On August 28, Bezzecchi topped MotoGP Aragon Friday practice with a 1:45.455, and the official timing sheet listed it as the new circuit lap record. Álex Márquez and Marc Márquez finished second and third, with the top three separated by just 0.038s; on whether Marc still had more pace in reserve, the two frontrunners offered different explanations.
The top three were separated by tiny margins, with Zarco holding the top 10
Álex Márquez’s 1:45.465 was just 0.010s slower than Bezzecchi, while Marc Márquez’s 1:45.493 left him 0.038s behind. Fourth-placed Di Giannantonio was 0.299s off the top, and the top 10 also included Aldeguer, Raúl Fernández, Martín, Acosta, Morbidelli and Zarco.
The returning Zarco took 10th with a 1:46.298, 0.010s quicker than 11th-placed Moreira. Honda officially confirmed that Zarco became the only Honda rider to go straight through to Q2. The margins at the top and around the cut-off were very small, but the meaning was different: the top three were fighting for the fastest lap, while Zarco’s effort secured direct passage into the second stage of qualifying.
Bezzecchi rates Marc highly, Marc denies holding back
According to Motorsport.com, Bezzecchi mentioned Marc Márquez unprompted while assessing his own performance, saying that Marc had not done a second flying lap attempt and may therefore still have pace in reserve, and identifying Marc as the hardest rider to beat on Saturday. That was Bezzecchi’s read of the competitive picture, not a team-confirmed running plan.
Marc Márquez, meanwhile, denied that he was taking it easy on Friday. He said he had been in attack mode since FP1 in the morning, and although he dipped under the previous record he still was not the fastest, which reflected just how close the competition was. He led in the morning and spent a long time at the top in the afternoon as well, before being pushed back to third by late improvements from Bezzecchi and Álex Márquez.
2026 MotoGP Round 13 Aragon Grand Prix practice classification
| Pos. | No. | Rider | Team | Best lap | Laps |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 72 | Marco Bezzecchi | Aprilia Racing | 1'45.455 | 22 |
| 2 | 73 | Álex Márquez | Gresini Racing | 1'45.465 | 21 |
| 3 | 93 | Marc Márquez | Ducati Team | 1'45.493 | 20 |
| 4 | 49 | Fabio Di Giannantonio | VR46 Racing Team | 1'45.754 | 20 |
| 5 | 54 | Fermín Aldeguer | Gresini Racing | 1'45.895 | 20 |
| 6 | 25 | Raúl Fernández | Trackhouse Racing | 1'45.959 | 23 |
| 7 | 89 | Jorge Martín | Aprilia Racing | 1'46.027 | 22 |
| 8 | 37 | Pedro Acosta | Red Bull KTM Factory Racing | 1'46.064 | 20 |
| 9 | 21 | Franco Morbidelli | VR46 Racing Team | 1'46.218 | 21 |
| 10 | 5 | Johann Zarco | LCR Castrol Honda | 1'46.298 | 21 |
| 11 | 11 | Diogo Moreira | LCR Honda | 1'46.308 | 22 |
| 12 | 10 | Luca Marini | Honda Team | 1'46.376 | 24 |
| 13 | 63 | Francesco Bagnaia | Ducati Team | 1'46.487 | 20 |
| 14 | 20 | Fabio Quartararo | Yamaha Team | 1'46.618 | 21 |
| 15 | 36 | Joan Mir | Honda Team | 1'46.623 | 24 |
| 16 | 42 | Álex Rins | Yamaha Team | 1'46.704 | 18 |
| 17 | 23 | Enea Bastianini | Red Bull KTM Tech3 | 1'46.949 | 18 |
| 18 | 33 | Brad Binder | Red Bull KTM Factory Racing | 1'47.009 | 21 |
| 19 | 43 | Jack Miller | Pramac Racing | 1'47.093 | 18 |
| 20 | 44 | Pol Espargaró | Red Bull KTM Tech3 | 1'47.188 | 23 |
| 21 | 7 | Toprak Razgatlıoğlu | Pramac Racing | 1'47.357 | 19 |
| 22 | 32 | Lorenzo Savadori | Trackhouse Racing | 1'47.709 | 21 |
INKA SPORTS analysis: does the fastest lap tell us how much pace Marc still has?
The timing sheet can confirm the top three’s times and gaps, but it cannot quantify Marc’s other attempt that was never completed. Bezzecchi is focusing on the possibilities left by the number of attempts, while Marc is stressing that he has already been attacking at full tilt; both statements are clearly attributed. Taking the actual 0.038s gap as Marc’s deficit to the leader at his true limit, or conversely claiming that he will definitely be quicker next time, goes beyond the laps that have already been logged.
The most reliable conclusion from Friday is that the fight is already very tight, rather than that anyone is guaranteed to have the upper hand on Saturday. Bezzecchi taking the fastest lap does not contradict his continued caution about Marc: the former is the result already achieved in this session, while the latter is his expectation for the opposition to come. To compare qualifying performance, you have to go back to the attempts actually completed in the session, not infer potential gains from a flying lap that was never run.
Conclusion
Bezzecchi took Friday honours with a record lap, and the tiny gaps among the top three provided a clear backdrop for the battles to come; Zarco, meanwhile, held on to Q2 place in a separate contest decided by 0.010s. Marc’s possible reserve pace remains a point of disagreement among the riders, and the timing sheet can confirm the speed that was produced, but it cannot answer for the attempt that never happened.
