Marc Marquez “close” to Italian MotoGP rivals: “It’s not Aragon anymore!”

Mugello is one of few circuits where Marc Marquez has enjoyed only limited success in his grand prix racing career, but third-fastest on Friday at the 2025 Italian MotoGP proved the current championship leader is in contention this weekend in Tuscany.

Marquez was sat between Francesco Bagnaia and Alex Marquez on the timesheets, the three Ducati riders separated by only 0.043 seconds at the end of Practice, leading Ducati Lenovo Team’s Marquez in a positive mood, even if he admitted that things are closer here than they were at Aragon two weeks ago.

“It was a good day, solid day,” Marc Marquez summarised at the end of Friday in Mugello.

“To be at Mugello, it was special to ride in red, of course.

“Apart from that, we just tried to concentrate, to be super-focused because [...] it’s not Aragon anymore!

“Alex [Marquez] and Pecco [Francesco Bagnaia] here are much closer.

“Normally, they are faster than me, but today we are close to them. So, let’s see what we can do during the practice.”

There was also a new fairing to try for all three GP25 riders – Bagnaia, Marquez, and Fabio Di Giannantonio – at Mugello.

Marquez tried it for only a small number of laps in Practice, whereas Bagnaia didn’t try it at all as a result of some issues he encountered on Friday, and Fabio Di Giannantonio completed most of Friday’s running with the updated bodywork.

“Ducati staff asked us to start to understand – because the bike balance is changing a bit with that new aero – for the future,” Marquez explained.

“We believe that there is good potential there, but we need to understand in different circuits.

“Tomorrow, I need to understand if I will keep going with that new aero or come back to the old one and don’t make any confusion.

“Normally, when the other Ducati riders are going with one aero, maybe the best way, if you are leading the championship, is to be with the same technical aspects.

“So, let’s see, but at the moment I’m feeling good.”