Márc Márquez started the weekend strong, topping the timing sheet with a lap time of 1:29.376. His Ducati Lenovo teammate, Francesco Bagnaia, was only three tenths of a second behind him. The top five lap times were claimed by Ducati riders, with the rest of the top ten rounded off with Joan Mir (Honda HRC Castrol), Fabio Quartararo (Monster Energy Yamaha), Jorge Martín (Aprilia Racing), Pedro Acosta (Red Bull KTM Factory Racing), and Enea Bastianini (Red Bull KTM Tech3).
It was a calm and controlled Free Practice 1 session to begin the 2025 MotoGP weekend in Austria, with new specs and lots of former champions seen around the track. Read on to find out how the first MotoGP session at the Red Bull Ring went.
Chantra Missing the Action as Morbidelli and Viñales Return
IDEMITSU Honda LCR rider Somkiat Chantra has been deemed unfit to return to the track after failing a medical evaluation on Wednesday in Barcelona. The Thai rider will miss both in Austria and next weekend in Hungary. While there will be no replacement this weekend, it was confirmed that Aleix Espargaró will be the replacement for Hungary.
Franco Morbidelli and Maverick Viñales returned to the grid after both riders recovered over the summer from left shoulder fractures. However, this Free Practice session was key to determining if they would be fit to take part for the rest of the weekend.
Forty-Five Minutes on the Clock
All riders wasted no time getting out on the track for the first session of the day. Marco Bezzecchi was the first to be caught out by the run up into Turn 1, riding into the gravel trap but keeping the bike upright. Quartararo took advantage of the long lap line to avoid doing the same as Bezzecchi. Jack Miller and Álex Márquez also found themselves using the same line or going off-track.
Bagnaia appeared in top form early on in the session, sitting in first on the time sheet. While his chances of competing for the 2025 MotoGP World Championship title are unlikely, the Italian backed up his comments in yesterday’s press conference about finding a way back to the front.
New Stability Control System Put to the Test
Another first for MotoGP in Austria, teams were given the choice to run a new version of the stability control system. From here on, the unified software update is used with the electronic control unit. The supplier, Marelli, and the MSMA (manufacturers’ association) have worked closely with the MotoGP to bring this safety feature to the sport, with hopes that it will decrease the chance of dangerous highside crashes.
KTM also had aero updates to add to the Red Bull Factory KTM bikes of Brad Binder and Acosta. The constructor has been doing extensive tests since June on the fairing, with hopes that they now have the correct configuration for this weekend.
Final Ten Minutes
The last minutes continued in much the same fashion as the majority of the session. Riders opted to concentrate on feeling out the track and the new bike specs rather than pushing it to the limit. The real action and fast lap times aren’t necessary until later on in the weekend, including this afternoon’s Practice.
M. Márquez appeared to be pushed out wide to avoid the Aprilia Racing machine of Martín. However, that proved to be the most dramatic moment to end the morning session.
The Top 10
- Márc Márquez
- Francesco Bagnaia
- Marco Bezzecchi
- Álex Marquez
- Franco Morbidelli
- Joan Mir
- Fabio Quartararo
- Jorge Martín
- Pedro Acosta
- Enea Bastianini
While this Free Practice 1 session appeared to be more of a field data mission for most of the riders, it did show some impressive results from some of the other constructors, other than Ducati. For KTM, it’s a crucial home round for them. Will all of their aero testing finally pay off? We shall see what this afternoon’s Practice session has in store for us.