14:17
This top four group is covered by about a second. Very tight battle, this!
Pedro Acosta, KTM Factory Racing, 2026 Catalan MotoGP
© Gold and Goose
MotoGP Catalunya LIVE: Reaction after Alex Marquez wins the sprint
Live coverage of qualifying and the sprint at the 2026 MotoGP Catalan Grand Prix
KEY MOMENTS
- Alex Marquez wins closest ever sprint
- Bezzecchi only ninth
- Martin crashes for fourth time this weekend
- Acosta on pole
The 2026 MotoGP Catalan Grand Prix, the sixth round of the season, continues on Saturday 16 May with qualifying and the sprint.
Pedro Acosta put KTM on top of the Friday practice for the 2026 Catalan MotoGP at Barcelona on Friday, ahead of defending winner Alex Marquez.
Brad Binder made it two RC16s in the top three, with Raul Fernandez the leading Aprilia rider in fourth and Johann Zarco top Honda in fifth.
But the big shock of the day was Jorge Martin. The French Grand Prix winner suffered a heavy crash in FP1, and looked off-colour on Friday afternoon in Practice.
A second fall late in the session left him outside of the top 10 and facing Q1 for the first time this season. It ends the French Grand Prix winner's 100% Q2 appearance record this year.
He will join Pecco Bagnaia - who was on pole at Le Mans - in Q1 on Saturday morning, as well as Ai Ogura - who was third in the French Grand Prix - who crashed in Practice.
The top two at the end of Q1 on Saturday morning will advance to Q2 and fight for pole position.
Qualifying will be followed by the sprint later on Saturday afternoon.
2026 Catalan MotoGP: Saturday schedule
FP2 - 9:10am BST - 9:40am BST
Q1 - 9:50am BST - 10:05am BST
Q2 - 10:15am BST - 10:30am BST
Sprint - 2pm BST
16 May 2026
14:16
Acosta has rallied a bit and is right on Fernandez's tail for second.
14:16
Lap 9/12
Marquez's leads remains about 0.4s from Fernandez.
Bagnaia is now ahead of Bezzecchi for sixth. How much is the Aprilia rider hurting after his Q2 crash?
14:15
Watch: Jorge Martin crashes out of sprint
Martin's crash replay.
14:14
Lap 8/12
Marquez's lead stands at 0.451s over the line to start lap eight.
Fernandez is second, Acosta is coming under threat from DiGia.
14:14
Marquez's lead is about 0.5s now.
14:13
Vinales has pitted.
14:13
Lap 7/12
Marquez continues to lead.
Bezzecchi looks to be coming under pressure from Bagnaia down in sixth.
14:12
More TL warnings for Bagnaia, Ogura and Aldeguer now.
14:11
Lap 6/12
Now on lap six. Marquez leads, but Fernandez is chasing him now.
Acosta holds third, but DiGia is looming.
Zarco is fifth from Bezzecchi, Bagnaia, Morbidelli and Marini.
14:10
Fernandez is through on Acosta for second.
14:10
A replay of the Turn 1 crash shows DiGia made contact with Binder, who slid into Mir, who was already wide.
14:10
Lap 5/12
Marquez leads Acosta onto lap five.
Fernandez is close behind in this fight.
DiGia takes Zarco into Turn 1 for fourth. Zarco tried to fight it but lost out big time there.
14:09
Marquez has a track limits warning already.
14:08
A replay shows Martin just dropped the front-end under braking for Turn 10. That's a big let-off for Bezzecchi in sixth.
14:08
Lap 4/12
Marquez takes the lead from Acosta at Turn 1!
14:07
Crash - Jorge Martin
Martin has crashed out of sixth! That's a fourth crash of the weekend.
14:07
A replay of the start and Mir/Binder crash.
14:06
Lap 3/12
Onto lap three. Acosta just fends off Marquez into Turn 1.
14:05
Fernandez is back to fourth ahead of DiGia and Martin.
14:05
Martin takes Fernandez at Turn 4. But Fernandez fights back at Turn 5 and DiGia takes both of them.
14:05
Martin is up to fifth, Bezzecchi eighth. Bagnaia is ninth.
14:04
Lap 2/12
Acosta leads onto lap two. Marquez eases by Zarco on the straight.
14:04
Zarco has made a lightning start and is second ahead of Marquez.
14:03
It was Binder, not Bastianini, who tangled with Mir. Bastianini is 14th.