Alex Marquez put Ducati back on top of the timesheets in Saturday morning warm-up at Silverstone, setting the pace for the 2026 British MotoGP after Aprilia had swept the Sprint. The Gresini rider led the way with a best lap of 1m 56.160s in the session that helped set the order for the 20-lap race at round 12 of 22.
It was a useful response for Ducati after Aprilia’s strong Sprint showing, and it also came in a session where riders were managing their final preparations after the summer break. Warm-up began at 11:15 and gave the field one last look at race pace before the British Grand Prix at 1pm.
Silverstone warm-up order and tyre choice
Alex Marquez was fastest, with Raul Fernandez and Marc Marquez among the riders close enough to keep the top of the timesheets busy. Fabio di Giannantonio, Franco Morbidelli, Fabio Quartararo, Jorge Martin, Pedro Acosta, Pepe Bagnaia and Maverick Vinales also featured in the top ten.
One notable detail from the session was tyre choice. All riders except Marco Bezzecchi ran the medium rear tyre, which added another layer to the morning picture. Bezzecchi, who was returning from injuries suffered at Sachsenring, had already been one of the storylines of the weekend after Aprilia’s Sprint success.
Bezzecchi summed up that result simply: “With zero expectations, a Sprint podium is very good.”
Absences and replacements shape the British round
Silverstone was also defined by the riders missing from the grid. Maverick Vinales withdrew and was replaced by Pol Espargaro, while Fermin Aldeguer remained absent and Iker Lecuona took his seat. Lecuona’s appearance added another interesting layer to the weekend after his recent run of replacement rides, including a seventh-place finish on his Ducati MotoGP debut at Balaton Park.
That wider context matters because the British round has already been affected by injuries across the calendar. Johann Zarco suffered knee ligament injuries at Catalunya in May, Aldeguer fractured a vertebra at Assen, and Bezzecchi’s own recovery has kept attention on Aprilia’s depth. The opening session at Silverstone showed that, despite those changes, Ducati still has enough pace to answer back when the field returns to race trim.
For the rest of the British Grand Prix, the key question is whether that warm-up speed translates over 20 laps. Alex Marquez has given Gresini and Ducati the early advantage, but Aprilia’s Sprint form means the battle at Silverstone is still very much alive.
