Friday practice could decide MotoGP Argentina GP in Bagnaia vs Marquez battle

Francesco Bagnaia might have been upbeat following his fall in apply for the Argentina Grand Prix, however the Italian might be conscious that the sketchy Fridays can’t proceed if he needs to problem his manufacturing facility Ducati team-mate Marc Marquez in MotoGP 2025.

Whereas Marquez scorched previous his personal 11-year-old lap report at Termas de Rio Hondo to breeze into Q2 because the quickest rider, Bagnaia flirted with a repeat of the Q1 outing he confronted on the opener in Thailand. 

The 2022 and 2023 world champion’s last run in apply got here to a sudden finish when he misplaced the bike heading into Flip 2, placing him out of motion and into grave peril. With 5 minutes remaining, he was solely seventh.

A number of riders had been nonetheless attacking and he admitted to feeling weak earlier than scraping via to Q2 in tenth.

“Once I was on the scooter [back to the garage] I used to be already considering ‘OK, we’re going to complete eleventh by a couple of tenths and will probably be shit’,” mentioned Bagnaia. “However fortunately I used to be inside the highest 10.”

Bagnaia reckoned he had greater than three tenths up his sleeve, which might have put him round fourth within the session. 

“It’s a disgrace concerning the crash,” he added. “I needed that lap time. I like to be quick and I have to really feel the pace. However I’m inside the highest 10 and it’s OK.”

Up till that time, Bagnaia had regarded visibly extra in management than he had within the barely damp opening apply session. He confirmed as a lot in his feedback on the finish of the day. 

“At the moment, with the change we made within the afternoon, I really feel a lot better. This afternoon I felt extra like how I felt final 12 months,” he mentioned.

“Now I can concentrate on enhancing myself and enhancing my setup and feeling with the bike. Tomorrow morning we are going to do one other step for positive.”

These incremental good points from a sluggish begin are customary process for a Bagnaia weekend. He’s usually able to ship nice issues come Sunday. However in what seems to be a extra aggressive 2025 discipline, Friday misadventures threaten to value him greater than they’ve previously. 

Bagnaia obtained via Q1 in Thailand and no hurt was executed. At the moment in Argentina, he additionally obtained away along with his mistake and can take his place among the many Q2 elite tomorrow. However his luck will run out quickly if he can’t begin ironing out Friday struggles and drama. 

If that occurs, the value may very well be significantly excessive provided that his team-mate Marquez tends to seek out the restrict immediately on a Friday morning. He did precisely that at this time, heading free apply regardless of operating fewer laps than any of his foremost competitors.

That was a prelude to a day through which the Thai GP winner as soon as once more proved unbeatable. Bagnaia, who completed third in Thailand, admits that none of it was a shock, significantly on a low-grip observe corresponding to this one.

“I used to be considering he would push like this, as a result of in these situations he’s at all times very aggressive,” mentioned Bagnaia. “I used to be extra impressed by Johann Zarco than Marc, as a result of I count on this from Marc.”

Marc Marquez, Ducati Staff

Picture by: Gold and Goose / Motorsport Pictures

Zarco continued Honda’s encouraging begin to the season on his LCR entry with the second-fastest time within the morning after which a seventh place within the afternoon. The latter may properly have been higher however for Zarco’s mid-session fall.

“The man who impressed me essentially the most was Zarco, who did unbelievable issues at this time,” mentioned Bagnaia. “And in addition Fabio di Giannantonio, as a result of he was out for [pre-season testing, with injury]…and with out doing something throughout the session he was very quick within the time assault.”

As for whether or not Bagnaia can catch the senior Marquez later this weekend, the Torino man’s reply was crisp and brief.

“Let’s see,” he mentioned. “It’s too quickly proper now.”

But when Bagnaia’s defeat to Jorge Martin in 2024 taught something, it’s that Friday at a MotoGP occasion is, in actual fact, usually fairly quickly sufficient for harm to be executed.