VR46 rider smashes lap record to lead Day 1, Yamaha and KTM make strong showings
For once, Marc Marquez (Ducati Lenovo Team) didn’t have his name atop the Sachsenring timesheets. That honor instead went to Fabio Di Giannantonio (Pertamina Enduro VR46 Racing Team), who produced a spectacular lap to set a brand-new Sachsenring all-time record and comfortably top the Friday Practice standings. The Italian stopped the clock at a stunning 1:19.071, a full three tenths clear of the field.
Closest to him? Alex Marquez (Gresini Racing MotoGP) – despite still recovering from a fractured left hand. A remarkable ride from the Spaniard pushed his brother Marc down to third, a rare sight at a circuit where the #93 has historically dominated.
Early Trouble for Bezzecchi
Just under 10 minutes into the session, Marco Bezzecchi (Aprilia Racing) found himself sliding out at the final corner—hardly the start he was hoping for. At that point, it was Marc Marquez setting the pace with a time 0.191 seconds quicker than Di Giannantonio.
Q2 Battle Intensifies
As the session progressed toward its climax, the leaderboard remained relatively stable. Pedro Acosta (Red Bull KTM Factory Racing) held third provisionally, followed by Francesco Bagnaia (Ducati Lenovo Team) and Joan Mir (Honda HRC Castrol). But with the soft tire runs still to come, the session was poised for a dramatic finish—as is typical for a MotoGP Friday.
Not without incident, either: Fermin Aldeguer (Gresini Racing) tipped off at Turn 1, while Marc Marquez ran wide at the same spot after a near-highside moment cresting Turn 10—a turbulent end to an otherwise controlled stint for the championship leader.
Then the times started to fall.
With 13 minutes remaining, Acosta laid down a 1:19.843 to slot just 0.031s behind Marc Marquez. Miguel Oliveira (Trackhouse Racing) also surged into the top five. Moments later, Acosta upped the ante with a 1:19.772, temporarily displacing Marc Marquez.
But the eight-time world champion wasn’t finished yet. Armed with a fresh soft rear tire, he quickly retook top spot—only for Di Giannantonio and Jack Miller (Pramac Yamaha) to respond in kind. With nine minutes to go, Di Giannantonio narrowed the gap between them to just 0.128s.
Then came a brilliant late surge from Alex Marquez, who punched in a 1:19.649, making a bold return to the top three and proving his injury wasn’t slowing him down.
Final Flurry and Late Surprises
Bezzecchi bounced back from his earlier crash by climbing into P3, only to be pushed down the order again as Franco Morbidelli (VR46) and Fabio Quartararo (Monster Energy Yamaha MotoGP) leaped up the leaderboard. Quartararo, fresh off a Dutch GP pole, was just 0.063s behind Marc Marquez as he momentarily slotted into P2.
With three minutes left, the order continued to shift. Acosta once again cracked the top three, only to see both Marquez brothers and Di Giannantonio dig even deeper.
In a dramatic final twist, Alex Marquez fired in a flyer that bettered Marc, and just seconds later, Di Giannantonio delivered a scorcher of a lap to finish Friday with authority. His performance was the perfect combination of precision and aggression—and a clear statement of intent heading into Saturday.
Friday’s Q2 Line-Up Locked
Fabio Quartararo closed the day in fourth, a positive sign for Yamaha alongside strong representation from KTM in the top five. Morbidelli’s sixth place rounded off a stellar day for the VR46 squad. Bezzecchi, Miller, Bagnaia, and Brad Binder (Red Bull KTM) completed the top 10.
Looking Ahead: Saturday’s Qualifying and Sprint
With Di Giannantonio setting the benchmark and the forecast predicting unpredictable weather for the weekend, Saturday’s action at Sachsenring is shaping up to be explosive. Expect intense qualifying battles and a heated Tissot Sprint race.
Moto2: Vietti Tops Friday as Big Names Face Q1
Under sunny skies, Celestino Vietti (Folladore SpeedRS Team) made a late push to steal top spot in the Moto2 class on Friday. The Italian stunned the paddock with a 1:22.329, breaking up the Kalex-dominated leaderboard and putting Boscoscuro back on top.
Senna Agius (Liqui Moly Dynavolt Intact GP), fresh off signing a contract extension for 2026, briefly held provisional P1 before Vietti’s lap. He ended the day second, just 0.130s behind. Championship leader Manuel Gonzalez (also Intact GP) was a further 0.147s back in third, still struggling to fully gel with his Kalex setup.
Marcos Ramirez (OnlyFans American Racing Team) impressed in fourth, while Aron Canet (Fantic Racing) edged out Ayumu Sasaki (RW – Idrofoglia Racing) for fifth. Sasaki’s P6 finish marked his strongest showing of the year so far.
Filip Salač (ELF Marc VDS) had been running near the top when he suffered a minor off at Turn 1. He still managed to secure seventh overall. But some heavy-hitters were caught out: Diogo Moreira (Italtrans), Jake Dixon (Marc VDS), and Barry Baltus (Fantic) all missed the top 14 and will have to fight through Q1 on Saturday. Yuki Kunii (Idemitsu Honda) was just 0.050s shy of a direct Q2 spot.
Moto3: Muñoz Destroys the Clock to Lead by Three Tenths
David Muñoz (BOE Motorsports) turned heads on Friday afternoon by clocking a 1:24.767, a new Moto3 lap record at the Sachsenring. That time gave him a dominant three-tenth advantage and put the Liqui Moly Dynavolt Intact GP team in high spirits ahead of their home Grand Prix.
David Almansa (Leopard Racing) was second-fastest, 0.360s adrift, while Scott Ogden (CIP Green Power)—who led FP1—continued his strong form in third.
After a rough start to the day with mechanical issues, Maximo Quiles (CFMOTO Gaviota Aspar) bounced back in FP2, securing his first automatic Q2 entry since Silverstone. Jacob Roulstone (Red Bull KTM Tech3) also impressed with a top-five finish, ending less than half a second off the top.
Taiyo Furusato (Honda Team Asia), who claimed a podium here last season, finished sixth. Alvaro Carpe (Red Bull KTM Ajo) left it late to crack the top 14, while his teammate and current championship leader Jose Antonio Rueda made it through safely as well.
Notably, Dutch GP podium finisher Valentin Perrone (KTM Tech3) will have to go through Q1, as riders and teams now turn their attention to Saturday—and whatever weather challenges it may bring.
Official MotoGP Press Release
