Alex Marquez sets sights on MotoGP Aragon pole and sprint victory

The Gresini Ducati rider finished 0.010s behind Marco Bezzecchi in practice and says his target for Saturday is clear: pole position and victory in the sprint

In practice for the MotoGP Aragon GP, Alex Marquez produced a time-attack lap below the previous circuit record, and was just 10 thousandths off the fastest rider, Marco Bezzecchi. While all eyes are on the Aprilia rider, as he unexpectedly managed to beat Marc Marquez in Practice for the Aragón GP, but also smashed M.Marquez' lap record at 1:45.455, the truth is that A.Marquez was only a fraction behind Bezzecchi.

A.Marquez was so close that just ten thousandths separated him from first place, with the top three riders all breaking the previous track record of 1:45.766 at Motorland. When asked after practice how his weekend was shaping up, A.Marquez pointed to tyre issues but was overall optimistic.

"Yes, yes, not bad. I think we started well this morning, but... The grip here is good, but for me, not so much the rear tyre, but rather the front, how to get in, how to brake, how to enter fast, that's where I lose a little more, especially with the locking I have on the front wheel," Alex explained about those 10 thousandths that prevented him from being the fastest.

Alex Marquez, Gresini Racing

Photo by: Gold and Goose Photography / Getty Images

"In the afternoon we made a very important step in that regard, and I think we showed a little how to work or how to get the most out of the bike here," he continued. "But I feel that I'm still a little far from Marc and Bezzecchi, who have something more. It's difficult to compare because we don't use the same tyres, so it's difficult to understand, but the feeling is that we're still one step behind them."

When asked about the closely-matched times for the top three riders, A.Marquez wasn't surprised.

"It didn't surprise me," said A.Marquez. "Normally on Fridays it's even tighter, there are fewer differences. Marc didn't put on the second soft tyre, he would surely have improved quite a lot. I think tomorrow pole will be quite fast in the morning with lower temperatures.

"There has been a big change in grip from morning to afternoon, so it will be a very fast Q2. Let's see if tomorrow we can brake a little later and take a step forward."

With promising results so far, A.Marquez was clear on his ambitions for Saturday at Motorland: "The goal tomorrow is to take pole and win the sprint."