P1racenews AI automatic summary:
Franco Morbidelli fastest in opening practice for the San Marino MotoGP – Augusto Fernandez gives the Yamaha V4 its public debut.
Franco Morbidelli started FP1 at Misano from the pit box due to a ten-minute suspension for not following marshal instructions after a crash at Barcelona last weekend. Despite a crash, Morbidelli set the fastest lap of 1m 31.342s, keeping fellow Yamaha rider Fabio Quartararo behind by 0.249s. Quartararo opted for a new soft front tire while most riders stuck with older soft fronts and medium rears. VR46 Ducati’s Fabio di Giannantonio placed both Ducatis in the top three, with Alex Marquez just edging past brother Marc by 0.011s. Honda rider Luca Marini secured a competitive sixth position, ahead of lead KTM rider Pedro Acosta and top Aprilia rider Marco Bezzecchi. Despite Bezzecchi having the oldest tires, Trackhouse RS-GP’s Raul Fernandez and Aprilia’s Jorge Martin followed closely. Francesco Bagnaia began in eleventh place, 0.587s behind Morbidelli. Additionally, wild-card rider Augusto Fernandez impressed with the new Yamaha V4 prototype despite technical issues, finishing 21st just 1.1s behind Morbidelli. Fernandez, recently confirmed as the Yamaha test rider until 2027, swiftly responded to a dashboard warning and resumed on his spare bike.”
