Bezzecchi tops practice at San Marino GP

Italian Marco Bezzecchi pipped seven-time Moto GP champion Marc Marquez in Friday practice for the weekend’s San Marino Grand Prix.

The Aprilia rider was a tenth of a second quicker than the Spaniard, who was riding a Ducati, around the Misano circuit on the Adriatic coast.

But it was a difficult session for championship leader Jorge Martin, who could only manage the 10th fastest time, which was nonetheless enough to propel him directly into Q2 qualifying on Saturday.

The top 10 in Friday’s practice are exempt from Q1 qualifying the next day, and are guaranteed a top 12 grid placing in both Saturday afternoon’s sprint race and Sunday’s GP.

Whereas the other 13 riders must compete in Q1 for one of the two remaining spots in Q2.