Bezzecchi leads Misano practice, Bagnaia struggles

Marco Bezzecchi led Friday practice for the San Marino Grand Prix at Misano, beating Marc and Alex Marquez to secure direct passage into the second qualifying session. The Aprilia rider set a fastest lap of 1 minute 30.144 seconds in the afternoon Practice session, finishing 0.103 seconds ahead of reigning champion Marc Marquez. Alex Marquez completed the top three, 0.185 seconds off the pace. Championship leader Jorge Martin narrowly avoided a setback, claiming the tenth and final automatic Q2 spot by just 0.016 seconds over Enea Bastianini. Martin finished 0.546 seconds behind his teammate Bezzecchi. Two-time world champion Pecco Bagnaia struggled significantly, ending the session in 19th place, 1.315 seconds off the lead, and will have to progress through the first qualifying session on Saturday. The VR46 team enjoyed a strong showing on home soil, with Fabio Di Giannantonio finishing fourth and Franco Morbidelli fifth. Morbidelli's result marked his first top-five finish in a practice session since the Italian Grand Prix at Mugello in May. The team's performance was observed by owner Valentino Rossi, who was trackside supporting the garage.