While Marc Marquez crashed twice during practice for the Czech Grand Prix, Ai Ogura set a new MotoGP track record in the afternoon—Jorge Martin and others in Q1
The MotoGP practice day for the 2026 Czech Grand Prix in Brno concluded on Friday with Ai Ogura (Trackhouse-Aprilia) setting the fastest lap time, while Marc Marquez (Ducati) crashed twice across the day’s two sessions.
In the afternoon practice session—which, as usual, determined direct advancement to the Q2 segment of Saturday’s qualifying—Ogura set both the session’s fastest time and the day’s fastest time with a lap of 1:51.735 minutes. What’s more, the Japanese rider is now also the holder of the MotoGP track record at the Automotodrom Brno.
Riding the Trackhouse team’s Aprilia RS-GP26, Ogura beat last year’s record set by Francesco Bagnaia (Ducati) (1:52.303 minutes) by 0.568 seconds. Compared to Marc Marquez’s best time from the first free practice (FP1) in the morning (1:53.303), Ogura was even 1.568 seconds faster in the afternoon.
Marquez’s morning best time was beaten right at the start of the afternoon session. It was Marco Bezzecchi (Aprilia) who managed to do just that after just seven minutes with a time of 1:53.080. The first to break the 1:53 barrier was Raul Fernandez (Trackhouse-Aprilia) after just under half an hour. Ogura’s record lap was set shortly before the end.
Two crashes by Marc Marquez in one day
Meanwhile, Marc Marquez crashed in the very first minutes of the afternoon practice session. In Turn 11, the penultimate left-hand turn on the track, the front wheel of his factory Ducati slipped out from under him. The result was a minor slide into the gravel trap.
Second crash of the day for @marcmarquez93 CzechGP pic.twitter.com/Gt0KX02nfA
— MotoGP™ (@MotoGP) June 19, 2026
For the defending MotoGP champion, who is also last year’s winner at Brno, this was already his second crash of the day. In the morning’s FT1 session, Marquez had slid out in Turn 7 in a very similar manner. Aside from Marc Marquez, Cal Crutchlow (LCR-Honda; 22nd) also suffered a crash in the afternoon.
Second-fastest in the 60-minute practice session behind Ai Ogura was championship leader Bezzecchi on the factory Aprilia, followed by Fabio Di Giannantonio (VR46-Ducati), Francesco Bagnaia on the factory Ducati, and his teammate Marc Marquez.
Rounding out the top 10 of the session—and thus the list of riders who had already secured a spot in Q2 on Friday—were Pedro Acosta (KTM), Joan Mir (Honda), Diogo Moreira (LCR-Honda), Fermin Aldeguer (Gresini-Ducati), and Raul Fernandez, the Trackhouse teammate of the day’s fastest rider, Ogura (Result: MotoGP Practice in Brno 2026).
Jorge Martin and Co. must compete in Q1
The group of riders who missed direct qualification for the Q2 segment of qualifying is led by Jorge Martin (Aprilia) and Maverick Vinales (Tech3-KTM).
But others, including Fabio Quartararo (Yamaha) and Alex Marquez (Gresini-Ducati), who returned to racing this weekend, are also among those who will have to compete in the Q1 segment of qualifying on Saturday.
Following Saturday morning’s qualifying, the Sprint (starting at 3:00 p.m.) at the Automotodrom Brno in Brno will cover a distance of 10 laps. Sunday’s Grand Prix (starting at 2:00 p.m.) is scheduled for 21 laps.
