Alex Marquez (BK8 Gresini Racing MotoGP) showcased his incredible resilience and speed during Friday’s practice sessions at the Estrella Galicia 0,0 Grand Prix of Spain, setting a blistering pace despite suffering a fast crash early in the day. The Spaniard’s stunning lap time of 1:35.991 not only secured him the top spot but also broke the all-time lap record at the Jerez circuit.
The day began with early drama for Marquez, who crashed heavily at Turn 5 while following his brother, World Championship leader Marc Marquez (Ducati Lenovo Team). The incident brought out the red flags as the air fence needed to be repaired. Undeterred by the setback, Alex Marquez returned to the track with renewed determination.
As the session resumed, riders began to push the pace, with Fabio Quartararo (Monster Energy Yamaha MotoGP), Johann Zarco (LCR Honda Castrol), Brad Binder (Red Bull KTM Factory Racing), and Pedro Acosta (Red Bull KTM Factory Racing) all taking turns at the top of the timesheets. Heading into the final stages of the session, Quartararo led Maverick Viñales (Red Bull KTM Tech3), with Marc Marquez, Acosta, and Binder rounding out the top five.
The closing minutes of the session saw a flurry of activity and some impressive performances. Francesco Bagnaia (Ducati Lenovo Team) and Franco Morbidelli (Pertamina Enduro VR46 Racing Team) briefly held the top spot before Marc Marquez set a 1:36.258 to take over the lead. However, it was Alex Marquez who stole the show, becoming the first rider ever to dip into the 1:35s with a sensational lap time of 1:35.991.
Despite a late effort from Marc Marquez, which was hampered by a moment at Turn 6, no one could match Alex Marquez’s blistering pace. Bagnaia secured second place, 0.103s behind the younger Marquez, while Morbidelli claimed third. Marc Marquez had to settle for fourth, setting the stage for an exciting weekend of racing.
Reflecting on his performance, Alex Marquez said, “Today I was maybe overconfident and then crashed twice. The second one, in particular, was a heavy one, even though I was almost unscathed. The best thing about this Friday was the reaction: I chose to stay put for half hour and then get back on track just for the time attack. It went well, even though we’ll have a lot of work to do tomorrow, especially with regards to race pace.”
Quartararo recovered well from a crash at the final corner to finish fifth, ahead of rookie sensation Fermin Aldeguer (BK8 Gresini Racing MotoGP) in sixth. Zarco, Acosta, Fabio Di Giannantonio (Pertamina Enduro VR46 Racing Team), and Joan Mir (Honda HRC Castrol) completed the top 10, all securing automatic entry into Q2.
Notable riders missing out on a direct spot in Q2 included Brad Binder, who finished 11th, just 0.055s behind Mir. The South African will be looking to fight his way through Q1 and join the frontrunners on the grid.
With qualifying set to take place on Saturday at 10:50 local time (UTC+1), fans can expect an intense battle for pole position. Alex Marquez’s record-breaking performance has thrown down the gauntlet, but with the likes of Bagnaia, Morbidelli, and Marc Marquez in close pursuit, the fight for the top spot promises to be a thrilling spectacle.
As the Estrella Galicia 0,0 Grand Prix of Spain continues to unfold, all eyes will be on Alex Marquez to see if he can maintain his incredible form and convert his practice pace into a strong qualifying result and, ultimately, a podium finish on race day.
