2 months ago
Photo by Aprilia.
Friday practice at MotorLand Aragon produced the closest top three ever recorded on a MotoGP Friday, with Marco Bezzecchi, Alex Marquez and Marc Marquez trading fastest laps in the final minutes of a session that saw the circuit lap record fall three separate times, according to MotoGP.
Marc Marquez had controlled the running from the outset, exactly the kind of dominance his record at Aragon suggests. He owns seven MotoGP wins at the venue, and for most of the session he sat comfortably ahead of ****** le rival Bezzecchi, with Fabio Di Giannantonio in third after recovering from an FP1 crash. That control held until the final quarter of an hour, however, when time-attack runs turned the timing screens red.
Fermin Aldeguer was the first to unseat the #93 , briefly taking P1 before Jorge Martin, Bezzecchi and Pedro Acosta all fired in quick laps. Marc responded with a 1:45.493 to obliterate his own lap record. But the mark did not stand. Instead, Bezzecchi produced a 1:45.455 to ****** top spot from the home hero by just 0.038s, per MotoGP's timing.
Alex Marquez, on Gresini machinery, had been chasing throughout. He got within a few hundredths of the old record on his first attempt and was 0.273s off P1 heading into the closing minutes. His final effort was enough to leapfrog brother Marc but fell short of Bezzecchi and the top spot, leaving the two ****** le contenders separated by that slender margin at the head of the timesheets. As a result, the Marquez brothers were denied what would have been a perfect homecoming on a circuit that has long favored the family.
#bezzecchi #marquez #marc #aragon
Friday practice at MotorLand Aragon produced the closest top three ever recorded on a MotoGP Friday, with Marco Bezzecchi, Alex Marquez and Marc Marquez trading fastest laps in the final minutes of a session that saw the circuit lap record fall three separate times, according to MotoGP.
Marc Marquez had controlled the running from the outset, exactly the kind of dominance his record at Aragon suggests. He owns seven MotoGP wins at the venue, and for most of the session he sat comfortably ahead of ****** le rival Bezzecchi, with Fabio Di Giannantonio in third after recovering from an FP1 crash. That control held until the final quarter of an hour, however, when time-attack runs turned the timing screens red.
Fermin Aldeguer was the first to unseat the #93 , briefly taking P1 before Jorge Martin, Bezzecchi and Pedro Acosta all fired in quick laps. Marc responded with a 1:45.493 to obliterate his own lap record. But the mark did not stand. Instead, Bezzecchi produced a 1:45.455 to ****** top spot from the home hero by just 0.038s, per MotoGP's timing.
Alex Marquez, on Gresini machinery, had been chasing throughout. He got within a few hundredths of the old record on his first attempt and was 0.273s off P1 heading into the closing minutes. His final effort was enough to leapfrog brother Marc but fell short of Bezzecchi and the top spot, leaving the two ****** le contenders separated by that slender margin at the head of the timesheets. As a result, the Marquez brothers were denied what would have been a perfect homecoming on a circuit that has long favored the family.
#bezzecchi #marquez #marc #aragon
3 months ago
Jorge Martin converted pole position into a commanding victory in the British Grand Prix sprint to extend his lead at the top of the MotoGP standings.
The Spaniard nailed the start and then led every lap of the half-distance race at Silverstone, only facing a brief threat from Trackhouse's Ai Ogura during the middle stages before pulling comfortably clear in the final laps.
With Marco Bezzecchi finishing third behind team-mate Martin and Ogura, Aprilia secured its first-ever sprint podium lockout, even as Raul Fernandez crashed out early on.
At the start of the race, Martin made a clean start from pole, with Ogura jumping to second as his team-mate Fernandez slipped to sixth.
Meanwhile, Marco Bezzecchi and Marc Marquez engaged in a close battle for fourth behind Ogura and Fabio di Giannantonio, the pair making contact at Turn 4 before the factory Ducati rider found a way past into Stowe.
#ogura #martin #sprint
The Spaniard nailed the start and then led every lap of the half-distance race at Silverstone, only facing a brief threat from Trackhouse's Ai Ogura during the middle stages before pulling comfortably clear in the final laps.
With Marco Bezzecchi finishing third behind team-mate Martin and Ogura, Aprilia secured its first-ever sprint podium lockout, even as Raul Fernandez crashed out early on.
At the start of the race, Martin made a clean start from pole, with Ogura jumping to second as his team-mate Fernandez slipped to sixth.
Meanwhile, Marco Bezzecchi and Marc Marquez engaged in a close battle for fourth behind Ogura and Fabio di Giannantonio, the pair making contact at Turn 4 before the factory Ducati rider found a way past into Stowe.
#ogura #martin #sprint
4 months ago
Marc Marquez has defended Marco Bezzecchi from online hate after the Aprilia rider suffered a fracture to his collarbone during the German Grand Prix qualifying.
Bezzecchi was forced to withdraw from Sachsenring midway through the weekend following a nasty highside on Saturday afternoon, dealing another blow to his ****** le hopes in MotoGP this year.
The injury followed just weeks after the Italian was suspended from the Czech Grand Prix for slapping a marshal following the Brno sprint. Bezzecchi also collided with Marquez at last October’s Indonesian GP while trying to recover from a slow start, leaving the Spaniard with a shoulder injury that continues to affect him.
In response to comments about Bezzecchi’s shoulder fracture being payback for his previous actions, the reigning world champion urged MotoGP fans not to pile criticism on his rival.
Instead, he stressed that the focus should be on improving rider safety in MotoGP.
Bezzecchi was forced to withdraw from Sachsenring midway through the weekend following a nasty highside on Saturday afternoon, dealing another blow to his ****** le hopes in MotoGP this year.
The injury followed just weeks after the Italian was suspended from the Czech Grand Prix for slapping a marshal following the Brno sprint. Bezzecchi also collided with Marquez at last October’s Indonesian GP while trying to recover from a slow start, leaving the Spaniard with a shoulder injury that continues to affect him.
In response to comments about Bezzecchi’s shoulder fracture being payback for his previous actions, the reigning world champion urged MotoGP fans not to pile criticism on his rival.
Instead, he stressed that the focus should be on improving rider safety in MotoGP.
4 months ago
Aprilia has signed current Ducati star Francesco Bagnaia to replace the outgoing Jorge Martin for the start of the MotoGP’s 850cc era in 2027.
Bagnaia will team up with the previously announced Marco Bezzecchi as part of a multi-year deal, forming an all-Italian line-up at Noale.
The two-time MotoGP champion’s move to Aprilia was announced on Thursday morning, one day after Ducati confirmed he would be replaced by KTM’s Pedro Acosta next year.
"Worldwide we say, 'the sky is azzuro over Noale. Francesco Bagnaia joins Aprilia Racing from 2027," the team said on social media.
Bagnaia had long been seen as a Ducati lifer, having helped the Borgo Panigale marque return to the top in MotoGP with back-to-back riders’ ****** les in 2022-23.
Bagnaia will team up with the previously announced Marco Bezzecchi as part of a multi-year deal, forming an all-Italian line-up at Noale.
The two-time MotoGP champion’s move to Aprilia was announced on Thursday morning, one day after Ducati confirmed he would be replaced by KTM’s Pedro Acosta next year.
"Worldwide we say, 'the sky is azzuro over Noale. Francesco Bagnaia joins Aprilia Racing from 2027," the team said on social media.
Bagnaia had long been seen as a Ducati lifer, having helped the Borgo Panigale marque return to the top in MotoGP with back-to-back riders’ ****** les in 2022-23.
4 months ago
There are plenty of ways to throw away a championship lead. Marco Bezzecchi found a new one.
Bezzecchi’s Saturday at Brno got dramatically worse when the world championship leader was suspended from Sunday’s Czech Grand Prix following an altercation with marshals during the Sprint.
The ban is fully deserved. It’s also a staggering act of self-sabotage from a rider who, until that moment, had looked entirely in control of a ***** le fight he started the weekend leading.
The Italian was running fifth when he crashed at Turn 3 on the penultimate lap of the Brno sprint.
As marshals were lifting his Aprilia RS-GP from the gravel trap, one of them accidentally twisted the throttle, causing the engine to rev – at which point Bezzecchi ran over.
Bezzecchi’s Saturday at Brno got dramatically worse when the world championship leader was suspended from Sunday’s Czech Grand Prix following an altercation with marshals during the Sprint.
The ban is fully deserved. It’s also a staggering act of self-sabotage from a rider who, until that moment, had looked entirely in control of a ***** le fight he started the weekend leading.
The Italian was running fifth when he crashed at Turn 3 on the penultimate lap of the Brno sprint.
As marshals were lifting his Aprilia RS-GP from the gravel trap, one of them accidentally twisted the throttle, causing the engine to rev – at which point Bezzecchi ran over.
4 months ago
Marco Bezzecchi has apologised after he was banned from taking part in the Czech Grand Prix for striking a marshal.
The MotoGP points leader got into hot water with the stewards after footage emerged showing him getting into an altercation with a marshal in Saturday’s sprint.
After crashing on the penultimate lap of the race, the 27-year-old ran towards his factory Aprilia, which was being recovered by trackside marshals. Onboard footage showed a marshal revving up the engine - likely by accident - as they picked up the stranded bike off the gravel.
The scene appeared to agitate Bezzecchi, who was then seen pushing and striking the worker in a heated quarrel.
Following the race, the stewards summouned him for a hearing and eventually banned him from Sunday’s race at Brno for unsportsmanlike behaviour.
The MotoGP points leader got into hot water with the stewards after footage emerged showing him getting into an altercation with a marshal in Saturday’s sprint.
After crashing on the penultimate lap of the race, the 27-year-old ran towards his factory Aprilia, which was being recovered by trackside marshals. Onboard footage showed a marshal revving up the engine - likely by accident - as they picked up the stranded bike off the gravel.
The scene appeared to agitate Bezzecchi, who was then seen pushing and striking the worker in a heated quarrel.
Following the race, the stewards summouned him for a hearing and eventually banned him from Sunday’s race at Brno for unsportsmanlike behaviour.
4 months ago
Marc Marquez says that his team-mate Francesco Bagnaia’s victory in the Czech Grand Prix sprint proves that Ducati’s 2026 MotoGP bike is capable of winning the **** le.
Lining up third on the grid, Bagnaia grabbed the lead at the start on his factory Ducati, passing both polesitter Ai Ogura and VR46’s Fabio di Giannantonio on the run down to Turn 1.
For the remainder of the race, the three-time world champion came under intense pressure from the Trackhouse Aprilia rider, who closed in rapidly on him in the final laps.
But Bagnaia didn’t put a foot wrong and eventually crossed the finish line 0.241s ahead, claiming his first sprint win of 2026 and the fifth for Ducati in nine attempts.
More significantly, it allowed Ducati to close the gap to Aprilia in all three championships, particularly with points leader Marco Bezzecchi crashing out on the penultimate lap and Jorge Martin only managing fifth.
Lining up third on the grid, Bagnaia grabbed the lead at the start on his factory Ducati, passing both polesitter Ai Ogura and VR46’s Fabio di Giannantonio on the run down to Turn 1.
For the remainder of the race, the three-time world champion came under intense pressure from the Trackhouse Aprilia rider, who closed in rapidly on him in the final laps.
But Bagnaia didn’t put a foot wrong and eventually crossed the finish line 0.241s ahead, claiming his first sprint win of 2026 and the fifth for Ducati in nine attempts.
More significantly, it allowed Ducati to close the gap to Aprilia in all three championships, particularly with points leader Marco Bezzecchi crashing out on the penultimate lap and Jorge Martin only managing fifth.
5 months ago
Marc Marquez converted pole position into a commanding victory in the Hungarian Grand Prix sprint, overcoming concerns about his physical limitation.
Having previously ruled out any chance of a repeat of his double win from 2025, Marquez was in unbeatable form on Saturday at the Balaton Park Circuit, as he followed a dominant performance in qualifying with an equally impressive ride in the sprint.
The Spaniard stretched out an early advantage over Pedro Acosta and cruised to the finish line in the 13-lap contest, taking the chequered flag by 1.5s.
The final spot on the podium went to championship leader and factory Aprilia rider Marco Bezzecchi.
At the start of the race, Marquez pulled away cleanly from pole position to retain the lead from Acosta, with Bezzecchi jumping from sixth on the grid to grab third place.
Having previously ruled out any chance of a repeat of his double win from 2025, Marquez was in unbeatable form on Saturday at the Balaton Park Circuit, as he followed a dominant performance in qualifying with an equally impressive ride in the sprint.
The Spaniard stretched out an early advantage over Pedro Acosta and cruised to the finish line in the 13-lap contest, taking the chequered flag by 1.5s.
The final spot on the podium went to championship leader and factory Aprilia rider Marco Bezzecchi.
At the start of the race, Marquez pulled away cleanly from pole position to retain the lead from Acosta, with Bezzecchi jumping from sixth on the grid to grab third place.
