FP2

The qualifying session started with Free Practice 2, as always. Here at Silverstone, it began under cloudy skies, yet the riders were lucky to start on slick tyres. This 30-minute session served as a warm-up before the qualifying began.

The first measured times were in the 2:03 range, though some riders managed lap times as fast as 2:01 or as slow as 2:08. Early on in the session, Francesco Bagnaia led the pack, with his teammate in 9th place. A surprise came from Raul Fernandez, who was in 4th place, and rookie Fermín Aldeguer in 6th.

However, that didn’t last long, as Alex Márquez took the lead with a lap time in the 2:00 range. Riders began to clock faster times, and Bagnaia managed a 1:59.756. In second place was Marco Bezzecchi, continuing his impressive form from Friday.

Unfortunately, a highside crash from Alex Márquez at Turn 15 caused a yellow flag, and the session was red-flagged due to debris on the track. Alex attempted to restart his bike to return to the box but was unsuccessful. With help from a marshal, he managed to return to the pits.

Shortly after the session resumed, Pedro Acosta crashed at Turn 7, causing another yellow flag. At this point, Bagnaia still held the lead, with Joan Mir in 2nd and Bezzecchi in 3rd. Jack Miller was sitting in 4th place.

With 13 minutes left, riders who were not yet on track began to return. Fermín Aldeguer then took the lead from Bagnaia with a time of 1:59.590. Marc Márquez improved to 4th place. Johann Zarco was now in 10th, just behind Fabio Di Giannantonio. Marc Márquez then jumped to the top of the timesheets with a 1:59.178.

Alex Márquez returned to the track but was only in 16th place. With 5 minutes remaining, Bagnaia was in 3rd place, while Quartararo was down in 13th. But after all, this is just a practice session, and the lap times will improve significantly in qualifying.

In the final minute of FP2, half of the riders were in the pits. Fabio Quartararo took the lead on his last attempt.

Q1

This 15-minute session would decide which riders advance to Q2. The first measured times began coming in. Since the session is short, each rider typically posts two timed laps, returns to the pits to change tyres, and then makes their final attempts.

Pedro Acosta was first to set a time, with a 1:59.092. Others followed in the 2:00+ range. Raul Fernandez then took the lead, pushing Acosta down, but Acosta quickly retook the top spot with a time under 1:58. Several other riders also broke into the 1:58s. Joan Mir was now in 2nd place.

The riders returned to the pits to change tyres. With just four crucial minutes left, they began their final flying laps. Maverick Viñales suffered a technical issue, and there was a yellow flag due to a crash from Somkiat Chantra.

With one minute to go, new times started coming in. Franco Morbidelli went fastest, only for Luca Marini to take the lead. On the final attempts, KTM was unable to improve. This meant Luca Marini and Franco Morbidelli advanced to Q2.

Q2

The strategy in Q2 was the same: two fast laps, a tyre change, then two final laps.

Riders started their measured runs in the 1:58s. Alex Rins initially took the lead, followed by Jack Miller, with Marc Márquez behind him. Three riders, including Fabio Quartararo, had yet to complete a flying lap. Quartararo soon took the lead from his teammate.

Then came a new wave of fast laps in the 1:57s, significantly quicker than before. Marc Márquez took the lead, with Bagnaia in second and Alex Rins in third. Quartararo then jumped to second place before the riders returned to the pits with 5 minutes left.

On new tyres, they re-entered for their final runs. Fermín Aldeguer was first to post a fast time, moving up to third. Bagnaia briefly retook the lead, only for Alex Márquez to snatch it back. But that wasn’t for long—Fabio Quartararo was on a strong lap and eventually claimed the top spot.

Meanwhile, Johann Zarco crashed in Sector 2, bringing out another yellow flag. Marc Márquez, who was also on a fast lap, made a mistake that cost him a potential pole position.

As the session ended, Quartararo was on pole for the third consecutive time, with Alex Márquez in second. Franco Morbidelli has a three-place grid penalty from yesterday, so the starting order will be slightly different from the qualifying results.