Márquez third in Aragon Practice as Bagnaia ends 13th and faces Q1
Marc Márquez put the Ducati Lenovo Team third at MotorLand Aragón Practice, 0.038 seconds off the pace, while Francesco Bagnaia's 13th place sends him to Q1.
- 0.038
- 3rd
- 13th
- 11
What Happened
On the opening day at MotorLand Aragón, host of the thirteenth Grand Prix of the season, Marc Márquez finished third in Practice for the Ducati Lenovo Team, 0.038 seconds behind the fastest lap, while Francesco Bagnaia took 13th and must face Q1. Márquez, fastest in FP1, led the session for two-thirds before bouncing back with nine minutes left. Bagnaia, only 20th in FP1, improved late but ran wide at the final corner on his last attack, losing a projected top-ten place. Four Ducati bikes placed in the top five.
- Alex Márquez (Gresini Racing MotoGP) – 2nd
- Marc Márquez (Ducati Lenovo Team) – 3rd
- Fabio Di Giannantonio (VR46 Racing Team) – 4th
- Fermín Aldeguer – 5th
“This is a track I like, much more than others. Today I rode well and in a consistent way; it's true that Marco (Bezzecchi) and Alex (Márquez) were quicker than me in the time attack, but the important thing for us is to continue in this direction. We knew that the time set in the first quick lap attempt would have granted us a direct seed to Q2, so we chose not to take any risks and instead focused on the tyres. If we want to battle for the title, it's clear that on a favourable track the goal must be to score maximum points or go very close to it, while trying to better our main rivals.”
“I was expecting a different type of feeling and performance here at Aragón. Since Silverstone, we're having a difficult time: it's true that even in the previous races I wasn't able to shine, but I had still managed to be in the top ten. We're trying to understand the reason behind the further loss of grip at the rear-end. Generally speaking, it was a challenging day as I took many risks and nearly crashed several times. In the last time attack, I tried to brake hard but had to run wide, losing the chance to be in the top ten, which would have been a great result given the situation.”
Free Practice 2
Q1
Q2
Sprint race (11 laps)
Previously from Ducati Motor Holding S.p.A.
Coming off a complicated Silverstone weekend, where rear-grip problems hurt both riders and Bagnaia crashed to 13th, Ducati Lenovo Team arrived at Aragon aiming to close the gap. Prior coverage noted that Aragon is a track with five Desmosedici GP wins, adding to the team's hopes of a stronger result.
- Ducati Lenovo Team Aims for Aragon MotoGP Rebound After Tricky Silverstone
- Márquez ninth, Bagnaia 17th in Silverstone Sprint as Ducati Lenovo Team battles rear grip
- Márquez claims direct Q2 spot at Silverstone as Bagnaia crashes to 13th
Background drawn from MotorClaw's earlier coverage of Ducati Motor Holding S.p.A.'s official releases.
Why this matters
Bagnaia's 13th place means he must fight through Q1 tomorrow instead of going straight to Q2, putting his grid position at risk. Márquez's narrow 0.038-second gap shows Ducati's pace, and with the championship battle he mentioned, every session matters. The results will shape the Sprint and the main race for the team and its rivals.
Terms in This Story
- Practice
- A free practice session in MotoGP used to set up the bike and evaluate pace before qualifying.
- FP1
- The first free practice session of a race weekend.
- Q1
- The first qualifying session, where riders outside the top ten compete for the top two spots to advance to Q2.
- Sprint
- A short race held on Saturday during a MotoGP weekend, awarding points toward the championship.
Summarised from the linked release; details can be imperfect — always verify against the original source.