Marc Marquez Leads British MotoGP FP1 at Silverstone

Ducati’s Marc Marquez sets the pace in FP1, Quartararo penalized as title race heats up.

Marc Marquez made a dominant return to Silverstone by clocking the fastest time in Free Practice 1 (FP1) at the 2025 British MotoGP, showcasing his intentions early in the race weekend.

Riding for Ducati Lenovo Team, Marquez posted a time of 1 minute 58.702 seconds, setting a benchmark for his rivals. The Spaniard looked confident through all sectors, consistently placing at the top of the timing sheets throughout the 45-minute session.

Tight Competition Among Front-Runners

Behind Marquez, Franco Morbidelli of VR46 Racing Team delivered a strong performance, finishing second and trailing by only 0.365 seconds. His pace was consistent, and the Italian showed excellent corner exits, a key factor at the high-speed Silverstone circuit.

Meanwhile, Marco Bezzecchi, now riding for Aprilia Racing, impressed with a blistering start. He held second in the early stages before eventually slipping to third, finishing just ahead of several factory riders.

Mixed Fortunes for Title Contenders

Reigning world champion Francesco Bagnaia, also with Ducati, struggled to match the front-runners’ pace and ended the session in eighth position. Although Bagnaia’s setup may have focused on race pace rather than outright speed, his lower-than-expected placing raised eyebrows.

The session also saw Fabio Quartararo hit by a 10-minute delay penalty after exceeding engine allocation earlier in the season. The Yamaha rider only managed limited track time, which hampered his rhythm in the session.

Track Conditions & What’s Next

Track temperatures remained moderate at 24°C, offering ideal grip for most riders. With no rain expected over the weekend, FP2 and qualifying are likely to see even faster lap times.

All eyes will now be on Marquez to see if he can convert his Friday pace into a dominant weekend as the championship fight intensifies heading into the second half of the season.