2026 Spanish MotoGP, Jerez - Friday Practice Results

Last year’s Spanish MotoGP winner Alex Marquez helps put a tough start to the 2026 season behind him by setting the Friday practice pace at Jerez, leading a top nine filled by Ducati and Aprilia riders.

Morning leader Fabio di Giannantonio was second, ahead of Aprilia's title leader Marco Bezzecchi, with reigning champion Marc Marquez in fourth.

Enea Bastianini was the top KTM in tenth, but factory star Pedro Acosta, plus all the Honda and Yamaha riders, will be sent to Saturday’s Qualifying 1 session.

Pecco Bagnaia’s afternoon got off to a nightmare start when he crashed under braking for Turn 1, sending his factory Ducati cartwheeling through the gravel trap.

Fellow former MotoGP champion Jorge Martin also bounced through the gravel, at the final corner. 

• Update: Jorge Martin penalised after Jerez MotoGP practice incident

However, both recovered to secure direct Qualifying 2 access...

^X Rider has improved X positions from FP1.
= Rider has the same position as FP1.
˅X Rider has dropped X positions from FP1.
* Rookie

Official Jerez MotoGP Records:

• Best lap: Fabio Quartararo, Yamaha, 1m 35.610s (2025)
• Fastest race lap: Alex Marquez, Ducati, 1m 37.349s (2025)

FP1

Fabio di Giannantonio used new tyres to move to the top of the timesheets in the closing minutes of opening practice for the 2026 Spanish MotoGP.

Fellow Ducati riders Alex and Marc Marquez, who won last year’s Sprint and Grand Prix respectively, led the opening half of the 45-minutes before being split by Aprilia’s title leader Marco Bezzecchi.

di Giannantonio and VR46 team-mate Franco Morbidelli were then among those to fit new rubber front and rear for their final run, when they moved into first and second places.

Behind them, Alex Marquez, Bezzecchi and Marc Marquez remained on old tyes.

Raul Fernandez, Jack Miller, Pedro Acosta and Johann Zarco followed on fresh tyres, with Jorge Martin completing the top ten on used rubber.

Jorge Martin falls... after the chequered flag

Martin, who crashed on the cool-down lap while celebrating his COTA Sprint win last time out, fell after FP1 ended, while on his way to the practice starts.

Fellow Aprilia rider Ai Ogura then saved a near crash after locking the front of his Trackhouse machine on his way into pit lane, after the practice period.

Toprak Razgatlioglu, who wrapped up two of his WorldSBK titles at Jerez, was forced to park his Pramac Yamaha due to a technical issue at the midway stage.

Bezzecchi is chasing his sixth grand prix victory in a row this weekend, a run that began at Portimao in late 2025, and has also led the last 121 GP laps in a row.

Test riders Augusto Fernandez (Yamaha) and Lorenzo Savadori (Aprilia) are making their first wild-card appearances of the season.

Tech3’s Maverick Vinales is absent following shoulder surgery and has not been replaced.

An official test will be held at Jerez on Monday.

* Rookie

Official Jerez MotoGP Records:

Best lap: Fabio Quartararo, Yamaha, 1m 35.610s (2025)

Fastest race lap: Alex Marquez, Ducati, 1m 37.349s (2025)