Marquez makes flying start in Czech Republic despite technical issues

Marc Marquez got his Czech Grand Prix weekend off to a flying start despite spending nearly the entire first half of FP1 at the Brno circuit dealing with a technical issue on his primary Ducati.

The session began in wet conditions, and as expected, early activity was limited. Marquez was among the riders who ventured out, but he parked his bike midway through the first corner with a mechanical problem.

The Spaniard made two more attempts to run with his primary machine, but the issue persisted, forcing the Ducati team to switch to his second bike. The mechanics had to reconfigure the setup, as it had been prepared for dry conditions. This cost Marquez valuable time, while Jack Miller began setting impressive times on slicks as the rain stopped and the sun emerged.

As the track dried, the fastest times came at the very end of the session. Marquez clocked a 1:54.606, just 0.010 seconds off the absolute Brno lap record, set back in 2016. Marquez achieving this time so early in the weekend, on a track still damp in places, is a testament to both the advancements in machinery since MotoGP last raced at Brno and the quality of the newly laid asphalt.

Miller finished second, 0.615 seconds behind Marquez. Francesco Bagnaia, Alex Marquez, and Enea Bastianini rounded out the top five. Pedro Acosta, Marco Bezzecchi, Luca Marini, Alex Rins, and Takaaki Nakagami, standing in for Somkiat Chantra at LCR Honda, completed the top 10.

Reigning World Champion Jorge Martin, returning after an extended absence due to injuries, finished 17th, 2.522 seconds off Marquez's pace. Martin lost several faster laps due to exceeding track limits.

Despite the tricky conditions, there were two crashes during FP1. Bezzecchi went down early in the session, while Ai Ogura had a more dramatic high-side towards the end. Fortunately, Ogura escaped injury and returned to the track on his second bike, but he didn't get a chance to run on slicks.

The Czech Grand Prix weekend, round 12 of the 2025 MotoGP season, continues with the 60-minute Practice session. As always, this session will determine which 10 riders will automatically advance to Q2.