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MotoGP: Alex Marquez quickest at Grand Prix Spain practice, Marc fourth-fastest and Marco Bezzecchi in third spot
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Published 24/04/2026 at 16:33 GMT+1
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Alex Marquez was quickest in the Grand Prix Spain practice session on Friday afternoon, with Marc Marquez down in fourth spot. Pedro Acosta suffered a blow as he was just 15th, dropping him into Saturday's Q1 session.
'Thank goodness' - Ogura survives wobble in Free Practice 1 at Grand Prix Spain
Video credit: TNT Sports
BK8 Gresini rider Alex Marquez was second overall last season, but has struggled to match that form in the current campaign.
Second-quickest in the session was the early season’s surprise package, Fabio Di Giannantonio of VR46 Ducati, making him the quickest rider for the Italian manufacturer.
World champion Marquez was back in action as he attempted to continue his path back to full fitness.
An injury suffered in October last year meant he missed the end of the season, though he had already won the championship by that point.
He suffered a heavy fall in Austin, Texas, at Grand Prix United States, and was pictured showing the extent of the injury on his arm while preparing to race in Spain this weekend.
His team-mate Francesco Bagnaia had a tough start to the session with a wobble followed by a crash, as the pressure mounts on the Italian to rediscover his best form after more than a year of struggling with the side.
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'That is one of the strangest crashes I've seen!' - Bagnaia goes into the gravel at Grand Prix Spain
Video credit: TNT Sports
His time put him sixth-fastest, meaning he is able to go straight into Q2 to put down a time in qualifying.
Bezzecchi was hoping to lay down a marker as he was given the chance to solidify his position at the top of the standings, while his Aprilia team-mate Jorge Martin will also be looking to make a move for another title while in his final year with the Italian outfit. Bezzecchi ended the session in third, with Martin ninth.
Third in this year's championship is KTM rider Acosta, but he suffered a dreadful time in practice. He was over the line in 15th position, meaning he will have to battle for a spot into Q2 during the first qualifying session on Saturday. His stable-mate, Brad Binder, was directly behind him in 16th.
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Ai Ogura, who is tipped to move to Yamaha at the end of the season - a move backed by TNT Sports expert Neil Hodgson in his latest column - built on his rookie-season form with a fifth-quickest time.
Fellow Trackhouse rider Raul Fernandez was seventh-fastest, and KTM Tech3’s Enea Bastianini was 10th.
Qualifying takes place on Saturday, ahead of the Sprint in the afternoon, both shown live on TNT Sports and HBO Max. The full-length race takes place on Sunday afternoon.
Bezzecchi is currently on 81 points, four points clear of his nearest rival Martin. Acosta has 60 points, and Di Giannantonio has 50. Marquez is in fifth, with just 45 points.
The day's quickest rider, his younger brother Alex, is in eighth spot overall with just 28 points accumulated so far.
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