Marco Bezzecchi set a brand new observe file. Picture: AFP
BANGKOK:
Marco Bezzecchi set a brand new observe file to complete quickest forward of defending world champion Marc Marquez in follow for the season-opening Thailand MotoGP on Friday.
Aprilia’s Bezzecchi roared around the Buriram course in 1 min 28.526 sec to prime the timesheets, 0.421 sec in entrance of Ducati’s second-placed Marquez.
Marquez is launching his bid for a record-equalling eighth world title this weekend after dominating the competitors final season.
However Bezzecchi proved he will likely be a drive to be reckoned with in a follow session that someway stayed largely dry regardless of ominous darkish clouds and rumbles of thunder.
The Italian got here via on the finish of the session to replace his personal observe file, which he set in pre-season testing final week.
He was additionally quickest within the morning’s free follow.
VR46’s Fabio Di Giannantonio was third-fastest within the afternoon session, adopted by KTM’s Pedro Acosta, Aprilia’s Jorge Martin and Gresini’s Alex Marquez.
Ducati’s Francesco Bagnaia, the 2022 and 2023 world champion, completed fifteenth, forcing him into Saturday’s first qualifying session.
His teammate Marc Marquez was additionally struggling till he surged up the timesheets with round 20 minutes of the session to go.
The Spaniard begins the season nonetheless struggling the impact of a shoulder damage that compelled him to overlook the ultimate 4 races of final season.
He stated on Thursday that the damage had compelled him to vary his using fashion till he returns to full health.
Turkey’s Toprak Razgatlioglu, a three-time Superbike world champion making his MotoGP debut, completed the follow session twenty first out of twenty-two.
Martin, whose defence of his title final season was wrecked by accidents, crashed 10 minutes into the morning free follow session.
Trackhouse’s Ai Ogura additionally got here off within the afternoon session.
The highest 10 quickest riders in follow guide their tickets for Saturday’s second qualifying session, which shapes the primary 4 rows of the grid.
This group are then joined by the 2 quickest riders from the primary qualifying session.
Qualifying determines the grid for each the dash race on Saturday and the principle occasion GP on Sunday afternoon.
