Misano, San Marino – September 12, 2025: Marc Marquez (Ducati Lenovo Team) set the benchmark on Friday at the Red Bull Grand Prix of San Marino and the Rimini Riviera, clocking a blistering 1:30.480 to lead the opening day of MotoGP action at Misano. The eight-time World Champion edged out home hero Marco Bezzecchi (Aprilia Racing) by just 0.147s, with Franco Morbidelli (Pertamina Enduro VR46 Racing Team) completing the top three.

Marc Marquez Leads Early Exchanges

The first half of Friday’s practice was closely fought, with Marquez’s iconic #93 Ducati topping the charts. Fabio Di Giannantonio (Pertamina Enduro VR46 Racing) and Bezzecchi were right in the mix, setting up a tense final 30 minutes as the field geared up for the crucial time attack phase.

Heading into the closing stages, the provisional top 10 featured Marquez, Morbidelli, Di Giannantonio, Bezzecchi, Luca Marini (Honda HRC Castrol), Pedro Acosta (Red Bull KTM Factory Racing), Alex Marquez (BK8 Gresini Racing), Francesco Bagnaia (Ducati Lenovo Team), Fabio Quartararo (Monster Energy Yamaha MotoGP) and Raul Fernandez (Trackhouse MotoGP Team). Incredibly, the top 17 riders were covered by just 0.733s, highlighting how competitive the Misano weekend is shaping up to be.

Time Attack Brings Drama

With 15 minutes to go, the leaderboard lit up. Bagnaia briefly snatched P1 before Marquez raised the bar with his session-topping lap. Bezzecchi responded strongly to slot into P2, while reigning World Champion Jorge Martin (Aprilia Racing) made a late push into the top 10 before his lap was cancelled.

Crashes for Augusto Fernandez, Joan Mir and Raul Fernandez disrupted proceedings, with yellow flags forcing lap cancellations – most notably for Enea Bastianini (Red Bull KTM Tech3), who was left stranded in P18. Meanwhile, Luca Marini’s last-gasp effort secured him P7, while Quartararo and Bastianini both missed out on automatic Q2 progression.

Friday Top 10 at Misano MotoGP

1. Marc Marquez (Ducati Lenovo Team) – 1:30.480
2. Marco Bezzecchi (Aprilia Racing) – +0.147s
3. Franco Morbidelli (Pertamina Enduro VR46 Racing Team)
4. Francesco Bagnaia (Ducati Lenovo Team)
5. Joan Mir (Honda HRC Castrol)
6. Alex Marquez (BK8 Gresini Racing)
7. Luca Marini (Honda HRC Castrol)
8. Jorge Martin (Aprilia Racing)
9. Pedro Acosta (Red Bull KTM Factory Racing)
10. Fabio Di Giannantonio (Pertamina Enduro VR46 Racing Team)

Looking Ahead: Sprint Saturday

With Marquez and Bezzecchi setting the early pace, all eyes turn to Saturday’s Tissot Sprint and qualifying battles. The Q1 shootout will feature heavy hitters including Enea Bastianini, Fabio Quartararo, Johann Zarco, Brad Binder and Maverick Viñales, all fighting for just two Q2 spots. Expect fireworks as the Misano crowd gets set for a thrilling showdown.