Gresini Ducati rider Alex Marquez shrugged off a big crash in the second Friday MotoGP practice to instead post the best-ever premier-class lap at Jerez.
Marquez caused a red flag of over 10 minutes by dropping his Ducati at Turn 5, the fast Sito Pons corner, while following his brother Marc - with the bike going into the air fence and forcing repairs.
A second crash of the day for @alexmarquez73, this time around at T5 😱#SpanishGP 🇪🇸 pic.twitter.com/off1EsnI8R
— MotoGP™🏁 (@MotoGP) April 25, 2025
But Alex himself didn't get off scot-free either, in pain from the stones in the run-off area - though it was ultimately no impediment to him returning to the track and firing in a record-breaking 1m35.991s.
Behind Alex, in what was yet another Ducati-dominated session, Pecco Bagnaia, Franco Morbidelli and Marc Marquez locked out the top four - covered by 0.267s - for the Italian brand.
🤯 @marcmarquez93 pulling a stunning save 👏 And Tardozzi's reaction makes it even better! #SpanishGP 🇪🇸 pic.twitter.com/7ei3kpprtC
— MotoGP™🏁 (@MotoGP) April 25, 2025
Fabio Quartararo was best of the rest in fifth. He had gone down in the final corner while on a very strong lap, then seemed to have a disagreement with the marshals over whether he could push his bike straight into pitlane - before getting it re-fired in the service road and eventually returning to the track to improve his laptime.
You can tell he was pushing! Fabio Quartararo was about to improve again 😱#SpanishGP 🇪🇸 pic.twitter.com/Dtz5j78hvy
— MotoGP™🏁 (@MotoGP) April 25, 2025
Fermin Aldeguer and Fabio Di Giannantonio - the Ducati 'odd men out' - still had more than enough to book their Q2 spots in sixth and ninth respectively.
The final remaining spots in the top 10 - and thus guaranteeting Q2 participation tomorrow - went to LCR Honda's Johann Zarco, KTM's Pedro Acosta and Honda's Joan Mir.
Mir narrowly held on to 10th after crashing at the hairpin-like Dry Sac/Pedrosa corner, where a lot of action was taking place.
Straight to Q2: A Marquez, Bagnaia, Morbidelli, M Marquez, Quartararo, Aldeguer, Zarco, Di Giannantonio, Mir
Will contest Q1: Binder, Bezzecchi, Miller, Vinales, Rins, R Fernandez, Ogura, Marini, Bastianini, A Fernandez, Espargaro, Savadori, Chantra
That action included Raul Fernandez crashing, then Ai Ogura and Maverick Vinales going into the gravel in quick succession.
Busy times for the marshals with both @trackhousemoto riders in the gravel 💥#SpanishGP 🇪🇸 pic.twitter.com/bYIssbixpp
— MotoGP™🏁 (@MotoGP) April 25, 2025
Also crashing during the session were KTM's Brad Binder and Pramac Yamaha's Jack Miller.
Honda tester Aleix Espargaro was 21st-fastest in the first competitive session of his MotoGP return, lapping 1.4s off the pace.
