MotoGP British GP: Bezzecchi leads VR46 1-2 from Marini in FP1

The Italian set a 2m00.295s on his final attempt to top the timesheet, with Marini just 0.036s behind him in second.

Bezzecchi, who sits third in the championship standings after the summer break, set a benchmark of 2m04.821s to lead early on, before improving to a 2m00.885s on lap five.

That lap remained quickest for much of the session, before Marini went faster with five minutes left, just five thousandths of a second better than Bezzecchi.

But Bezzecchi went faster still on his final flying lap, topping the timesheet as he hopes to continue his strong form, having taken a sprint race win and a second-place in the grand prix at Assen last time out.

The VR46 Ducati pair led from the Pramac duo of Jorge Martin and Johann Zarco, with just two-tenths separating first and fourth fastest.

With FP1 no longer counting towards Q1 and Q2, it was a more sedate start to the session than usual.

Bezzecchi set an early benchmark before it was bettered by Martin, with a 2m04.506s going quickest as Aprilia’s Maverick Vinales slotted into third.

KTM factory rider Jack Miller went top next, with a 2m02.808s, 0.09s quicker than Bezzecchi in second.

Bezzecchi then improved once more to take the lead, with Miller in second and Vinales in third, while Franco Morbidelli, who will leave Yamaha at the end of the season as Alex Rins replaces him, went fourth.

Aleix Espargaro continued Aprilia’s positive showing, going second-quickest next, 0.589s off Bezzecchi’s time, with Miller in third.

The cool conditions at Silverstone proved challenging as the session continued, with Miller sliding at Luffield as riders tackled strong winds.

Bezzecchi led from Espargaro and Marini at the halfway mark, with Gresini Ducati rider Alex Marquez and KTM’s Brad Binder rounding off the top five.

Bezzecchi ran wide at Brooklands into the heavy braking area as conditions continued to prove difficult but held on to his Ducati machine.

With 20 minutes remaining, Morbidelli became the weekend’s first faller after a high-side at Luffield, the rear of his Yamaha stepping out and flinging him off, though he walked away unscathed.

Martin improved to third with 10 minutes remaining, with Marini then taking the top spot with a 2m00.831s with five minutes left on the clock.

Espargaro briefly captured the lead, 0.154s faster than Marini, before Zarco went faster still with a 2m00.467s.

Marini improved to a 2m00.331s before Bezzecchi finally finished the session top.

Championship leader Francesco Bagnaia appeared frustrated in the closing stages, having had a quiet FP1 which saw him finish 14th.

Finishing his quickest effort, his 14th of 15, the Ducati factory rider shook his head as he crossed the line 12th fastest before being demoted two places.

Several riders had incidents after their practice starts, with Vinales stalling before Ducati rider Enea Bastianini crashed at Becketts on his way to his second practice start, landing on his right shoulder, which was injured earlier in the Portuguese GP sprint race in April.

Iker Lecuona, standing in for Rins at LCR Honda, then stopped on his way back to the pits and was forced to push his bike back.

Miller finished the session fifth, with Espargaro in sixth ahead of Morbidelli. RNF Aprilia’s Raul Fernandez was eighth, with Vinales and Yamaha rider Fabio Quartararo rounding off the top 10.

Marc Marquez, whose future at Honda remains the source of much discussion, was 15th, with a 2m01.586s, 1.2s off the pace.

Pol Espargaro, returning for his first grand prix since March’s season-opening Portuguese Grand Prix, finished the session in 22nd as he got to grips with his GasGas KTM machine.

The eight-time MotoGP podium finisher suffered multiple fractures to his back and jaw after hitting an unprotected barrier in an FP2 crash, forcing him to sit out much of the season.

MotoGP British GP - FP1 results

Main Information Additional Data Additional Data Driver Info Driver Info

         

Driver Info			Main Information Additional Data
Cla	Rider	#		Bike	Laps	Time	Interval	km/h	Speed Trap
1	M. Bezzecchi Marco Bezzecchi Team VR46	72		Ducati	16	2'00.295		176.565	332
2	L. Marini Luca Marini Team VR46	10		Ducati	17	+0.036	0.036	176.513	335
3	J. Martin Jorge Martin Pramac Racing	89		Ducati	16	+0.075	0.039	176.455	331
4	J. Zarco Johann Zarco Pramac Racing	5		Ducati	17	+0.172	0.097	176.313	332
5	J. Miller Jack Miller Red Bull KTM Factory Racing	43		KTM	16	+0.370	0.198	176.024	330
6	A. Espargaro Aleix Espargaro Aprilia Racing Team	41		Aprilia	15	+0.382	0.012	176.007	328
7	F. Morbidelli Franco Morbidelli Yamaha Factory Racing	21		Yamaha	14	+0.561	0.179	175.746	329
8	R. Fernández Raúl Fernández RNF Racing	25		Aprilia	16	+0.641	0.080	175.630	326
9	M. Viñales Maverick Viñales Aprilia Racing Team	12		Aprilia	18	+0.803	0.162	175.395	331
10	F. Quartararo Fabio Quartararo Yamaha Factory Racing	20		Yamaha	17	+0.946	0.143	175.188	326
11	A. Marquez Alex Marquez Gresini Racing	73		Ducati	16	+0.964	0.018	175.162	328
12	E. Bastianini Enea Bastianini Ducati Team	23		Ducati	17	+1.122	0.158	174.934	332
13	B. Binder Brad Binder Red Bull KTM Factory Racing	33		KTM	19	+1.156	0.034	174.885	329
14	F. Bagnaia Francesco Bagnaia Ducati Team	1		Ducati	15	+1.225	0.069	174.786	330
15	M. Marquez Marc Marquez Repsol Honda Team	93		Honda	16	+1.291	0.066	174.691	328
16	F. Di Giannantonio Fabio Di Giannantonio Gresini Racing	49		Ducati	17	+1.619	0.328	174.221	329
17	M. Oliveira Miguel Oliveira RNF Racing	88		Aprilia	16	+1.879	0.260	173.850	328
18	T. Nakagami Takaaki Nakagami Team LCR	30		Honda	14	+2.258	0.379	173.312	323
19	A. Fernandez Augusto Fernandez Tech 3	37		KTM	17	+2.265	0.007	173.302	325
20	J. Mir Joan Mir Repsol Honda Team	36		Honda	17	+2.453	0.188	173.037	326
21	I. Lecuona Iker Lecuona Repsol Honda Team	27		Honda	17	+2.581	0.128	172.857	324
22	P. Espargaro Pol Espargaro Tech 3	44		KTM	16	+3.502	0.921	171.571	328
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