MotoGP | Mugello, Free Practice 1: Alex Marquez precedes Quartararo, Bagnaia 16th

There is a Ducati in front of everyone at the end of the first free practice session of the Italian Grand Prix, but it’s probably not what everyone would have expected: in fact, Alex Marquez set the best time in FP1 at Mugello , who stopped the clock on the Gresini Racing Desmosedici GP with a time of 1’46″121.

Even if it is the home track for the Reds, for the moment balance reigns much more than on other tracks: the Ducatis that would now have direct access to Q2 are “only” four, with Marco Bezzecchi occupying fourth position, detached by 180 thousandths and slightly ahead of the two bikes of Prima Pramac Racing, on this occasion with a livery dedicated to Dante Alighieri and the Divine Comedy, with Johann Zarco fifth and Jorge Martin sixth.

In front of the bearer of the Mooney VR46 there is a rediscovered Fabio Quartaro, who started the weekend on the right foot, managing to hoist his Yamaha even into second position, just 87 thousandths from the leader. However, the M1s performed well in general, given that Franco Morbidelli is also in seventh position at 279 thousandths. However, the Italian rider could also run into a penalty, because in the first minutes of the session he obstructed Alex Marquez in a rather evident way at the Casanova-Savelli.

Brad Binder slipped between Quartararo and Bezzecchi instead, who is following his words with deeds: the South African had said he expected a particularly competitive KTM on the Tuscan ups and downs and he confirmed this this morning with the third time at 104 thousandths. However, his is the only RC16 in the top positions, because Jack Miller’s is 14th, albeit at only 0.0443 (he didn’t use the soft) and the two GasGas brands are even further behind.

There is also room for two Aprilias in the top 10, with Maverick Vinales who posted the eighth fastest time and did so by mounting a medium tire on the rear, unlike all those who preceded him. Therefore, its gap of only 283 thousandths is excellent. The surprise of the morning is Raul Fernandez, very good at slipping his RNF Racing RS-GP into tenth position, behind Marc Marquez, once again the best of the Honda contingent, with a 1’46″409 that came out exploiting also the trail of Bezzecchi.

The two official Ducati riders are therefore missing from the very first positions. Returning from the injury, Enea Bastianini had to settle for the 15th time at 680 thousandths and precedes Pecco Bagnaia, who instead, like Vinales, is among those who didn’t use the soft tire in the final stages. However, this means that he will have to earn Q2 in this afternoon’s session.

Also to understand the conditions of Luca Marini, who is struggling with a wrist injury remedied in Le Mans and occupies the 18th position. As well as those of Miguel Oliveira, returning from the one in the shoulder, and of Aleix Espargaro, who just yesterday injured his foot falling off his bicycle. A pity for the Spaniard from Aprilia, who wears a commemorative helmet for Max Biaggi, and this morning also crashed at Bucine, so he even finds himself 22nd.

It went better, but at the moment they too would pass from Q1, to Michele Pirro and Fabio Di Giannantonio, who respectively occupy 11th and 17th position with their Ducatis. The Aprilia test rider Lorenzo Savadori instead is in 23rd place, with only Jonas Folger behind him.