The MotoGP round has kicked off in Jerez — the Estrella Galicia 0,0 Spanish Grand Prix. Already on Friday, Alex Marquez (BK8 Gresini Racing MotoGP) set a strong pace, finishing the day 0.333 seconds ahead of Fabio Di Giannantonio (Pertamina Enduro VR46 Racing Team). Last season, Marquez already claimed victory here, but the start of 2026 had not gone his way. However, this time the Spaniard confidently returned to the top, clocking a 1:35.704 and leaving not only Di Giannantonio behind, but also current championship leader Marco Bezzecchi (Aprilia Racing), who rounded out the top three.
A dramatic start to the session
Practice in Jerez began with an incident: Francesco Bagnaia (Ducati Lenovo Team) crashed on his very first flying lap while trailing Alex Marquez. It was a poor start for the two-time world champion, unlike Di Giannantonio, who quickly moved into the lead, with Marquez just 0.046 seconds behind. Mid-session, another champion, Jorge Martin (Aprilia Racing), ended up in the gravel at the Jorge Lorenzo corner. After this, Di Giannantonio, switching to fresh Michelin tires, extended his lead to 0.339 seconds, while three Honda riders at once — Johann Zarco, Joan Mir, and Luca Marini — broke into the top six. Marc Marquez (Honda HRC Castrol) held on to fifth position.
Alex Marquez’s surge
Thirteen minutes before the end of the session, Ai Ogura (Trackhouse MotoGP Team) and Bezzecchi climbed into the top five, but soon Zarco, Fermin Aldeguer (BK8 Gresini Racing MotoGP), and Marini pushed them down. It was at this point that Alex Marquez made his decisive move: two fast laps in a row allowed him to take the lead with a time close to the track record. His gap over Di Giannantonio reached 0.563 seconds with nine minutes remaining. Meanwhile, Pedro Acosta (Red Bull KTM Factory Racing) was fighting to get into the top 10, but after a scary moment at turn six, he was left only in fifteenth. Bagnaia moved up to third, and Martin to fifth, but Bezzecchi immediately jumped to second, dropping Martin to sixth. Marc Marquez found himself outside the top ten, but then returned to third, while Acosta was unable to make it higher than twelfth. As a result, both factory KTMs — Acosta and Binder — will have to start from Q1 on Saturday.
The leaders and the intrigue of qualifying
At the end of Friday, Alex Marquez became the main contender for pole, while Di Giannantonio and Bezzecchi held their positions in the top three. Marc Marquez trailed his younger brother by 0.523 seconds and took fourth place. The top ten also included Ogura, Bagnaia, Raul Fernandez (Trackhouse MotoGP Team), Aldeguer, Martin, and Enea Bastianini, who became the only Red Bull KTM Tech3 rider in Q2. For the Austrian team, this is a rare reason for optimism against the backdrop of a difficult season start.
On Saturday, MotoGP qualifying will begin at 10:50 local time, followed by the Tissot Sprint at 15:00. Interest in the Spanish round is traditionally high—not only because of the battle for the lead, but also due to the unexpected twists that often happen on the Jerez circuit. Incidentally, the intense struggle for survival in Spanish football has also recently drawn attention: the match between Levante and Sevilla in Valencia proved decisive for both teams.
