Mugello Friday: Marquez Comeback, Ducati on Top, Aprilia in Trouble

• Marc Marquez finished sixth in his comeback after shoulder and foot surgery, securing a direct place in Q2.
• Fabio Di Giannantonio was fastest with a 1:44.808, with five of the six Ducatis at the front.
• Aprilia Racing and Monster Energy confirmed a multi-year partnership starting in Mugello.

Friday in Tuscany was all about the returning riders. While the ongoing 2026 MotoGP season has been defined by a tight three-way battle at the top of the championship, the focus in Mugello initially centered on who would make the cut for the decisive qualifying segment and in what shape the recently injured stars would return to their machines. The afternoon practice session, which determines the direct path into Q2, provided several answers and a few new questions.

How Did Marc Marquez Fare in His Comeback?

Marc Marquez returned to the factory Ducati in Mugello for the first time since his double surgery and finished the afternoon practice session in sixth place, earning a direct spot in Q2. Nevertheless, the reigning MotoGP World Champion tempered expectations and does not see himself in a position to fight for the top five this weekend.

The background is a heavy crash in the Le Mans sprint on May 9, in which Marquez injured his right foot. The very next day he underwent surgery in Spain, not only on the broken fifth metatarsal but also on his long-troubled right shoulder. A screw from a previous operation had been pressing on a nerve there, repeatedly limiting him while riding. He had to miss the Sunday race at Le Mans and the entire Barcelona weekend.

In the first free practice session on Friday morning, he placed 15th after 13 laps before pushing his way up to sixth in the afternoon with full commitment. He attributes the step forward to his nature: “My riding style is always like that: if someone is in front of me, I try to overtake them. Of course, I took some risks on that one lap today. But right now I’m not yet ready to even fight for the top five.” He has no target for lap time or finishing position, saying only that continuous improvement is what counts.

Marquez considers the primary goal of the surgery achieved, even though the first day fell short of his hopes. “I didn’t feel any tingling from the nerve being rubbed. But it’s also true that I had expected to feel better on the bike,” he says, admitting that he felt worse than anticipated. He continues to lose time particularly in right-handers and fast changes of direction, which is why he expects the weekend to become progressively harder for him. Should he have to start the race from 12th, he would accept that too.

His history gives him reason for caution. Between 2020 and 2023, he missed nearly as many race weekends as he competed in, starting with the crash at Jerez in 2020 that broke his right upper arm and a premature return. “I have to be patient. That’s what I’ve learned,” he says now. The arm, which has undergone seven operations from elbow to shoulder, first needs to be rebuilt. Teammate Francesco Bagnaia, who finished Friday in second, observed him deliberately managing his energy: when a fast lap was needed, Marquez delivered it, but otherwise he conserved his strength for the races.

MotoGP Mugello 2026: Who Set the Fastest Time on Friday?

Fastest of the day was Fabio Di Giannantonio, who topped the afternoon practice session in 1:44.808 after already leading the way in the morning’s FP1. Behind the VR46 rider, the competition was separated by the narrowest of margins.

Bagnaia was just 0.091 seconds behind in second, while Marquez lost only 0.202 seconds in sixth. In between came Enea Bastianini on the KTM (third) along with the other Ducatis of Franco Morbidelli and Fermin Aldeguer. In fact, five of the six Ducatis would have occupied the top positions had Bastianini not slotted in between them. The top ten was completed by Marco Bezzecchi (Aprilia, 7th), Jorge Martin (Aprilia, 8th), Alex Rins (Yamaha, 9th), and Diogo Moreira (Honda, 10th). These ten riders advance directly to the second qualifying segment on Saturday.

Di Giannantonio’s fastest time came under difficult circumstances. After a minor hand injury at the Catalunya GP, he still cannot fully bend his fingers, and stomach problems added to his troubles on Friday. “To be honest, I was very surprised, because especially after FP1 I had stomach issues and had to take medication,” he recounts. The championship third-place holder explains his strong form with a simple analogy: “Elite sport works like a snowball effect. When things go badly, they get worse. But when things are going well, you can keep building on that.” In the overall standings he trails championship second-place Jorge Martin by eleven points, while Marco Bezzecchi leads with a 26-point advantage. With 37 points available across a race weekend, a leap to the top of the championship is mathematically possible at his home race.

What Does Friday Mean for KTM and Pedro Acosta?

For KTM, the day was a tale of two halves: while Bastianini broke into the leading group as the only non-Ducati rider, Pedro Acosta missed the direct Q2 entry in 13th. The factory rider was nearly half a second off the pace and slid into the gravel on his final flying lap.

Acosta was surprised by the scale of the problems. “It was a day that we struggled too much,” said the Spaniard. Even in the morning it had been hard to understand where the difficulties were coming from. The section through turns eight and nine stood out, reminding him of his weekend at Jerez. As a possible solution, he plans to study Bastianini’s data early, since the satellite RC16 rider appears to handle the flowing sections of the track better. “We will try to take Enea’s way quite early compared to last time,” he announced.

The setback hits a rider who is otherwise in strong form. The 21-year-old collected several podium finishes and a sprint victory in Buriram over the first six races, with his low point being the Spanish GP in April where he scored just six points as tenth. At the most recent Catalunya GP, he felt closer to his first premier-class victory than ever before. For his brand mate Brad Binder, Friday ended with a technical failure that left his KTM stranded on track and triggered one of the two red flags during the session.

Why Is Jorge Martin Struggling Despite Making Q2?

Jorge Martin secured a direct Q2 entry in eighth, but spoke at Mugello of having the least confidence in his bike this season. The Aprilia rider attributes this to the aftereffects of his crash-filled weekend in Barcelona, which took a toll on him both physically and mentally.

At his employer’s home race, the 2024 World Champion lined up in pain. “In the morning I felt great. In the afternoon I was in severe pain,” he reports. On his fast lap he could barely breathe. For Saturday he plans to use painkillers, while also needing to keep a potential inflammation under control. On top of that comes an unfamiliar feeling on the RS-GP, which by his own account feels worse at Mugello this year than at any other point in the season.

More than his physical condition, however, it is his mental state that concerns him. After multiple crashes in Barcelona, reportedly six in total including the Monday test, he is searching for his self-confidence. “Maybe my bike is perfectly fine and it’s actually down to me,” Martin says, describing how he repeatedly felt as though he was about to crash under braking even though nothing happened. A clear assessment of where he stands relative to the competition is difficult for him: perhaps a top-five finish is within reach, perhaps even a fight for the win. His priority for now is simply to get through the sprint and the Grand Prix.

Aprilia and Monster Energy: What’s Behind the New Deal?

While Martin wrestled with his form, Aprilia delivered positive news off the track: Aprilia Racing and Monster Energy announced a multi-year partnership in Mugello. According to Aprilia, the collaboration begins with the Italian Grand Prix 2026.

Under the agreement, Monster Energy initially comes on board as the primary sponsor before taking on the role of title sponsor from 2027, which according to the manufacturer from Noale would be the first title sponsor in the history of Aprilia Racing. The partnership will be visible through the familiar triple-claw logo on the factory machines, the riders’ leathers, and other team elements. Aprilia CEO Massimo Rivola described the agreement as a milestone for the project. The deal is embedded in what the manufacturer views as a strong phase: Aprilia points to its first three race wins in 2026, a maiden 1-2-3 finish at the French GP, and the lead in the riders’ championship through Bezzecchi and Martin. Such claims originate from the manufacturer’s press release and cannot be independently verified.

Who Replaces Injured Stars Zarco and Alex Marquez?

Two regular riders were replaced by experienced stand-ins in Mugello: Cal Crutchlow stepped in at the LCR Honda team for the injured Johann Zarco, while Michele Pirro took over the Gresini Ducati seat of the likewise injured Alex Marquez. The two substitutes brought very different backgrounds to the task.

For Crutchlow, it was a remarkable return. The 40-year-old from Coventry had not ridden a MotoGP bike for nearly three years before his test at Misano this week and finished the afternoon practice session last, roughly three seconds and two tenths off the pace. He took on the assignment at the request of team principal Lucio Cecchinello. His biggest challenge is the lack of physical strength. “I went from riding a bicycle to a MotoGP bike at Mugello,” he describes the leap. The feeling on the machine is good, but when pushing hard he lacks the strength, making the direction changes on the throttle particularly difficult. Of the Honda he says appreciatively: “The bike’s definitely better than me.” He firmly rules out a permanent return, emphasizing that nobody should think he wants to race full-time again. Pirro, by contrast, regularly rides a MotoGP machine thanks to his Ducati test role and finished one position ahead of Crutchlow.

The most eye-catching performance from the Honda camp came from someone else: rookie Diogo Moreira rode as the only Honda rider into the top ten. The 22-year-old Brazilian from LCR Honda needed just 0.354 seconds of deficit for tenth place and a direct Q2 entry. On his crucial lap after the second red flag, the freshly fitted rear tire pushed heavily over the front, forcing him to save two incipient crashes. A clever tactic also helped: “I told my team that I needed to follow an Italian rider because they know the right lines here,” Moreira explains. The high speeds of around 350 km/h and the movements of the bike still surprised him, however.

What’s Next on Saturday in Mugello?

Saturday’s schedule features qualifying and the sprint race, with the Grand Prix to follow on Sunday. Given the tight margins in practice, a close battle at the front is shaping up, with Ducati holding the favorites’ tag while KTM through Bastianini and Aprilia through Bezzecchi remain within striking distance.

The session, interrupted twice by red flags — first after a crash by Fabio Quartararo on the Yamaha, then due to the technical failure on Binder’s KTM — provided only an initial picture. For Marquez, his own benchmark of continuous improvement applies; for Acosta, overnight data analysis is the focus; for Martin, it is about enduring through the pain. With an eye on the championship, Di Giannantonio can make up ground at his home race, while the double-header with the Hungarian Grand Prix follows immediately after. Crutchlow is expected to fill in for at least this race, as Zarco is reported to be sidelined for several weeks.

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