Espargaro smashes lap record ahead of Binder and Acosta as Marc Marquez faces Q1

It’s an Aprilia-KTM-GASGAS party on Friday at the top, setting the scene for an interesting Saturday in Barcelona.

Practice at the Gran Premi Monster Energy de Catalunya definitely didn’t disappoint, setting us up for an interesting super Saturday. First, 2023 Barcelona winner Aleix Espargaro (Aprilia Racing) was back on top and with a new lap record. Second, it’s two RC16s on the chase as Brad Binder (Red Bull KTM Factory Racing) and rookie Pedro Acosta (Red Bull GASGAS Tech3) ended the session second and third, respectively. Third, Marc Marquez (Gresini Racing MotoGP™) will once again have to head through Q1… although it didn’t stop him in France.

It was a Red Bull KTM Factory Racing 1-2 for the majority of the session, but it wouldn’t stay like that by the end of play. Espargaro’s new lap record but paid to that, although Binder got close with one last bid for it. On his last flying lap, the South African got within 0.072 of the top to complete a recovery in style, having crashed once early on at Turn 2 and then again at the very same Turn 2 later in the session.

Down in fourth it’s reigning Champion Francesco Bagnaia (Ducati Lenovo Team) as he looks for his first GP podium in Barcelona, and on Friday he was the fastest of the Championship top three. The Italian set 23 laps across the session but had some drama after the flag came out, forced to push his bike back to the pitlane. Still, the #1 was able to end the day ahead of the second Red Bull KTM Factory Racing machine of Jack Miller, who nevertheless completes the top five.

Jorge Martin (Prima Pramac Racing) and managed to get the better of teammate Franco Morbidelli, who had a solid day and made it both Prima Pramac Racing machines inside the top 10, split by just 0.038. Enea Bastianini (Ducati Lenovo Team) ends Friday in eighth after spending most of the session outside the top 15 positions but finding time in the closing minutes.

Alex Rins (Monster Energy Yamaha MotoGP™) heads through to Q2 from P9 on Friday, his second visit this season so far and on the way to his 200th Grand Prix start. Teammate Fabio Quartararo (Monster Energy Yamaha MotoGP™), meanwhile, crashed at Turn 5 early on – rider ok but ending the session in 14th. Maverick Viñales (Aprilia Racing) rounded out the top 10.

There was plenty of drama, with a number of crashes at the end of the session playing some havoc with yellow flags too. Fabio Di Giannantonio (Pertamina Enduro VR46 Racing Team) crashed earlier at Turn 5, but things soon got worse for the Italian then crashed for a second time at Turn 9 in the last 10 minutes of the session. Di Giannantonio ended the hour-long session in 17th ahead of Red Bull GASGAS Tech3’s Augusto Fernandez who also had a crash late in the session at turn four.

Alex Marquez (Gresini Racing MotoGP™) also couldn’t improve after suffering a crash in the final five minutes, and with all that drama there was no space for many others to move forward either amongst the yellow flags. That included for his teammate Marc Marquez. The number #93 faces Q1 for the second time in two weeks, although in France it didn’t make too much difference… and he didn’t even make it through! Will he this time? Tune in on super Saturday to find out!

FP2: 10:10 (UTC +2)
Q1: 10:50
Q2: 11.15
Tissot Sprint: 15:00

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