MotoGP: Bezzecchi Surprises Alex and Marc Marquez at Aragon

The first signs came from the pre-qualifying session for the Aragon Grand Prix, a round of the 2026 MotoGP World Championship. At the Spanish circuit, the spotlight was primarily on Marc Marquez, fresh off a fastest lap in FP1 and particularly at ease on a track that has brought him great success in recent years.

However, it was Marco Bezzecchi who stole the show. Aprilia had approached the Aragon weekend knowing it might be forced to play defense, but the rider from Romagna proved right from the start that he had other plans. Bezzecchi secured P1 while also setting a new track record of 1’45.455, beating the previous mark of 1’45.704 set by Marc Marquez himself.

This was a particularly significant result, especially considering the Aprilia rider’s physical condition, as he is still dealing with knee issues left over from the crash that occurred just before the summer break. Bezzecchi, however, impressed not only with his single-lap pace but also with his race pace, working throughout the session to compare the medium and soft rear tires. The outlook, therefore, is encouraging for “Bez,” with his physical condition being the only real unknown. In terms of performance, however, Aprilia seems to have started the weekend in the best possible way.

Behind Bezzecchi were both Marquez brothers. Alex finished in second place, just 10 thousandths behind the Aprilia rider, while Marc ended the session with the third-fastest time, 38 thousandths behind. The Spanish champion’s performance, however, deserves special mention. On his final attempt, Marc chose to use the same soft tire he had mounted in his previous run, limiting himself to adjusting the bike’s setup.

Here are all the times:

1 72 Marco BEZZECCHI ITA Aprilia Racing APRILIA 1’45.455 21 22 348.3
2 73 Alex MARQUEZ SPA BK8 Gresini Racing MotoGP DUCATI 1’45.465 21 21 0.010 0.010 348.3
3 93 Marc MARQUEZ SPA Ducati Lenovo Team DUCATI 1’45.493 17 20 0.038 0.028 345.0
4 49 Fabio DI GIANNANTONIO ITA Pertamina Enduro VR46 Racing Team DUCATI 1’45.754 19 20
5 54 Fermin ALDEGUER SPA BK8 Gresini Racing MotoGP DUCATI 1’45.895 18 20 0.440 0.141 342.8
6 25 Raul FERNANDEZ SPA SuperFile Trackhouse MotoGP Team APRILIA 1’45.959 21 23 0.504
7 89 Jorge MARTIN SPA Aprilia Racing APRILIA 1’46.027 17 22 0.572 0.068 347.2
8 37 Pedro ACOSTA SPA Red Bull KTM Factory Racing KTM 1’46.064 16 20 0.609 0.037 348.3
9 21 Franco MORBIDELLI ITA Pertamina Enduro VR46 Racing Team DUCATI 1’46.218 17 21 0.763
10 5 Johann ZARCO FRA Castrol Honda LCR HONDA 1’46.298 21 21 0.843 0.080 349.4
11 11 Diogo MOREIRA BRA Pro Honda LCR HONDA 1’46.308 18 22 0.853 0.010 348.3
12 10 Luca MARINI ITA Honda HRC Castrol HONDA 1’46.376 19 24 0.921 0.068 348.3
13 63 Francesco BAGNAIA ITA Ducati Lenovo Team DUCATI 1’46.487 15 20 1.032 0.111 349.4
14 20 Fabio QUARTARARO FRA Monster Energy Yamaha MotoGP Team YAMAHA 1’46.618 21 21 1.163 0.131 343.8
15 36 Joan MIR SPA Honda HRC Castrol HONDA 1’46.623 23 24 1.168 0.005 347.2
16 42 Alex RINS SPA Monster Energy Yamaha MotoGP Team YAMAHA 1’46.704 17 18 1.249 0.081 345.0
17 23 Enea BASTIANINI ITA Red Bull KTM Tech3 KTM 1’46.949 17 18 1.494 0.245 348.3
18 33 Brad BINDER RSA Red Bull KTM Factory Racing KTM 1’47.009 17 21 1.554 0.060 348.3
19 43 Jack MILLER AUS Prima Pramac Yamaha MotoGP YAMAHA 1’47.093 18 18 1.638 0.084 339.5
20 44 Pol ESPARGARO SPA Red Bull KTM Tech3 KTM 1’47.188 23 23 1.733 0.095 350.6
21 7 Toprak RAZGATLIOGLU TUR Prima Pramac Yamaha MotoGP YAMAHA 1’47.357 18 19 1.902 0.169 340.6
22 32 Lorenzo SAVADORI ITA SuperFile Trackhouse MotoGP Team APRILIA 1’47.709 20 21 2.254 0.352 343.8