News Summary
- Marco Bezzecchi topped Friday Practice at Misano with a 1:30.144, beating Marc Márquez by 0.1s on home soil.
- Bezzecchi, both Márquez brothers, Fabio Di Giannantonio, Franco Morbidelli, Pedro Acosta, Luca Marini, Johann Zarco, Pol Espargaró and Jorge Martín advanced directly to Q2.
- Diogo Moreira finished 17th for LCR Honda and will have to go through Q1 on Saturday.
Marco Bezzecchi delivered the response Aprilia needed at Misano on Friday, beating Marc Márquez by 0.1s to lead MotoGP Practice at the San Marino and Rimini Riviera Grand Prix.
Racing at home and only 24 points behind championship leader Jorge Martín, Bezzecchi was among the fastest riders throughout the hour-long session before producing a 1:30.144 in the closing minutes to secure first place and direct passage to Q2.
Marc Márquez finished second after briefly taking control with a 1:30.247. The Ducati rider arrived at Misano only 19 points behind Martín after sweeping the Aragón weekend and taking all 37 available points.
Álex Márquez completed the top three, followed by Fabio Di Giannantonio, Franco Morbidelli, Pedro Acosta, Luca Marini, Johann Zarco, Pol Espargaró and Martín. Those ten riders secured direct places in Saturday’s Q2.
Bezzecchi and Márquez set the Misano pace
Conditions remained dry for the afternoon session, with air temperature at 27°C and the track at 32°C. Ai Ogura and Maverick Viñales were absent through injury, leaving Trackhouse with only Raúl Fernández, while Espargaró continued to replace Viñales at Tech3.
Bezzecchi immediately carried his early Misano pace into Practice, setting a 1:31.133 during the opening ten minutes. Marini, Morbidelli, Márquez and Francesco Bagnaia followed.
Álex Márquez then moved ahead with a 1:31.016 before Bezzecchi responded. Diogo Moreira also made an encouraging start for Honda, climbing to third with a 1:31.263.
Álex improved again to 1:30.979, but Bezzecchi fitted a fresh soft rear tyre and reclaimed first place with a 1:30.807 before the halfway point.
Marc Márquez remained relatively quiet in fifth during this phase, while Bagnaia, Joan Mir, Zarco and Acosta were among the riders provisionally outside the Q2 positions.
Late time attack decides Q2 places
With 17 minutes remaining, Di Giannantonio put VR46 on top with a 1:30.720, leading an all-Italian top three ahead of Bezzecchi and Morbidelli.
Marini then moved into first with a 1:30.668 before the final soft-tyre runs transformed the order.
Pedro Acosta and Bezzecchi both spent time at the top, but Márquez produced the first major benchmark of the closing minutes with a 1:30.247.
Pedro Acosta (Photo: KTM)
Álex Márquez moved closer to his brother, but Bezzecchi had the final answer. The Aprilia rider stopped the clock at 1:30.144, securing Friday honours in front of his home crowd.
Moreira began one final lap in an attempt to break into the top ten, but the Brazilian eventually finished 17th and will have to contest Q1 with LCR Honda.
The result gives Bezzecchi an early boost in a weekend that could have major championship implications. Martín arrived at Misano on 256 points, 19 ahead of Marc Márquez and 24 clear of Bezzecchi.
MotoGP returns on Saturday with FP2 before qualifying. Q1 starts at 10:50 local time, followed by Q2 at 11:15 and the Sprint at 15:00.
2026 San Marino MotoGP — Practice results
| Pos. | Rider | Team/Engine | Time | Gap | Laps |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | M. BEZZECCHI | Aprilia Racing | 1:30.144 | — | 25 |
| 2 | M. MÁRQUEZ | Ducati | 1:30.247 | +0.103s | 23 |
| 3 | Á. MÁRQUEZ | Gresini Ducati | 1:30.329 | +0.185s | 27 |
| 4 | F. DI GIANNANTONIO | VR46 Ducati | 1:30.385 | +0.241s | 25 |
| 5 | F. MORBIDELLI | VR46 Ducati | 1:30.415 | +0.271s | 21 |
| 6 | P. ACOSTA | KTM | 1:30.488 | +0.344s | 24 |
| 7 | L. MARINI | Honda HRC | 1:30.640 | +0.496s | 24 |
| 8 | J. ZARCO | LCR Honda | 1:30.654 | +0.510s | 27 |
| 9 | P. ESPARGARÓ | Tech3 KTM | 1:30.674 | +0.530s | 23 |
| 10 | J. MARTÍN | Aprilia Racing | 1:30.690 | +0.546s | 26 |
| 11 | E. BASTIANINI | Tech3 KTM | 1:30.704 | +0.560s | 24 |
| 12 | R. FERNÁNDEZ | Trackhouse Aprilia | 1:30.716 | +0.572s | 26 |
| 13 | F. ALDEGUER | Gresini Ducati | 1:30.758 | +0.614s | 22 |
| 14 | J. MIR | Honda HRC | 1:30.859 | +0.715s | 26 |
| 15 | B. BINDER | KTM | 1:30.943 | +0.799s | 25 |
| 16 | F. QUARTARARO | Yamaha | 1:31.178 | +1.034s | 26 |
| 17 | D. MOREIRA | LCR Honda | 1:31.263 | +1.119s | 25 |
| 18 | Á. RINS | Yamaha | 1:31.281 | +1.137s | 21 |
| 19 | F. BAGNAIA | Ducati | 1:31.459 | +1.315s | 19 |
| 20 | J. MILLER | Pramac Yamaha | 1:31.567 | +1.423s | 23 |
| 21 | T. RAZGATLİOĞLU | Pramac Yamaha | 1:32.071 | +1.927s | 19 |
FAQ
Who was fastest in MotoGP Practice at Misano?
Marco Bezzecchi led Friday Practice at the 2026 San Marino GP with a 1:30.144, beating Marc Márquez by 0.1s.
Who qualified directly for Q2 at the San Marino MotoGP?
Bezzecchi, Marc Márquez, Álex Márquez, Fabio Di Giannantonio, Franco Morbidelli, Pedro Acosta, Luca Marini, Johann Zarco, Pol Espargaró and Jorge Martín secured direct Q2 places.
When is MotoGP qualifying at Misano?
Q1 begins at 10:50 local time on Saturday, September 12, with Q2 following at 11:15. The Sprint starts at 15:00.
