Álex Márquez set a new lap record at Silverstone during the MotoGP British Grand Prix practice session, clocking in at 1m57.295s. This achievement placed him at the top of the timesheets as riders battled for prime qualifying positions.
Early Session Dynamics and Key Riders’ Performance Shifts
The practice began with Johann Zarco of Castrol Honda LCR leading, closely followed by Marco Bezzecchi on his Aprilia. Meanwhile, Marc Márquez on the Ducati Lenovo bike was positioned near the lower end of the top fifteen. Bezzecchi soon seized the lead, but Jack Miller’s crash brought out yellow flags that paused several laps, temporarily affecting the running order.
Álex Rins riding for Monster Energy Yamaha climbed into second place, while Bezzecchi maintained a strong lead. Front-runners initially posted lap times in the 1m58s, but halfway through the session Fabio Quartararo surpassed his teammate Rins to claim second spot. Fabio Di Giannantonio of Pertamina Enduro VR46/Ducati moved into third, and Maverick Viñales of Red Bull KTM Tech3 briefly took the lead before Joan Mir from Honda HRC Castrol responded to reclaim it.
Final Minutes Witness Intense Battle for Pole Positions
As the session progressed, positions shifted frequently. With 15 minutes remaining, Rins, Marc Márquez, and Johann Zarco jostled at the top of the leaderboard. Fabio Di Giannantonio and Bezzecchi also battled for positions. Six minutes from the end, Álex Márquez led the pack for the first time, only for Quartararo to briefly retake the lead. In a frenetic closing stage, Álex Márquez secured first place by a margin of 0.047 seconds over Quartararo, with Miller recovering from his earlier crash to finish third. Marc Márquez and Bezzecchi completed the top five.
Riders Qualifying Directly for Q2 and Miguel Oliveira’s Near Miss
Joining the top five, Fabio Di Giannantonio, Francesco Bagnaia (Ducati Lenovo), Johann Zarco, Álex Rins, and Fermín Aldeguer (BK8 Gresini/Ducati) secured spots for direct qualification into Q2, finishing sixth through tenth, respectively. Pedro of Red Bull KTM narrowly missed entering Q2 by 0.044 seconds in 11th place.
Significantly, Miguel Oliveira’s performance edged him closer to achieving direct Q2 qualification at the British GP, highlighting his potential to challenge in the upcoming sessions and impact race day strategies.
