MotoGP : A.Marquez Fastest Friday Afternoon in Spain (UPDATED)

Alex Marquez led MotoGP World Championship practice Friday afternoon at Circuito de Jerez – Ángel Nieto, in Spain. Riding his BK8 Gresini Racing MotoGP Desmosedici GP24 on spec Michelin tires, […] The post MotoGP : A.Marquez Fastest Friday Afternoon in Spain (UPDATED) appeared first on Roadracing World Magazine | Motorcycle Riding, Racing & Tech News.

Apr 26, 2025 - 15:37

MotoGP : A.Marquez Fastest Friday Afternoon in Spain (UPDATED)

Alex Marquez led MotoGP World Championship practice Friday afternoon at Circuito de Jerez – Ángel Nieto, in Spain. Riding his BK8 Gresini Racing MotoGP Desmosedici GP24 on spec Michelin tires, the Spaniard turned a lap time of 1:35.991 and it was good enough to lead to the 23-rider field.

Francesco Bagnaia was the best of the rest with a 1:36.094 on his Lenovo Ducati Desmosedici GP25.

Franco Morbidelli was third at 1:36.153 on his Pertamina Enduro VR46 Racing Team Desmosedici GP24.

Bagnaia’s teammate and Six-time MotoGP World Champion Marc Marquez finished the session fourth with a 1:36.258, making it four Ducatis in the top four.

Monster Energy Yamaha YZR-M1 rider Fabio Quartararo broke the Ducati stranglehold at the top with a fifth-fastest 1:36.419.

Classification motogp practice

More from a press release issued by Dorna:

Gravel trap to P1: Alex Marquez storms to record-breaking top spot in Jerez. A fast Turn 5 crash was followed by an all-time lap record for the #73 as Bagnaia and Morbidelli cement top three spots.

A fast Turn 5 Practice crash for Alex Marquez (BK8 Gresini Racing MotoGP) didn’t stop the #73 from ending Friday as the rider to beat in MotoGP at the Estrella Galicia 0,0 Grand Prix of Spain – and with an all-time lap record too. Marquez’s stunning 1:35.991 was enough to beat Francesco Bagnaia (Ducati Lenovo Team) by 0.103s, Franco Morbidelli (Pertamina Enduro VR46 Racing Team) claimed P3 as World Championship leader Marc Marquez (Ducati Lenovo Team) settled for P4 to set us up nicely for the rest of the weekend.

EARLY DRAMA FOR ALEX MARQUEZ
There was early drama for FP1 pacesetter Alex Marquez after the Gresini star suffered a fast crash at Turn 5 while shadowing Marc Marquez. The #73 was able to walk away from the incident but the red flags were shown because the air fence that his Ducati GP24 collected needed re-deploying.

BACK UNDERWAY
Once we were back underway, Fabio Quartararo (Monster Energy Yamaha MotoGP) led the way with a 1:37.071, with Bagnaia moving into P2 just north of the 30 minutes to go mark. With 28 minutes left, Johann Zarco (LCR Honda Castrol) went P1 before Brad Binder, Red Bull KTM Factory Racing teammate Pedro Acosta and then Quartararo again climbed to the summit, as we witnessed the first 1:36 lap times of the afternoon.

So heading into the business end of the session, how were we looking? Quartararo led Maverick Viñales (Red Bull KTM Tech3) by 0.090s, with Marc Marquez, Acosta and Binder your top five – the latter though hit the deck at Turn 9 with just over 20 minutes to go. Zarco was P6, Ai Ogura(Trackhouse MotoGP Team) had climbed into P7 ahead of Bagnaia, with Alex Marquez still inside the top 10 in P9 and after a bit of time in his office, the Spaniard was ready to head back out on track.

CRUNCH TIME
The final 15 minutes had arrived and Quartararo was on a flyer – but the Frenchman’s front end washed away at the Jorge Lorenzo corner. That cost a few riders their times with the yellow flags out, but not Bagnaia, Morbidelli and Marco Bezzecchi (Aprilia Racing). The Italians went P1, P2 and P3 to shuffle Quartararo down to P4, with Morbidelli the rider now leading the way.

Not for long though. Marc Marquez set a 1:36.258 to go P1 with 11 minutes left, and Alex Marquez then shot to P3 from P14 on his first flying lap since the earlier fall. The goalposts were then moved by Bagnaia as the Italian set a 1:36.094 to go P1, 0.164s clear of teammate Marquez. Jack Miller (Prima Pramac Yamaha MotoGP) and Raul Fernandez (Trackhouse MotoGP Team) crashes, then one for Ogura too, brought out yellow flags before Alex Marquez delved into the 1:35s. The #73 was the first rider ever to lap in that bracket as Quartararo, back on his YZR-M1 that he crashed, pounced back to P5 after sitting outside the top 10.

A moment for Marc Marquez at Turn 6 cost the six-time MotoGP World Champion a chance at beating his brother to Friday honours, and with that, the all-important top 10 was set after no one else was able to improve enough to gain automatic Q2 entry.

Behind the fastest quartet was Quartararo, the 2021 World Champion recovered well after his final corner crash. Rookie star Fermin Aldeguer(BK8 Gresini Racing MotoGP) sails into Q2 on home turf in P6, Zarco joins the Spaniard in P7 as Acosta ends Day 1 in P8 after a late PB time. Fabio Di Giannantonio (Pertamina Enduro VR46 Racing Team) and Joan Mir(Honda HRC Castrol) are the final two Q2 qualifiers on Friday, as Binder misses out by 0.055s in P11.

QUALIFYING UP NEXT
Tune into MotoGP qualifying at 10:50 local time (UTC+1) – don’t miss it! Full results from Friday can also be found HERE!

More from a press release issued by Monster Energy Yamaha MotoGP:

Quartararo 5th and Rins 15th After First Day in Andalusia.

Monster Energy Yamaha MotoGP’s Fabio Quartararo and Álex Rins got to work at the Circuito de Jerez – Ángel Nieto today, kicking off the Gran Premio de España weekend. The duo gave it their all during the eventful afternoon Practice session and finished it in 5th and 15th place respectively.

Monster Energy Yamaha MotoGP’s Fabio Quartararo and Álex Rins ended a perfectly sunny first day of the Gran Premio de España Practice session in 5th and 15th place respectively. These results have Fabio Quartararo advance to tomorrow‘s Q2 session, while Álex Rins will take part in Q1.

Having finished FP1 in P3, Quartararo was feeling positive. He was already pushing halfway through the Practice and leading the session when, 15 min before the end, the first time attacks started to flood in. El Diablo was on a fast lap (-0.3s under his own time) but suffered a crash in the last corner. By the time he had returned to the garage and was ready to go back out on track, he was in P10. His next hot lap was cancelled due to yellow flags, but he had time for two more. He managed to set a 1’36.419s in between more yellow flags. His best lap, achieved on lap 21/22, was enough for 5th place in the Practice timesheets, 0.428s from first.

Fabio Quartararo at Jerez. Photo courtesy Yamaha Racing Team.

Rins had wrapped up the morning session in P9 and used a big chunk of the 1-hour Practice to further tweak his bike’s set-up. He was following his teammate during his first time attack and briefly moved up to 11th place, but then the times dropped. The Spaniard locked in during his second time attack, but several yellow flags made it difficult to set a hot lap. In the end, his 1’36.957s, posted on lap 22/24, had him rank 15th in the Practice classifications, 0.966s from the top.

Tomorrow, the teammates will be back in action for FP2, held from 10:10-10:40 (GMT+2). The qualifying sessions will follow from 10:50-11:30, and the 12-lap Sprint will start at 15:00.

MASSIMO MEREGALLI- Team Director, Monster Energy Yamaha MotoGP: “It was an eventful day. We started the weekend off quite well in FP1, with both riders setting a decent time. Fabio is clearly strong this weekend, and it especially showed during the Practice session, which he led for a long time. He was on a really good lap when he crashed, which was a pity. But luckily he was able to set another good lap later, avoiding the numerous yellow flags in the final stages. He improved on his morning time by 1s, and he is in Q2, as was our target. The times are very close this weekend, though. At one point in the Practice session, the top 18 riders were covered by 1s. Álex also managed to find 0.6s in the afternoon, but unfortunately that was not enough to secure a place in Q2. We will go over the data now to try to find something to further boost our performance for tomorrow’s qualifying and the Sprint.”

FABIO QUARTARARO – Rider : “The pace was good. Unfortunately, I had the crash during my first real time attack, but it was still a positive day. I have confidence, especially on the front, the feeling is incredible. My goal is being inside the top 10 on the Friday. If we are higher, like today, even better, but the top 10 is the main goal. It’s difficult at this track though because here the times are super close. But we did it, so I’m happy.”

ALEX RINS – Rider : “It was a tough day today. There’s a margin for improvement in the hard braking areas for me. I decided to ride behind Fabio during my first time attack to set a fast lap, but as soon as we started the lap I went wide, and also in Turn 6. In the fast corners, Fabio and I are on the same level though. So, we need to find the same potential on the brakes for tomorrow.”

More from a press release issued by Honda Racing :

Espargaro makes Honda HRC debut in Jerez.

A first taste of racing in Honda HRC Test Team colours for Aleix Espargaro as the experienced Spanish rider returned to MotoGP action.

The Honda HRC Test Team were back on track for their first wildcard of 2025 with experienced rider Aleix Espargaro at the helm of the Honda RC213V. A first taste of racing for the #41 after a busy winter with the Test Team, the combination continuing the work they had started during a private Valencia Test. 21st with a best time of 1’37.392, the eldest Espargaro kept his powder dry as he returned to Grand Prix racing, ready to continue his important development work on Saturday.

Aleix Espargaro is back to Jerez. Photo courtesy Honda Racing Team.

Aleix Espargaro : “I had a lot of fun today, it is an incredible honour to ride this bike, in these colours at a race like the Spanish GP. I was hoping to be a little bit faster honestly, but you can’t ask more from yourself after being away from the bike for so long when the level in MotoGP is so high. We were able to try some things and for tomorrow I think we can make even more improvements – this is our target.”

More from a press release issued by Prima Pramac Yamaha MotoGP :

Competitive Pace for Miller Despite Late Crash: Prima Pramac Yamaha MotoGP Shows Promise at Spanish GP. It was a bittersweet Friday at Jerez de la Frontera for the Prima Pramac Yamaha MotoGP team. Jack Miller was a standout performer throughout the day, consistently running in the top ten, but a late crash during Practice saw him slip to 13th place, forcing him into Q1 tomorrow. Meanwhile, Augusto Fernandez posted the 20th-fastest time but continues to show clear progress in terms of speed and race pace.

So close, yet just out of reach. Jack Miller and the Prima Pramac Yamaha team were among the key players from the very first minutes of free practice at the Spanish GP — the fifth round of the MotoGP World Championship. A crash at Turn 9 in the final minutes of Practice, however, denied the Australian what looked like a possible spot in Q2. At the time, Miller was on a flying lap with a second soft tire and was on the way to improve his time.

At a circuit like Jerez — where agility in direction changes and corner speed matter more than outright engine power — the Yamaha YZR-M1 is proving to be highly competitive, as also shown by Fabio Quartararo’s strong performance. After the struggles in Qatar, where Miller also dealt with physical issues, he bounced back at a track where he‘s previously taken both victory and podium finishes. His competitiveness was on full display today. Miller ultimately finished 13th with a best time of 1‘36”854, just over two-tenths off the top ten cut-off for Q2. He‘ll now head into Q1 with a realistic shot at claiming one of the two available spots for Q2, before turning his focus to the Sprint Race, which kicks off at 3 PM local time.

Jack Miller at Jerez during practice session. Photo courtesy Prima Pramac Team.

Augusto Fernandez, making his third consecutive appearance as a stand-in for the injured Miguel Oliveira, continued his steady progression. After a difficult morning session focused on setup work, the Spanish Official Yamaha MotoGP Test Rider found his rhythm. Although he ended the day in 20th with a time of 1‘37”219, he was just over two-tenths from the points-paying positions—a testament to both his improvements and the tight competitiveness of the field.

Spanish GP MotoGP Schedule:
Saturday: 10.10 Free Practice 2, 10.50 Qualifying, 15.00 Sprint Race (12 laps).
Sunday: 9.40 Warm-up, 14.00 Race (25 laps)

GINO BORSOI – Team Director, Prima Pramac Yamaha MotoGP : “On one hand, we‘re obviously disappointed by Jack‘s crash at the end of Practice, which cost him a direct spot in Q2 that was well within reach. But on the other hand, it’s very encouraging to see how competitive he was from the first laps — both on a single lap and in race pace. That gives me a lot of confidence, not just for Q1 but also for the Sprint and, above all, Sunday‘s Grand Prix. This old-school circuit, narrower than the tracks we‘ve seen so far this season and less dependent on raw engine power, really seems to suit the Yamaha, as shown by Fabio Quartararo‘s performance as well. The Yamaha engineers are working incredibly hard, and the data and feedback exchange between the two garages is constant. You can see that in the steady progress we‘re making. Jack has a real shot at Q2 tomorrow, and Augusto is also showing consistent growth. The gap to the leaders is narrowing, even if the tight classification makes that harder to see.”

JACK MILLER – Prima Pramac Yamaha MotoGP Rider : “It didn‘t end as the perfect day, but the pace was there and the feeling on the bike was good right from the morning. On my first lap with the new tire, I was behind Marc, but we hit a yellow flag in the final corner, so we both ran wide to get a clean exit onto the straight. That ended up being my best lap, even though I missed the rear brake slightly into Turn 6, went a bit wide, and lost some time. On the second tire, I was following Pecco and tucked the front at Turn 1, but I managed to save it. Still, I lost some time behind him and had to push hard through the next two corners to close the gap. I was feeling strong, though. Then in Turn 7, I came in a bit too hot, didn‘t get much stopping from the rear, forced the front a little, and the bike just gave up—down I went. It‘s a shame, but the pace is there. We just need a bit more support from the engine braking, and I‘m confident we‘ll get that sorted for tomorrow.”

AUGUSTO FERNANDEZ – Prima Pramac Yamaha MotoGP Rider : “The morning was tough—I was struggling quite a bit, and we had to make some setup changes that eventually gave me a better feeling. But we’re still not getting much support from the rear, which is making things difficult. On the other hand, the bike feels great at the front, as you can see from Quartararo‘s times—he‘s a rider who really pushes the front end. Overall, the bike feels good. We just need to better understand the tire drop-off so we can maintain a consistent pace. As for me, I‘m still chasing, but I‘m getting closer to making up some positions. I‘m right on the edge of the top 15, and if we can improve the feeling from the rear, I think we can take a good step forward. Top 15 is our goal this weekend—to grab a few points. Let‘s see if we can make it happen.”

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