MotoGP Brno, Ogura takes the record from Bezzecchi: Aprilia answers Ducati, but Martin heads to Q1

Aprilia one-two in pre-qualifying at Brno, though the sour note is the Martinator: Diggia ahead of the factory Ducati duo, and two Hondas in Q2 as well.

Ai Ogura tops everyone in MotoGP Practice for the 2026 Czech Republic Grand Prix. In the closing minutes of the session, the Japanese rider set the fastest time of 1'51"735, the new Brno lap record. His SuperFile Trackhouse Aprilia edged the factory machine of Marco Bezzecchi by just 10 thousandths. The championship leader bounced back after a quieter FP1 and looks to have the pace to be a protagonist all weekend.

Behind the two Aprilia RS-GP26s is a trio of Ducati Desmosedici GP26s. Best of them is Fabio Di Giannantonio, third and 207 thousandths off Bezzecchi. Right behind him are Pecco Bagnaia and Marc Marquez, who set the fastest time in the first free practice session and also crashed this afternoon in pre-qualifying. A little over 10 minutes in, he slid off at Turn 11.

The best KTM is, as usual, Pedro Acosta’s: sixth fastest, ahead of the Hondas of the impressive Joan Mir (HRC team) and Diogo Moreira (LCR). Rounding out the top 10—and thus taking the last two direct spots into Q2—are Fermin Aldeguer (Gresini Ducati) and Raul Fernandez (Aprilia Trackhouse).

Jorge Martin misses out and will face Q1 on Saturday morning at Brno. Just 11 thousandths behind Fernandez. A real sting, but also the awareness that he can grab one of the two available spots for Q2.

Maverick Vinales also narrowly misses out, looking decidedly sharper than in recent MotoGP rounds. All the Yamahas are out, as is the returning Alex Marquez.

Piero Taramasso, head of two-wheel competition at Michelin Motorsport, spoke to Sky Sport MotoGP about the tyre situation: "The times are quick. Already in FP1 they were faster than the best lap done in the race in 2025. The track grip is good, but temperatures are high. In the morning we had 42 degrees, this afternoon we’re at 56. We’ll need to monitor track and tyre temperatures, especially the rear: that will be the key—don’t overheat it to avoid losing grip."

Taramasso explained there’s no doubt about the front compound to use in this weekend’s races at Brno, while there are still questions for the rear: "Surely the medium front will be everyone’s choice for both races. Last year the medium rear worked well; half the riders used it in the sprint and then almost everyone ran it on Sunday, except Zarco. The medium is working well; it has no issues with temperature or grip, and it’s consistent. For the sprint, we’ll need more work tomorrow to understand whether the soft can be an advantage or not. It has more initial grip than the medium, but then it drops off, heats up and moves, making the bike nervous. If you don’t have a perfect setup, it can penalize you instead of helping you."