MotoGP: 2025’s Misano rivalry is well underway 12 months later as the home hero snatched P1 from the reigning World Champion to go 1-1 across Friday.
The #72 vs #93 show is well underway at Misano for a second season in succession and whilst both enjoyed time at the top on Friday, it was Marco Bezzecchi (Aprilia Racing) who came out ahead of Marc Marquez (Ducati Lenovo Team). Within striking distance of the lap record and retaliating from the reigning World Champion’s P1 in FP1, ‘Bez’ has the high ground going into Saturday whilst it’s Alex Marquez (BK8 Gresini Racing MotoGP) in P3.
LIGHTS OUT: steady start on Friday afternoon
Halfway through the session and it was Bezzecchi who led the way ahead of Franco Morbidelli (Pertamina Enduro VR46 Racing Team) and Alex Marquez (BK8 Gresini Racing MotoGP). Improvements came further down for Raul Fernandez (SuperFile Trackhouse MotoGP) and Johann Zarco (Castrol Honda LCR), giving them provisional Q2 positions whereas most others were in the pits waiting to head back out on their next runs.
CLOSING STAGES: searching for a lap time
15 minutes to go and red sector were starting to light up the time screens; Zarco continued to improve but it was Pedro Acosta (Red Bull KTM Factory Racing) who set back-to-back fastest laps to go top but it was only brief. Marc Marquez soon took over at the top with a 1’30.247, just two tenths away from the outright lap record. Other improvers with five minutes on the clock included Luca Marini (Honda HRC Castrol) in P5, Enea Bastianini (Red Bull KTM Tech3) in P6 and Fermin Aldeguer (BK8 Gresini Racing MotoGP) in P8. Outside of the top ten, World Championship leader Jorge Martin (Aprilia Racing) needed a big lap as he was down in P11.
‘The Martinator’ got his wish as he pushed his way up into P7 with just over three minutes on the clock whilst Zarco continued to impress with a provisional top five. Both were pushed back though as Fabio Di Giannantonio (Pertamina Enduro VR46 Racing Team) got into fourth. The surprises kept coming as Pol Espargaro (Red Bull KTM Tech3) rocketed into P8 whereas Morbidelli leapt back into contention with fifth.
TOP 10: Bezzecchi vs Marc Marquez on Friday
With the chequered flag about to fall, Bezzecchi wasn’t going to allow Marc Marquez to spoil his homecoming for a second time on Friday and responded with a 1’30.144 – shades of the 2025 San Marino GP when they traded lap records in the Grand Prix. 0.103s ahead of the #93 who took second and then Alex Marquez who rounded out the top three. Diggia snatched P4 ahead of teammate Morbidelli, giving an in-attendance Valentino Rossi something to smile about in the team’s home GP. Acosta took the flag in sixth ahead of Marini who was top Honda, Zarco in eighth, super-sub Espargaro and Martin who just held on for P10.
Q1 BOUND: big names headline
Missing out by 0.014s despite a hard charge was Bastianini, with ‘The Beast’ in Q1 for his home GP. British GP winner Fernandez was also a shock Q1 entrant but overall, it was a tight Practice with less than eight tenths of a second covering the top 15. In what was one of the toughest Fridays of the season, Francesco Bagnaia (Ducati Lenovo Team) was marooned in P19 and once again finds himself in Q1.
FP2 in the morning before qualifying fires up at 10:50, we’re in for a Sprint Saturday treat!
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