Marco Bezzecchi sent an early statement of intent ahead of this weekend’s British Grand Prix, smashing the all-time MotoGP lap record at Silverstone with a stunning 1:56.280 in the closing moments of Friday Practice.
The Aprilia Racing rider’s late flyer put him 0.230 seconds clear of Raúl Fernández on the Trackhouse MotoGP Team Aprilia, while Fabio Di Giannantonio completed the top three for the Pertamina Enduro VR46 Racing Team Ducati, a further 0.113s adrift.
The record-breaking lap came less than a month after Bezzecchi underwent surgery on a fractured left collarbone sustained in a qualifying crash at the German Grand Prix, followed by a routine procedure on his injured left knee as part of his recovery. Speaking ahead of the British Grand Prix, the Italian said he was optimistic about returning to full fitness and believed he could still mount a challenge for his first MotoGP world championship later in the season.
If there were any lingering questions over his fitness, Friday’s performance provided an emphatic answer.
