14:07
Di Giannantonio picking up this afternoon where he left off this morning, fastest early on this afternoon with the fastest lap of the day: 1m36.730s.
He's 0.120s ahead of Alex Marquez, although both are on improving laps.
Alex Marquez, 2026 MotoGP Spanish Grand Prix. Credit: Gold and Goose.
© Gold & Goose
2026 Spanish MotoGP Friday Practice Reaction LIVE: Marquez comfortably fastest
Live coverage of the Friday practice sessions from the 2026 Spanish MotoGP at Jerez, the first European round of the season.
Live updates from the Practice session at the 2026 Spanish MotoGP. Practice is scheduled for 15:00 local time.
Key Moments
- Marquez ends 0.3s clear of the field in Practice
- Bagnaia down early in Practice
- PR starts
- Martin crashes post-session
- Di Giannantonio fastest in FP1
Marco Bezzecchi enters the Spanish Grand Prix as the championship leader. The Italian is expecting a "tough" race this weekend for a variety of reasons, including tyre wear, as he explained yesterday. In FP1 this morning he was fourth-fastest and one of several riders to not use a fresh tyre at the end.
Bezzecchi's Aprilia Racing teammate, Jorge Martin, is the Italian's closest rival in the standings at present. He also didn't use a fresh tyre but did improve late on in FP1 to finish 10th-fastest this morning.
Pedro Acosta remains third in the championship after returning to the podium in Texas. The Spaniard feels this year's KTM is a bike that is more suited to him than last year which is helping him stay more consistent at the beginnin of the season, although he is still chasing that first premier class win. He was only the second-fastest KTM for much of this morning's session, but he ended up eighth and the only KTM in the top-10.
Fabio Di Giannantonio is the leading Ducati rider in the championship despite being taken out by Marc Marquez in the Sprint at COTA. The VR46 rider's future is uncertain at present but he insisted yesterday that his focus remains on racing at the moment, and he finished this morning's practice fastest overall having used a fresh tyre for his final run.
Franco Morbidelli also used a fresh tyre this morning to go second at the end.
Marc Marquez hasn't yet stood on a grand prix podium this year and his only win of any kind has come in the Brazil Sprint, in which he narrowly beat Di Giannantonio. Marquez's form this year has been hampered so far by his physical condition, and he was walking around yesterday with a new scar on his arm from his high-speed Texas practice crash almost a month ago.
The reigning champion was fifth this morning and, like Bezzecchi ahead of him, didn't use a fresh tyre. Fastest of everyone who stayed with the same tyres for the whole session this morning was Alex Marquez in third overall.
There are also two wildcard riders on the grid this weekend as Lorenzo Savadori and Augusto Fernandez line up for Aprilia and Yamaha, respectively, ahead of the first in-season official test of 2026 on Monday.
Factory Yamaha boss Massimo Meregalli explained earlier that Fernandez will be able to help the team work through its testing programme for this weekend, where it has some new items to try, since he is there as a wildcard.
24 Apr 2026
14:03
Bagnaia down
Early crash for Bagnaia, he's gone down at turn one. Looks like he's locked the front in braking for the first turn.
Not the way the three-time Jerez winner wanted to start his session.
14:00
Practice start
Pit lane is open in Jerez and we are underway for an hour of Practice.
14:00
Trackhouse seeks experienced MotoGP rider after Ai Ogura exit...
Trackhouse reacts to Ogura’s Yamaha MotoGP move, bad news for Bulega?
Ai Ogura, 2026 Spanish MotoGP.
© Gold and Goose
13:58
Jorge Martin had his post-session moment this morning, crashing at turn 3. Here is Ai Ogura's own moment as he entered pit lane following the practice start session.
13:47
Just under 15 minutes now until MotoGP Practice gets underway.
13:46
Moto2 PR finish
Practice has concluded for the Moto2 class.
Senna Agius, off the back of his Texas win, takes the top spot, then Lopez and Baltus complete the top-three.
Almost all Kalexes in the Q2 spots, only Vietti in 14th for Boscoscuro and Escrig in 11th on the Forward avoid an all-Kalex top-14.
13:42
Alonso moment
No crashes this session from Alonso but it's still had its moments.
13:32
Moto2 PR
15 minutes to go in the Moto2 Practice session at the moment. Collin Veijer fastest at the moment ahead of Barry Baltus and Manuel Gonzalez.
David Alonso sixth after his crash this morning.
13:23
Practice
Welcome back to live coverage of Friday's MotoGP practices from Jerez.
Practice is due to get underway in just under 40 minutes at 15:00 local time.
12:33
Luca Marini aiming to stay at HRC amid Tech3-Honda rumours
Luca Marini wants to “complete the circle” with Honda, despite 2027 MotoGP rumours
Luca Marini, 2026 Spanish MotoGP.
© Gold and Goose
11:46
Meregalli sure of riders' motivation
Despite both factory Yamaha riders being set to leave the team at the end of this season, although only in the case of Alex Rins has this been confirmed, Massimo Meregalli has backed their motivation for the remainder of the year, calling them "professional".
Meregalli also added that Yamaha has a number of new items to use this weekend and that Augusto Fernandez's presence at Jerez as a wildcard will help them to work through the testing schedule for those.
Full story here.
Fabio Quartararo leads Toprak Razgatioglu and Alex Rins, 2026 MotoGP US Grand Prix. Credit:…
© Gold & Goose
11:36
Ducati “found something” for Jerez
Ducati “found something” for Jerez MotoGP, pinpoint Aprilia advantage
Marc Marquez, 2026 Spanish MotoGP.
© Gold and Goose
10:48
Fabio Di Giannantonio fastest in Jerez MotoGP FP1, Jorge Martin crashes after the flag
Fabio Di Giannantonio set the best time of FP1 at the Spanish Grand Prix
Fabio Di Giannantonio fastest in Jerez MotoGP FP1, Jorge Martin crashes after the flag
Fabio Di Giannantonio, VR46 Ducati, 2026 Spanish MotoGP
© Gold and Goose
10:37
Spanish MotoGP, Jerez: FP1 Results
Fabio di Giannantonio, VR46 Ducati.
© Gold and Goose
10:36
Post-session, Martin has crashed on his out lap before the practice start session. He's gone down at turn three but looks okay.
10:32
Di Giannantonio tops FP1
Chequered flag is out in Jerez and it's Di Giannantonio who ends fastest with those fresh tyres at the end.
Also fresh tyres for Morbidelli who went second at the end. Alex Marquez, Bezzecchi, and Marc Marquez were third , fourth, and fifth and all avoided fresh tyres.
Raul Fernandez, Miller, Acosta, Zarco, and Martin complete the top-10, Martin improving late on although he was one rider who chose not to go for fresh tyres at the end.
10:29
Razgatlioglu with a decent lap to go 11th. Fresh rear tyre for him, assuming fresh front as well but the graphic isn't showing his front tyre data, so no idea.
10:27
Di Giannantonio on fresh mediums front and rear to go fastest and into the 1m36s. Almost 0.4s clear at the top, the VR46 rider, but he's more or less the only rider to have gone for fresh tyres.
10:24
Bagnaia off at turn one. Not a crash but runs off into the gravel. Not a huge deal but dirty tyres and a lap wasted.
10:20
Acosta's problem nothing terminal for his session, was just looking towards the front tyre as though he was unhappy with something at the front of the bike.
10:19
Some problem for Acosta at turn one a couple of laps ago. Down in 13th at the moment so not the easiest session for him so far.
Top KTM is Binder at the moment in P9.
Only three of them this weekend of course, with Vinales out through injury and Pol Espargaro also out injured and therefore unable to replace his compatriot at Tech3.
10:11
Bezzecchi up to second with his latest lap, 1m37.347s to be 0.015s behind Alex Marquez who still leads the session.
10:11
Looks like Razgatlioglu has stopped on-track with a technical problem. Heading back to the pits on a scooter. Looks like he had to pull off after turn six.
He's 20th at the moment a few hundredths behind Miller.
10:09
Bagnaia improves
Moment for Bagnaia at turn six, runs straight on. Down in 16th at the moment but improving on his next lap.
Up to fourth now for Bagnaia on a 1m37.684s. Ducati 1-2-3-4 now.