alex Marquez Tops MotoGP British FP1, Bezzecchi Close Behind

Alex Marquez hit the ground running in the second half of the 2026 MotoGP season, topping Free Practice 1 for the British Grand Prix at Silverstone on Friday. The Gresini Ducati rider clocked a 1m 58.692s lap to edge out last year's race winner Marco Bezzecchi (Aprilia) by 0.173s.

The session was not without drama. Pedro Acosta (KTM) was the first crasher of the weekend at Stowe, but he rebounded to third on fresh rubber in the final minutes. Raul Fernandez (Trackhouse Aprilia) used a new front tyre to take fourth, ahead of Fabio di Giannantonio (VR46 Ducati) and reigning champion Marc Marquez in sixth.

Championship leader Jorge Martin had a subdued start, ending up eighth behind title rival Ai Ogura (Trackhouse Aprilia). The Aprilia rider, who leads Ogura by 14 points, was 0.680s off the pace, suggesting a tougher weekend ahead at Silverstone.

Baca JugaAlex Marquez Tercepat di FP1 MotoGP Inggris, Ungguli Bezzecchi

With the top ten earning direct Q2 spots, Francesco Bagnaia (Ducati Lenovo) could only manage tenth, while Joan Mir (Honda) and Brad Binder (KTM) followed closely. Yamaha's struggles continued as Fabio Quartararo was the fastest of the bunch in 15th.

Off-track, Maverick Vinales withdrew due to a shoulder injury, replaced by Pol Espargaro at Tech3 KTM. Fermin Aldeguer remains absent with a fractured vertebra, with Iker Lecuona standing in again for Gresini. Johann Zarco is still sidelined, so Cal Crutchlow gets a home race for LCR Honda.

With FP2 later today also counting towards Q2, the battle for direct qualification is wide open. Can Alex Marquez maintain his edge, or will the big names respond? We'll find out soon.