Franco Morbidelli topped the first free practice of the MotoGP GP of the Americas, which was marked by persistent rain this Friday.
On a rainy morning in Austin, while dry weather is expected for Saturday and Sunday, this session was not as useful as teams and riders would have liked. However, that didn’t stop the action from starting as soon as the green flag was waved.
The first leader was Jack Miller (Prima Pramac Yamaha), ahead of Johann Zarco (Castrol Honda LCR), before Marc Márquez (Ducati) moved to the top. The lap times continued to improve, and after ten minutes, Morbidelli (Pertamina Enduro VR46/Ducati) was leading with Francesco Bagnaia (Ducati) in second… before Marc Márquez reclaimed the top spot, only to be surpassed by Miller.
With 31 minutes to go, Marc Márquez suffered a heavy crash at Turn 2 shortly after setting the fastest lap. The rider did not appear to suffer any major physical consequences in his first crash since joining Ducati’s factory team.
THAT ESCALATED QUICKLY!
— MotoGP™@marcmarquez93 highsides at T2 after setting a new fastest lap! #AmericasGP
pic.twitter.com/sKomaKCNVH
(@MotoGP) March 28, 2025
After the eight-time world champion’s crash, lap times continued to improve, with Morbidelli reclaiming the lead… before being surpassed by Álex Márquez (BK8 Gresini/Ducati) and Maverick Viñales (Red Bull KTM Tech3). With 20 minutes to go, Bagnaia set the fastest lap.
In the final quarter of the session, the top of the timesheets kept changing, with Morbidelli leading and Raúl Fernández (Trackhouse/Aprilia) in second. Within the last ten minutes, lap times dropped significantly, with constant changes at the front and multiple riders taking the lead.
But in the end, Morbidelli came out on top with a lap of 2m12.531s. Miller finished second, 0.083s behind, followed by Marc Márquez at 0.249s. The top five was completed by Zarco and Pedro Acosta (Red Bull KTM), while Bagnaia ended up in sixth.
