Bezzecchi smashes Silverstone track record in MotoGP qualifying

Aprilia's Marco Bezzecchi shattered the Silverstone track record during Friday's pre-qualifying session for the upcoming British MotoGP. The Italian rider, who returned to action after a broken collarbone suffered at the German MotoGP, clocked 1 minute and 56.280 seconds, beating the previous record set by Fabio Quartararo. Bezzecchi's time was almost a full second faster than Quartararo's 1 minute and 57.233 seconds, securing him the top spot despite his injury.

Spain's Raul Fernandez followed closely in second place, just 0.335 seconds behind Bezzecchi. Fabio Di Giannantonio rounded out the top three, while championship leader Jorge Martín was half a second slower than Bezzecchi, attributing his improved performance to his bike's exceptional capability. Quartararo, who finished in 17th place, admitted he had "never felt so bad" during his ride.

The British MotoGP will be the 12th race of the 22-event MotoGP calendar, and with a tight race for the world title, Martin leads the championship with 208 points, with several rivals capable of challenging his lead over the weekend.