Despite being late out onto the track and crashing out in Turn 10 in the final minute, Franco Morbidelli still managed to lead the way with his best lap time of 1:31.34. While this was only MotoGP Free Practice 1 and the first session of the weekend at San Marino GP, there was plenty of talk happening on and off the track.
First MotoGP Session for the Yamaha V4 Engine
The much-anticipated Yamaha V4 Powered Prototype was put through its first paces in Free Practice 1. Wildcard entry Augusto Fernández was the first rider to test out the new engine at Misano World Circuit Marco Simoncelli. But the other Yamaha riders had expressed excitement for what the project could mean for future bikes. When asked if the V4 could be implemented for the rest of the season, it was a resounding ‘no’ from Pramac Yamaha Racing rider Jack Miller.
“Not from lack of trying, but I mean, fairings. We’re obligated to fairings already. Other pieces of that just in terms of spec, it doesn’t work. So, as much as I’d love to gain data on it, it’s not possible.”
While Yamaha can’t race the new V4 due to the rules and restrictions Miller alluded to, the overall testing of the engine should help Project Boss Paolo Pavesio decide whether the bike will race in 2026. Halfway into the session, Fernández had to pull the new V4 bike to a slow stop on the side coming out of Turn 8, erring on the side of caution rather than causing unnecessary damage. The prototype engine achieved its best time of 1:32.53, ranking twenty-first on the timesheet. Meanwhile, Pramac Yamaha rider Miguel Oliveira fell into the gravel of Turn 16, ending his Free Practice 1 session. The #88 crashed again in Sector in the final minute. It was a different story in the Monster Energy Yamaha garage, with Fabio Quartararo coming in second for the session.
Hurried Starts For Some, Delayed for Others
While a good portion of the grid flew out of the pit lane at the start of the session, one had no choice but to wait in their box before being let out. Morbidelli suffered the consequences of arguing with the marshals at the Catalonia Grand Prix, missing the first ten minutes of the Friday morning session.
The Pertamina Endura VR46 Racing rider has also received a stern warning from the FIM stewards, having been a serial offender this season and having been handed nine penalties in fourteen months. Despite this, both Morbidelli and his teammate, Fabio Di Giannantonio, were at the top of the timeboard with less than five minutes of the session to go.
KTM Performance on the Rise With Some Internal Crew Changes
As much as the riders are the ones who put themselves on the line riding these powerful machines, there are many components powering them behind the scenes. Therefore, it came as a surprise that Enea Bastianini parted ways with his long-time crew chief and technician, Alberto Giribuola. The change occurred in the Red Bull KTM Tech3 garage during the Barcelona round, with Xavi Palacin stepping into the role.
Let’s not forget that the same KTM team have a new owner in a former Formula 1 team principal, Guenther Steiner. He leads a consortium and a new structure that will take full effect from 2026. With all of that going on, the riders kept themselves focused on the morning session. Pedro Acosta appeared to have some issues with the underarm of his leathers. That left him a little late on the jump, as everyone else started setting their times. Whatever discomfort he was suffering, it didn’t last long as the #37 jumped into the top ten.
The Top 10
- Franco Morbidelli
- Fabio Quartararo
- Fabio Di Giannantonio
- Álex Márquez
- Marc Márquez
- Luca Marini
- Pedro Acosta
- Marco Bezzecchi
- Raúl Fernández
- Jorge Martín
Let’s be realistic, there is next to no way now that M. Márquez could lose this championship. But the only one who could come between him and the title is his younger brother. All the #73 has to do is score 34 points or more this weekend to deny a match point chance in Japan. However, this MotoGP, and there are six more Grand Prix until Valencia. Not to mention, Misano is the home playground of many Italians on the circuit. Keep up to date with our coverage of the MotoGP race weekend to see how it all plays out.