The Americas MotoGP 2025 kicked off with a wet opening practice at the Circuit of the Americas (COTA) where Franco Morbidelli emerged as the leader closely followed by Jack Miller.
The session was marked by challenging wet conditions, which seemed to favor Morbidelli’s skills as he navigated the circuit with precision.
Riding for the Pertamina Enduro VR46 Racing Team on a Ducati GP24, Franco Morbidelli set the Americas MotoGP 2025 FP1 time benchmark with a 2:12.531, showcasing his adaptability in adverse weather conditions.
Meanwhile Prima Pramac Yamaha’s Jack Miller came in just 0.083 seconds behind Morbidelli after delivering consistent performance throughout the session.
The Australian rider’s antics in the wet have been well-documented and this session was no exception as he pushed hard to stay within striking distance of Morbidelli’s benchmark.
However, Marc Marquez had a dramatic session. Despite suffering a significant crash early on, the “King of COTA” managed to return to the track and finish third with a 2:12.780 on his Ducati Lenovo Team GP25.
Marquez’s resilience and ability to bounce back from setbacks are hallmarks of his career, and this session was a testament to his determination to succeed at one of his favorite circuits. His crash happened at Turn 2 but fortunately he escaped uninjured and was back on track shortly after.
LCR Honda Castrol’s Johann Zarco led parts of the session but ultimately finished fourth with a time of 2:12.838. Zarco’s ability to stay competitive in the wet conditions bodes well for Honda’s prospects at Americas MotoGP 2025 as he continues to deliver remarkable performances on his RC213V.
Red Bull KTM’s Pedro Acosta secured the fifth fastest time ahead of Ducati Lenovo’s Francesco Bagnaia and Gresini’s Alex Marquez in sixth and seventh respectively.
Maverick Vinales and Brad Binder – both on KTM machinery – finished eighth and ninth respectively while Augusto Fernandez impressed by finishing tenth on his debut as a replacement rider for Prima Pramac Racing on a Yamaha M1.
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Honda HRC Castrol riders Joan Mir and Luca Marini finished eleventh and twelfth respectively despite a strong showing early in the session but struggled to improve their times significantly towards the end.
Their performances were affected by not taking fresh tires for their final runs which limited their ability to challenge for higher positions in opening practice for the Americas MotoGP 2025.
Monster Energy Yamaha’s Fabio Quartararo struggled to find his rhythm and finished fourteenth ahead of Red Bull KTM Tech3’s Enea Bastianini.
Fabio Di Giannantonio returning from injury on the Pertamina Enduro VR46 Racing Team Ducati GP25 finished sixteenth. Di Giannantonio’s session was his first competitive outing since recovering from a collarbone injury and his performance was encouraging given the conditions.
Trackhouse Aprilia’s Raul Fernandez struggled in the wet conditions to finish 17th ahead of Yamaha’s Alex Rins with Marco Bezzecchi finishing 19th on the Aprilia Racing RS-GP.
Bezzecchi faced technical issues and a crash which significantly impacted his performance. Despite the setbacks his potential on the Aprilia remains high and he will aim to bounce back in subsequent sessions.
LCR Honda IDEMITSU’s Somkiat Chantra was 20th ahead of Lorenzo Savadori, standing in for the injured Jorge Martin on the Aprilia Factory RS-GP.
Savadori’s performance was affected by the technical challenges faced by Aprilia during the session. Despite these difficulties his role as a replacement rider is crucial and he will continue to support the team throughout the weekend.
Ai Ogura on the Trackhouse Aprilia RS-GP had a tough debut session finishing last with a time of 2:21.433 minutes.
Ogura faced struggled adapting to the MotoGP bike in wet conditions but his experience will be invaluable as he progresses in the championship. His potential as a rookie is high, and he will look to improve as the weekend unfolds.
Americas MotoGP 2025 FP1 Results
