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Marco Bezzecchi led the way in opening practice for the British MotoGP at Silverstone as the championship resumed after a five-week summer break.
Luca Marini made it a one-two for the VR46 Ducati team as he slotted into second, only 0.036s down on Bezzecchi.
A new weekend format now in place means FP1 no longer counts towards qualifying seeding for direct progress to Q2. Friday afternoon’s 60-minute practice session will decide the line-up for Q2.
A second 30-minute free practice will be held on Saturday morning before Qualifying 1 and Qualifying 2 ahead of the Sprint race.
Bezzecchi was consistently fast throughout FP1 and set the early pace along with Aussie Jack Miller (Red Bull KTM).
The Italian was lapping within a 2m flat time bracket and held the top spot with a time of 2:00.885s before Marini jumped above him, lapping in 2m 00.831s with five minutes remaining.
French rider Johann Zarco then put in a fast lap on the Pramac Ducati after factory Aprilia’s Aleix Espargaro briefly went top, but Marini responded with a 2:00.331s before Bezzecchi had the final say with a lap in 2:00.295s.
Jorge Martin (Pramac Ducati) was third fastest after upping his pace in the closing minutes, with Zarco dropping to fourth.
Miller slotted in fifth, 0.370s down on Bezzecchi, with Aleix Espargaro slipping down the order to sixth.
Franco Morbidelli, who is being replaced by Alex Rins in the factory Yamaha team for 2024, was seventh fastest despite a crash at Turn 7. Morbidelli has been linked with a move to a satellite Ducati team next season.
Raul Fernandez (RNF Aprilia), Maverick Viñales (Aprilia Racing) and Fabio Quartararo (Monster Energy Yamaha) were the top ten.
Brad Binder was 13th on the Red Bull KTM behind Enea Bastianini (Lenovo Ducati) and Gresini Ducati’s Alex Marquez.
Ducati Lenovo’s Francesco Bagnaia, who leads the championship standings by 35 points from Martin, was 14th – 1.122s adrift of Bezzecchi as he made a steady start to round nine.
Repsol Honda’s Marc Marquez was behind him in 15th while HRC World Superbike rider Iker Lecuona – standing in for the injured Rins in the LCR Honda team – was 21st behind Joan Mir (Repsol Honda).
Rins’ switch to the factory Yamaha MotoGP team in 2024 alongside Quartararo was confirmed last week.
The Spaniard, recovering after breaking his leg in a crash at Mugello, ended Honda’s long wait for a victory earlier this season at the Circuit of the Americas in Texas.
Pol Espargaro (GASGAS Tech3 KTM) was back in action after a long spell on the side-lines following his huge crash at Portimao in Portugal in the season-opener. The Spaniard was 22nd on his return.
With rain in the forecast for Saturday at Silverstone, the afternoon practice session on Friday takes on added significance as riders bid to seal their spot in Q2.
