It hasn’t been the smoothest start to the 2026 season for Álex Márquez, but Friday afternoon at Jerez showed exactly what he’s capable of when everything clicks. The 2025 Spanish Grand Prix winner returned to form in emphatic style, finishing the opening day of track action comfortably on top. His best lap, a 1:35.704, left him over three tenths clear of the rest of the field—a significant margin in modern MotoGP.
Fabio Di Giannantonio ended the day as the closest challenger, but even he couldn’t get within striking distance, trailing by 0.333 seconds. Championship leader Marco Bezzecchi completed the top three, continuing his strong run of form. Meanwhile, one of the day’s biggest surprises came from Pedro Acosta, who found himself outside the top 10 and heading into Q1 for the first time this season after a difficult session.
The action got underway with immediate drama. Francesco Bagnaia suffered an early crash at Turn 1 on his very first flying lap while following Márquez. It was far from the start the double world champion would have wanted, especially at a circuit where he’s previously excelled. While Bagnaia regrouped, Di Giannantonio quickly moved to the top of the timesheets, with Márquez close behind in the early stages.
Midway through the session, another key moment unfolded when Jorge Martín crashed at Turn 13—the fast right-hander known as Jorge Lorenzo Corner. The front end of his Aprilia gave way unexpectedly, sending him sliding into the gravel. It was a reminder of how unforgiving Jerez can be, even for the most experienced riders.
As the session progressed, fresh tyres began to make a difference. With around 20 minutes remaining, Di Giannantonio improved his time significantly, stretching his advantage. At the same time, several Honda riders made a noticeable leap up the order after switching to new rubber. Johann Zarco, Joan Mir, and Luca Marini all moved into the top six, briefly shaking up the established hierarchy, while Marc Márquez hovered just behind them.
The closing stages of the session were where things really intensified. With just over 10 minutes left, the pace ramped up across the board. Ai Ogura and Bezzecchi both pushed into the top positions before being displaced again as the order kept shifting. Then came the decisive moment from Álex Márquez.
Putting together two exceptional laps back-to-back, he reset the benchmark with that 1:35.704—just a fraction away from the all-time lap record at Jerez. The lap didn’t just put him on top; it completely changed the landscape of the session. At one point, his advantage stretched beyond half a second, underlining just how strong his pace was.
Further down the order, several big names were under pressure. Acosta had a particularly tense moment at Turn 6 while pushing hard behind teammate Brad Binder, which disrupted his rhythm. With only a few minutes remaining, he was still well outside the top 10, sitting in 15th place. Bagnaia and Martín were also struggling at that stage, running 13th and 19th respectively.
In the final minutes, both Bagnaia and Martín managed to improve significantly. Bagnaia jumped up to third, while Martín briefly climbed into fifth before being pushed back again as others found late gains. Bezzecchi also made a strong late push to move into second at one stage, further tightening the fight behind Márquez.
Marc Márquez also delivered a late improvement, briefly moving into the top three and securing a place in Q2. However, the same couldn’t be said for Acosta. Despite one last attempt, his final lap wasn’t enough to break into the top 10. He ended the session in 15th, meaning he—and teammate Binder in 16th—will both have to fight through Q1 on Saturday morning.
At the front, though, the story was all about Álex Márquez. His performance not only put him at the top of the timesheets but also established him as the rider to beat heading into qualifying. Di Giannantonio and Bezzecchi remain close enough to challenge, while Marc Márquez, Ogura, Bagnaia, Raúl Fernández, Fermín Aldeguer, and Martín round out the automatic Q2 qualifiers.
Enea Bastianini also secured a place in Q2, providing a positive note for KTM’s satellite squad in what was otherwise a challenging day for the Austrian manufacturer.
With such a competitive field and several big names forced to fight their way through Q1, Saturday’s qualifying promises plenty of drama. The battle for pole position begins in the morning, followed by the Sprint race in the afternoon—setting the stage for what could be a pivotal weekend in the championship.
Moto2: Agius breaks the lap record to lead Friday
In Moto2, Senna Agius stole the spotlight with an outstanding performance. The Australian rider set a new lap record with a 1:38.973, making him the only rider to dip into the 1:38 bracket on Friday. It was an impressive benchmark, especially considering it was not far off the pace seen in MotoGP’s earlier sessions.
Alonso López finished just 0.079 seconds behind in second place, while Barry Baltus secured third after leading the early part of the session. Collin Veijer also showed strong pace, briefly topping the times before settling into fourth.
Further down the order, several riders made late improvements to secure positions in the top 14 and a direct place in Q2. Among them was Izan Guevara, who left it until the final moments to move up the standings.
Championship leader Manuel González ended the day in 10th, leaving him with work to do if he wants to close the gap to his teammate Agius ahead of qualifying.
Moto3: Quiles shines on home soil
Moto3 saw a standout performance from Máximo Quiles, who dominated Friday on home turf. The young Spaniard topped both practice sessions, ending the day fastest and setting the tone for the weekend.
David Muñoz made an impressive return to action, finishing second after missing recent rounds, while Valentín Perrone secured third with a strong late lap. Matteo Bertelle continued his solid form with fourth, and David Almansa completed the top five despite still recovering from injury.
There was also a strong showing from several rookies, many of whom secured places in Q2. However, some notable names—including recent race winner Guido Pini and Joel Kelso—will have to go through Q1 after missing out on the top 14.
As the grid battles begin to take shape across all three classes, Saturday promises even more intensity as qualifying decides the starting order for race day. Jerez has already delivered plenty of action—and it’s only just getting started.
