MotoGP Aragon GP: Marco Bezzecchi Breaks Marc Marquez Lap Record to Top Friday Practice

Aragon, Spain, August 28, 2026: Marco Bezzecchi set the pace in a thrilling Friday at MotorLand Aragon, beating Marc Marquez and Alex Marquez to top the MotoGP practice timesheets as the lap record was broken three times.

The opening day of the 2026 MotoGP Aragon Grand Prix delivered a spectacular battle at MotorLand Aragon, with Marco Bezzecchi, Marc Marquez and Alex Marquez trading the top spot in the closing stages.

In the end, it was Aprilia Racing’s Marco Bezzecchi who emerged fastest, setting a blistering 1:45.455 to claim the top position and end Friday ahead of the Marquez brothers.

The lap record was shattered three times during the session, with Marc Marquez initially taking the benchmark before Bezzecchi produced the fastest lap of the day. Alex Marquez also came close to topping the timesheets as the three riders dominated the final stages.

Marc Marquez leads early before late-session drama

Marc Marquez looked comfortable throughout much of the session at a circuit where he has historically enjoyed considerable success. The Ducati Lenovo Team rider, who has seven MotoGP victories at Aragon, led the way through the early stages.

Marc initially held the advantage over championship rival Bezzecchi, while Fabio Di Giannantonio placed his Pertamina Enduro VR46 Racing Team machine third after recovering from his earlier FP1 crash.

However, the calm was broken during the final 15 minutes as riders switched to time-attack mode in search of direct qualification for Q2.

Fermin Aldeguer was among the first to make a major move, taking P1 away from Marc Marquez. Jorge Martin, Bezzecchi and Pedro Acosta also delivered fast laps as the battle for the top positions intensified.

There was also drama for Jack Miller, who crashed at Turn 2 during his first time-attack run. The Prima Pramac Yamaha MotoGP rider was quickly back on his feet and returned to the pits to attempt another run on his second bike.

Marc Marquez smashes Aragon lap record

With the red sectors lighting up across the timing screens, Marc Marquez produced a stunning lap of 1:45.493 to break his own MotorLand Aragon lap record.

The Ducati rider appeared to have put himself in a commanding position, but Bezzecchi and Alex Marquez still had time to respond.

Alex Marquez came within a few hundredths of the previous lap record on his first attempt, although the BK8 Gresini Racing MotoGP rider remained 0.273 seconds away from the top position with five minutes remaining.

Bezzecchi then delivered the decisive blow.

The Aprilia rider put together a sensational final run to clock 1:45.455, beating Marc Marquez by just 0.038 seconds and taking the top spot.

Alex Marquez launched another attack on his final lap and managed to beat his brother Marc, but he could not quite match Bezzecchi’s pace.

Bezzecchi leads Marquez brothers

The result means Marco Bezzecchi finished Friday fastest, with Alex Marquez second and Marc Marquez third.

Fabio Di Giannantonio held on to fourth despite a late charge from Aldeguer, while Raul Fernandez completed the top six for the SuperFile Trackhouse MotoGP Team.

Jorge Martin, who had briefly risen as high as second during the session, ultimately finished seventh. Pedro Acosta was eighth, followed by Franco Morbidelli in ninth.

One of the standout performances of the day came from Johann Zarco.

Returning to MotoGP action after a three-month layoff, the LCR Honda CASTROL rider produced an impressive lap to secure 10th place and direct passage into Q2.

Bagnaia misses direct Q2 qualification

Just outside the top 10, Diogo Moreira finished 11th for Pro Honda LCR, missing out on a direct Q2 place by only 0.010 seconds to teammate Zarco.

Francesco Bagnaia endured a disappointing end to the session. The Ducati Lenovo Team rider made a mistake on his final flying lap and ended the day in 13th position, meaning he will have to go through Q1.

Bagnaia finished just ahead of Fabio Quartararo, with the 2021 MotoGP World Champion once again the fastest Yamaha rider on Friday.

With the field separated by small margins and three riders already trading lap records, the stage is set for another intense day of action at MotorLand Aragon as riders fight for the best possible grid positions for Sunday’s Grand Prix.