The ninth round of the 2026 MotoGP World Championship, the Czech Grand Prix, has begun in Brno. The first Friday practice session of the season concluded with Trackhouse Aprilia rider Ai Ogura finishing at the top. Ogura overcame his usual problems with time management, securing 1-2 positions for Aprilia. World championship leader Marco Bezzecchi finished the day in second place.
🏁 Ai Ogura makes a strong start in the Czech Republic! 🇯🇵🔥
The Japanese rider, who topped the MotoGP practice session, also broke the track's all-time lap record. ⚡
New track record: look at the speed level. 🏍️💨#MotoGP #CzechGP #FrenYok pic.twitter.com/jTA77rtJl9— Fren Yok (@frenyok46) June 19, 2026
Today's rankings and featured names
When the gates closed on Friday evening, the combined practice session standings were as follows: Bezzecchi was right behind Ogura, while Fabio di Giannantonio, riding his VR46 Ducati, was third. Factory Ducati riders Pecco Bagnaia was fourth, and last year's Brno winner and current champion Marc Marquez was fifth. Honda riders Joan Mir and Diogo Moreira managed to get into the top twelve, which is necessary for a direct entry into Q2; however, Mir crashed late in the session. Jorge Martin failed to make it into the top ten and will have to start from Q1 on Saturday.
Marquez's decline and Alex Marquez's return.
Marc Marquez was the fastest rider in the morning session (FP1), but he suffered a lowside crash on lap 7. He experienced another fall early in the afternoon session, but managed to restart his Desmosedici on the service road and return to the garage. After repairs, he finished the practice session in 13th place. Pedro Acosta, Maverick Vinales, and Diogo Moreira also experienced crashes in the morning session. Acosta, shortly after setting a new lap record in the afternoon session, was unable to continue due to a technical issue.
Meanwhile, Alex Marquez returned to MotoGP after suffering a collarbone and vertebral fracture in Catalonia about a month ago. The Gresini rider finished 18th in FP1, but was allowed to continue after the end-of-day assessment, finishing 15th in the combined qualifying. Johann Zarco is also skipping this week due to a knee ligament injury from the same crash; Cal Crutchlow has filled his place at LCR Honda for the third time.
Championship standings and weekend schedule.
Marco Bezzecchi leads the championship by 20 points ahead of his teammate Jorge Martin. Fabio di Giannantonio is 42 points behind the leader in third place, while Marc Marquez is in fifth place, just behind Pedro Acosta, following his double victory at Balaton Park. Martin will receive a double long lap penalty in Sunday's race as punishment for the five-driver crash he triggered with a mistake at Corner 1 in Hungary; Bezzecchi was among those affected by that crash.
Following the session, some drivers attempted a practice start without using a pre-holeshot device; the possibility of banning this device remains a topic of discussion. After the race weekend, a special test will take place on Sunday, where some 2026 drivers will have the opportunity to experience 850cc prototypes and Pirelli tires for the first time. Saturday will feature FP2, the draw, and the Sprint race; Sunday will see the main race begin after warm-up laps.