On practice Friday for the Italian Grand Prix at Mugello, Marc Marquez returned after his double surgery while Fabio Di Giannantonio set the fastest time. Between comeback stories, a struggling Aprilia squad, and a new sponsorship deal, the day provided plenty of talking points for the entire weekend.
The final qualifying session at the Isle of Man TT 2026 belonged to the Supersport and Sportbike machines one last time on Friday evening. Michael Dunlop remained the benchmark in Supersport, while Mike Browne led the Sportbike field.
With a lap of 135.484 mph on the Superstock machine, Dean Harrison topped the final qualifying session at the Isle of Man TT 2026. While the Honda rider heads into the first race as the clear favorite, the battle for the remaining podium places remains wide open.
In the Supersport and Sportbike qualifying on Friday afternoon at the Isle of Man TT 2026, Michael Dunlop placed himself firmly at the top of both classes. Behind him, Peter Hickman and the other contenders sorted themselves out, while Mikey Evans returned to the track after his crash earlier in the week.
Yamaha is advancing trademark registrations for the YZF-R2 name worldwide. Recent filings in the USA and numerous other countries point to a new sportbike with around 200 cubic centimeters of displacement, set to be positioned below the existing YZF-R3.
Simplicity is considered one of the key selling points of electric motorcycles: twist the throttle and go, without having to worry about gear shifting or clutch operation. Honda is now taking a step in the opposite direction with a new patent, adding exactly this complexity back in. The goal is not an end in itself, but rather more precise control over power delivery, particularly in competition use.
