Marco Bezzecchi escaped the blocks fastest on Friday morning at Silverstone to record the best time in FP1 for the British Grand Prix ahead of VR46 team-mate Luca Marini.
The Italian graced the peak of the timesheets at multiple points across the 45-minute session, Bezzecchi the first rider to post an effort within the 2:01 bracket in the early stages of the test.
Following a period of completing race simulations and data gathering exercises, Bezzecchi and team-mate Marini headed out on circuit together to complete a time attack simulation in preparation for Friday afternoon’s important P2 outing that will decide the ten riders heading directly into Saturday’s pole position shootout.
Bezzecchi wrestled away the top spot from Pramac Ducati’s Johann Zarco but was immediately shaded by Marini as he drafted him across the lap to post a 2:00.331s, though Bezzecchi hit back on his second and final flyer to bang in a 2:00.295s to re-take the scratch time.
With nobody else able to threaten him Bezzecchi claimed FP1 honours just ahead of Marini, while Pramac’s Jorge Martin fired in a handy tour just 0.075s adrift of Bezzecchi to shift himself just ahead of team-mate Zarco for third – Ducati’s running first through fourth to start the weekend.
Jack Miller ended up as best of the rest for KTM in fifth just under four-tenths-of-a-second away from Bezzecchi’s benchmark, with Aprilia’s Aleix Espargaro ending up sixth just clear of Yamaha’s Franco Morbidelli – who suffered a bizarre crash at Luffield as he high-sided while off power on entry to the bend.
Raul Fernandez was a surprise eight overall for the CryptoData RNF Aprilia squad, while Maverick Vinales and Fabio Quartararo completed the top ten.
Series leader Francesco Bagnaia had a quiet session en-route to 14th overall just ahead of Marc Marquez, who ended up as the fastest of Honda’s contingent in 15th.
Takaaki Nakagami enjoyed a busy start to the weekend for LCR as he tested a new aero package on his Honda as the Japanese marque endeavours to extract more speed from its troublesome RC213-V.
Pol Espargaro was the slowest of the 22 pilots taking part this weekend as he eses himself back into competition following five months of recuperation from the injuries he sustained during practice for March’s Portuguese GP.
Enea Bastianini was the only other rider to suffer trouble during FP1 after the factory Ducati rider high-sided at Beckett’s on his cool-down lap, the Italian luckily walking away from the crash unharmed.
Keyword: Bezzecchi heads VR46 1-2 in opening Silverstone practice