Alex Marquez Sets New Lap Record at Spanish MotoGP Practice

Jerez de la Frontera, Spain — Alex Marquez led the MotoGP World Championship practice on Friday afternoon at the Circuito de Jerez – Ángel Nieto, impressively turning a lap time of 1:35.991, setting a new all-time record.

Marquez, riding the BK8 Gresini Racing MotoGP Desmosedici GP24 on Michelin tires, secured first place among the 23-rider field. Francesco Bagnaia, of the Lenovo Ducati Team, was just behind with a time of 1:36.094, while Franco Morbidelli of the Pertamina Enduro VR46 Racing Team rounded out the top three with a time of 1:36.153.

Six-time MotoGP World Champion Marc Marquez, Alex’s brother and teammate, finished the session in fourth place at 1:36.258, making it four Ducatis in the top four.

Despite a crash at Turn 5 during the session, Alex Marquez returned to track and swiftly regained his pace, ultimately breaking the previous lap record. “The bike was too stable and too good,” he expressed. “I was trying to push and didn’t realize the limit was there.”

The session was not without drama; a red flag was shown to allow repairs to the air fence after Marquez’s fall. After the break, Fabio Quartararo of Monster Energy Yamaha YZR-M1 briefly led with a time of 1:37.071 before the Ducati riders surged ahead.

Quartararo finished in fifth place with a time of 1:36.419, while rookie Fermin Aldeguer of BK8 Gresini Racing MotoGP placed sixth, marking a strong showing at his home Grand Prix.

As the teams prepare for tomorrow’s qualifying sessions, Alex Marquez remains eager to capitalize on his strong practice performance. “The main goal was to be in Q2, and we managed that quite well,” he noted.

Tomorrow, the MotoGP qualifying session is set for 10:50 local time (UTC+1). Fans can expect an exciting showdown as the top riders battle for the pole position.