‘What I Want from My Bike Isn’t There Anymore’ – Bagnaia Changes Winning Formula to Take On Marquez
Pecco Bagnaia admits he’s adapting his style to match the new Ducati GP24.5 rather than chasing a lost feeling "that isn't there anymore".
MotoGP’s Friday practice ended in chaos, cold, and a flurry of late improvements – culminating in a new all-time lap record from Alex Marquez, who stunned the field to grab top spot just as the chequered flag waved.
The Gresini Ducati rider left it late – almost too late. With just seconds remaining, Marquez was hovering outside the crucial top ten that would seal a direct spot in Q2.
But from “in trouble” to “invincible,” the Spaniard delivered a sensational 1:57.613 – a new all-time lap record – to vault himself from potential Q1 embarrassment to the top of the timesheets.
That late stunner capped a session that saw dramatic swings in fortune, particularly for Yamaha.
Fabio Quartararo was the first to light up the screens in the closing minutes, blasting in a 1:57.3 – the fastest lap of the weekend at that point – and temporarily holding P1. He would eventually settle for second behind Marquez.
His factory teammate Álex Rins also impressed with consistent speed in P9, helping Yamaha secure three direct Q2 spots for the first time since the Rossi-Vinales-Quartararo days – a much-needed boost for the Iwata squad after a difficult start to the season.
But while it was a late celebration for some, others had to fight hard just to stay in contention. Francesco Bagnaia’s session was far from smooth.
He ran wide through Turn 10 early on and sat as low as 21st before clawing his way back into the top ten.
Yet even that was short-lived – Miguel Oliveira’s late push bumped him out again, forcing Pecco into a final time attack, which he nailed to climb to seventh.
That same last-gasp push also saw Marc Marquez leap from the brink of Q1 to fourth, despite an early crash at Billy’s Corner that nearly derailed his session entirely. The older Marquez brother had gone down in a typical front-end slide.
A front-ender for @marcmarquez93 💥
— MotoGP™🏁 (@MotoGP) May 23, 2025
But he quickly gets back up 👍#BritishGP 🇬🇧 pic.twitter.com/WWGfUH4rIN
Franco Morbidelli also drew attention – but for the wrong reasons. He was involved in a crash at Turn 6 and later appeared to impede Bezzecchi on a flying lap, a moment that could earn him a major penalty from the stewards given he’s a repeated offender.
Ai Ogura sat out most of Practice due to injuries sustained in FP1. The Japanese rider suffered a trauma to his knee and needs further treatment. The team decided not to risk worsening the injury.
