The 2026 Czech MotoGP at Brno witnessed a thrilling start to the weekend, with Ai Ogura leading an Aprilia one-two in Friday practice. The Trackhouse rider overcame his typical time attack struggles to edge out Marco Bezzecchithe championship leader. Meanwhile, Jorge Martin failed to make the top ten, sending him into Saturday’s Qualifying 1.
The session was marked by several notable incidents, including a crash from reigning champion Marc Marquezwho despite his fall, had initially set the fastest time. The Ducati rider was able to restart his bike and return to the garage for repairs, but ended the session in 13th place. Bezzecchi, who had started the day in 16th place, surged ahead to lead an Aprilia top three, setting a new lap record in the process.
Marquez’s challenging afternoon
Marc Marquezthe defending Brno winner, had a challenging afternoon. Despite setting the fastest time in the morning session, he crashed again early in the afternoon. The Ducati rider was able to restart his bike on the service road and return to the garage for repairs. However, he ended the session in 13th place, highlighting the competitive nature of the field.
Bezzecchi’s impressive performance saw him surge from 16th in FP1 to lead an Aprilia top three. He was joined by his Trackhouse teammates Ogura and Raul Fernandez. The session also saw Pedro Acosta take over the lead, only to suffer a technical problem moments after posting his lap record.
The battle for the top spots
The battle for the top spots was intense, with Acosta and Bezzecchi setting the pace until Marquez leapt to the top on a new soft rear tyre. Marquez was then demoted by Fabio di Giannantonio, Bezzecchi, Francesco Bagnaia, and Ogura. The session also saw several riders experiment with race starts without using the front holeshot device, with an early ban under consideration.
Joan Mir and Diogo Moreira put their Hondas directly into Qualifying 2despite a late fall for the Spaniard. Alex Marquez, who made his MotoGP comeback from the Catalunya injuries this morning, was cleared to continue after FP1 and finished the day in 15th.
Sprint race drama
The sprint race at Brno added to the drama of the weekend. Pecco Bagnaia took his first sprint win of the 2026 season, just holding off Ogura in a tense finish. Marquez took third ahead of Di Giannantonio, Martin, Fernandez, Enea Bastianini, Fermin Aldeguer, Brad Binder, and Mir in the top-10.
The race saw several incidents, including a crash from Bezzecchi and Acosta. Bezzecchi, who had been leading the championship, slid out at turn three, marking his fourth sprint crash of the season. Acosta also crashed out at turn 11 while pressuring Bezzecchi for fifth place. Martin moved up to fifth following Acosta’s crash.
The sprint race was a showcase of the intense competition in the 2026 MotoGP season, with riders pushing the limits on the track. The results set the stage for an exciting weekend ahead at Brno.
