Friday at the Austrian MotoGP was a rollercoaster of emotions. Francesco Bagnaia unleashed a masterclass in speed, shattering records and leaving the competition in the dust. But as Ducati celebrated their dominance, Marc Márquez faced a day of frustration and setbacks. Márquez was undone by relentless track limits and a costly off-track mistake, leaving him far from the podium. The scene is now set for a weekend where fortunes can turn in the blink of an eye.

FP 1

Jorge Martín set the pace of the practice, clocking a rapid time of 1:29.654. His teammate, Franco Morbidelli, closely followed in second place, showing a significant improvement from his recent form as he led most of the session. Pol Espargaro, riding as a wildcard for Red Bull KTM, secured an impressive third position, marking a strong return to the grid. The reigning champion, Francesco Bagnaia, ended the session in fourth, while Brad Binder, who experienced an early fall, managed to secure fifth place. Rookie star Pedro Acosta had a challenging session with two crashes but still managed to finish sixth. The top ten was rounded out by Maverick Viñales, Fabio Di Giannantonio, Joan Mir, and Alex Márquez. Marc Márquez's day unraveled as he finished down in 18th place, with most of his lap times deleted due to track limits, leaving him frustrated as nothing seemed to go his way.

Practice

Francesco Bagnaia dominated the session, setting a rapid pace and a record-breaking lap. Bagnaia led the Ducati charge, with Morbidelli and Martín closely behind him. However, it wasn’t a smooth practice for everyone. Maverick Viñales struggled to find a rhythm, ending the session in eighth place. Marc Márquez showed improvement from the morning, yet an off-track excursion disrupted his momentum, leaving him in fourth place. Fabio Di Giannantonio had been diagnosed with a dislocated left shoulder, after he ended up in the gravel trap at T8. During practice, we saw intense competition, heightened by the threat of rain, which added urgency to the final minutes. Riders like Jack Miller and Johann Zarco managed to set fast laps just before the rain began, further shuffling the order.