2026 British MotoGP, Silverstone - Friday Practice Results

Marco Bezzecchi makes a perfect return to MotoGP action by leading an Aprilia onslaught during Friday practice for the 2026 British Grand Prix.

Former title leader Bezzecchi, back on an RS-GP for the first time since fracturing his collarbone before the summer break at Sachsenring, smashed the lap record to hold off Trackhouse rider Raul Fernandez by 0.335s.

VR46 Ducati’s Fabio di Giannantonio was the only rider to break the Aprilia domination, in third, ahead of title leader Jorge Martin and Fernandez’s team-mate Ai Ogura.

Ducati's reigning champion Marc Marquez briefly featured on top on his way to sixth.

Meanwhile, there were late mistakes by team-mate Pecco Bagnaia and KTM's Pedro Acosta, with the Italian pushed out of the top ten and into Saturday’s Qualifying 1.

FP1 leader Alex Marquez picked up where he left off early in the afternoon, as all riders switched to the preferred hard front tyre, with a mix of soft or medium rears.

Raul Fernandez and then Ogura took charge with the aid of new soft rears.

When full time-attacks began, with new rubber front and rear, it was Acosta who shot to the top.

But only briefly.

Alex Marquez responded before brother Marc showed his hand, breaking Fabio Quartararo’s 2025 pole record with ten minutes to go.

However, it was fellow title contenders Ogura and di Giannantonio who delivered the first 1m 56 laps, respectively.

The final run then saw Fernandez rocket from seventh to first, before Bezzecchi delivered his blistering 1m 56.280s.

Joan Mir and Jack Miller put Honda and Yamaha into Qualifying 2 with eighth and ninth, while Acosta held on to tenth.

Home star Cal Crutchlow rolled back the years by being as high as 14th on his way to 20th out of the 23 riders.

^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 Silverstone MotoGP Records:

Best lap: Fabio Quartararo, Yamaha, 1m 57.233s (2025)

Fastest race lap: Aleix Espargaro, Aprilia, 1m 58.895s (2024)

Free Practice 1

Alex Marquez opens the second half of the MotoGP season on top of the timesheets during Free Practice 1 at the 2026 British Grand Prix.

The Gresini Ducati rider, the Sprint winner a year ago, lapped the Silverstone circuit in a time of 1m 58.692s to sit 0.173s clear of last year’s grand prix winner Marco Bezzecchi (Aprilia).

KTM’s Pedro Acosta, the first faller of the weekend at Stowe, rebounded with third on new rubber in the final minutes.

Raul Fernandez (Trackhouse Aprilia) used a new front tyre for fourth, ahead of Fabio di Giannantonio (VR46 Ducati) and reigning champion Marc Marquez (Lenovo Ducati).

Aprilia title leader Jorge Martin began the weekend with eighth, behind closest championship rival Ai Ogura.

Practice, which decides the top ten riders for direct Qualifying 2 access, starts at 4pm local time.

* Rookie

Official Silverstone MotoGP Records:

Best lap: Fabio Quartararo, Yamaha, 1m 57.233s (2025)

Fastest race lap: Aleix Espargaro, Aprilia, 1m 58.895s (2024)

Jorge Martin leads the MotoGP standings by 14-points from fellow Aprilia rider Ai Ogura and with Ducati’s reigning Marc Marquez just 18 from the top as the 2026 season restarts after the summer break.

Martin’s factory team-mate and former title leader Marco Bezzecchi has been relegated to fourth as he makes his return to action after a collarbone fracture in Germany.

However, Tech3’s Maverick Vinales has withdrawn from the Silverstone round to undergo further treatment on his shoulder injury and is replaced by KTM test rider Pol Espargaro.

Gresini’s Fermin Aldeguer remains absent due to a vertebra fracture at Assen, with his seat taken by Ducati WorldSBK race winner and former MotoGP rider Iker Lecuona.

Lecuona is making his second appearance for Gresini this season, after finishing seventh on his Ducati MotoGP debut at Balaton Park as an injury replacement for Alex Marquez.

This time Lecuona - who finally broke team-mate Nicolo Bulega’s unbeaten WorldSBK run at Donington Park - will be riding the satellite-spec GP25 rather than factory GP26.

Johann Zarco continues to be sidelined by knee ligament injuries at Catalunya in May, with LCR replacement Cal Crutchlow competing in a home British Grand Prix for the first time since 2021.

Yamaha test rider Augusto Fernandez is making his latest wildcard appearance.