MARC MARQUEZ TOPS FP1 AT ARAGON AS ZARCO RETURNS FROM INJURY

Marc Marquez set the pace in Friday’s opening practice (FP1) at the 2026 MotoGP Aragon Grand Prix, clocking 1:47.763 to lead a session that was shaped as much by comebacks and injuries as by outright speed. The Gresini rider edged his brother Alex Marquez by a mere 0.033 seconds, with Alex posting 1:47.796 in second place as the Marquez duo occupied the top two spots early and remained there through the session.

The headline storyline of FP1 was Johann Zarco’s return to action after 103 days out. LCR Honda welcomed the Frenchman back to the garage at MotorLand Aragon following the serious injuries he suffered at the Catalan Grand Prix, when his leg became trapped in Francesco Bagnaia’s Ducati. Zarco’s recovery came sooner than expected, and he made a lively start to his first FP1 on the Honda RC213V since May. Within his opening laps he rose to the top of the timesheets, before the session’s pace inevitably shifted as Ducati and Aprilia riders found their rhythm.

Zarco’s injury history explains the significance of the comeback. He had anterior and posterior cruciate ligament damage and meniscus injury in his left leg after the Barcelona crash in May. Although surgery had initially been expected, he avoided an operation and even exceeded his own return timeline, having already been pencilled in to come back at Misano.

Another return from injury was Fermin Aldeguer, who rejoined Gresini at Aragon after missing the previous three events. Aldeguer’s absence had been caused by a T7 vertebra fracture sustained during practice at the Dutch Grand Prix. He will move to VR46 in 2027. In FP1, the 21-year-old showed he was not simply there to get through the session: he improved as the minutes ticked by and climbed to P5 heading into the final ten minutes.

While the returns were prominent, the session also highlighted ongoing struggles for some established front-runners. Francesco Bagnaia, the factory Ducati rider, endured a difficult start and was down in P19. He attributed the problem to his physical condition, admitting he is still “struggling to push” due to the arm surgery he underwent during the summer break. Bagnaia had expected to be further along by now, though Aragon’s left-hand-heavy layout was viewed as a potential help.

There were also early incidents that affected the flow of the session. Fabio Di Giannantonio produced the first crash of the day after tapping the inside kerb through Turn 3, bringing an end to his early run. Pedro Acosta’s FP1 ended with a late moment of drama: with five minutes remaining, he lost the front of his KTM RC16 into the downhill chicane after hitting the front-end instability that sent him into the gravel. Despite trying to avoid the crash, the Spaniard’s earlier work slipped away as the timesheets reshuffled.

As the session progressed, the early pace from the Marquez brothers was challenged by the rest of the field. Pedro Acosta ended up third, but was 0.482 seconds behind Marc. Marco Bezzecchi, the leading Aprilia in the early stages, was fourth and initially 0.674 seconds off the benchmark. Aprilia’s typical pattern of starting slower and building later showed up again: Bezzecchi reduced his gap to 0.426 seconds to Marc and briefly threatened to take more momentum, though he was the only Aprilia rider to show that kind of immediate pace.

In the final minutes, Bezzecchi made the biggest late move, finishing P2 with a 0.221-second deficit to Marquez. Acosta’s crash prevented him from capitalising on his earlier speed, and he ultimately had to settle for P2 behind the Marquez benchmark only after others shifted around him. Zarco also improved late, ending FP1 in P10 as the best Honda rider.

Other late movers included Raul Fernandez of Trackhouse, who threatened to steal the top spot right at the end but ultimately had to settle behind Marquez. Jack Miller’s situation also featured in the session narrative: after Yamaha announced he will leave Pramac, Miller secured P6 in FP1.