Marc Márquez laid down an early marker at Brno, topping MotoGp’s opening session for Czechia GP, despite suffering a late crash. Fabio Quartararo and Francesco Bagnaia completed the top three in the closely contested FP1 at Brno.
Hot Conditions Welcome MotoGP Back to Brno
The Czech Grand Prix weekend got underway under sweltering conditions, with temperatures reaching 30°C in the pit lane and even warmer weather forecast for the remainder of the weekend. Álex Márquez, declared fit to ride after his injury lay-off returned to the paddock for a cautious start to his weekend.
Early Drama Across the Field
The opening minutes proved busy as riders pushed to find their rhythm around the resurfaced Brno circuit. Pedro Acosta was the first rider to hit trouble, suffering a front-end washout at Turn 9, while Maverick Viñales and Diogo Moreira took to the gravel trap at Turn 8 in quick succession.
At the front, M. Márquez wasted little time asserting himself. Despite a noticeable wobble through the final corner on his fastest lap, the Ducati rider produced a 1:53.599 to move to the top of the timesheets.
Elsewhere, Jorge Martín used the session to practise long-laps for the penalty he is obligated to serve during Sunday’s race, while championship leader Marco Bezzecchi appeared to be managing physical discomfort after reportedly a muscle tear in his right leg following the unfortunate incident involving his teammate in the previous race.
M. Márquez Raises the Benchmark as Factory Aprilia Flounders to Find its Footing
The second run saw M. Márquez lower his laptime further with a 1:53.303, a lap that would ultimately see him top the session. Ai Ogura briefly emerged as his closest challenger, climbing to second, before being beaten by Bagnaia who joined his teammate in the 1.53s.
Á. Márquez, meanwhile, adopted a measured approach on his first session back, spending much of FP1 outside the top ten as he worked through his programme. Factory Aprilia teammates Bezzecchi and Martín, on the other hand, remained lower down on the pecking order, with Bezzecchi finding himself briefly in fourth before shuffling back outside the top 10. Martín faced a technical issue during another long-lap practice, forcing him to a stop in Sector 3.
Late Runs Shake Up the Order Yet Again
The final phase of FP1 delivered a flurry of improvements as riders bolted on fresh rubber. Raúl Fernández became the third rider to break into the 1:53s. Fermin Aldeguer followed suit, briefly climbing to third. Joan Mir also looked set for a strong finish after posting a lap good enough for fourth, only for the effort to be deleted. Undeterred, the Honda rider responded on a fresh tyre combination with a 1:53.523 to end the session in fourth.
M. Márquez’s session came to an abrupt, premature end when he crashed at Turn 7 after running slightly wide onto a dirtier section of the circuit. Fortunately for the Ducati rider, his earlier benchmark remained unbeaten, ensuring he finished FP1 at the top. Fabio Quartararo then produced one of the standout laps of the session, vaulting into second with a laptime of 1.53.503.
The Top 10
The Top 10 of FP1 are as follows:
P1: Marc Márquez (#93) 1:58.303
P2: Fabio Quartararo (#20) +0.200
P3: Raúl Fernández (#25) +0.210
P4: Joan Mir (#36) +0.220
P5: Ai Ogura (#79) +0.318
P6: Francesco Bagnaia (#63) +0.376
P7: Fermín Aldeguer (#54) +0.476
P8: Fabio Di Giannantonio (#49) +0.484
P9: Luca Marini (#10) +0.542
P10: Toprak Razgatlıoğlu (#7) +0.623
What to Watch Out for Over the Weekend
As attention turns to the afternoon sessions, all the Ducatis on the grid, with three victories from the last five Grands Prix, appear to have carried the recent momentum to Brno. By contrast, Factory Aprilia endured a relatively subdued start to the weekend and will look to improve over the weekend. All in all, FP1 saw in interesting set of riders in the mix for the upcoming Practice Session.