Catalunya MotoGP, Barcelona - Free Practice (2) Results

Key:
^X Rider is X positions higher than FP1.
= Rider is same position as FP1.
˅X Rider is X positions lower than FP1.

 

* Rookie

Official Barcelona MotoGP records:
Best lap:
Fabio Quartararo FRA Yamaha 1m 38.853s (2021)
Fastest race lap:
Johann Zarco FRA Ducati 1m 39.939s (2021)

Aleix Espargaro leads an Aprilia one-two during Friday practice for the Catalunya MotoGP at a hot and sunny Barcelona.

The hot afternoon conditions saw hard rear tyres alongside the mediums, with Alex Rins' 1m 40.101s morning time (set on new mediums) remaining unbeaten until local star Espargaro took over at the top at the combined timesheets at the midway stage.

The Aprilia rider, just eight points behind world champion Fabio Quartararo and seeking his fifth podium in a row on Sunday, was then replaced at the top by team-mate Maverick Vinales when the #12 became the first to fit a new soft rear tyre for a time attack with 7mins remaining.

Vinales - focussing more than ever on one-lap pace this weekend, after repeatedly seeing strong race pace blocked by a bad grid position - kept his RS-GP fastest until Espargaro responded on his very final lap.

The Ducatis of Enea Bastianini, Francesco Bagnaia and Jorge Martin followed, then the KTM of Brad Binder, and Bagnaia's team-mate Jack Miller.

World champion and 2022 title leader Fabio Quartararo was eighth with Rins slipping to ninth for Suzuki.

Marc Marquez is absent after electing to undergo a fourth operation on his right arm. The eight-time world champion is being replaced by HRC test rider Stefan Bradl, who fell at Turn 5 this afternoon.

According to Marquez’s team-mate Pol Espargaro, the new chassis and swingarm Marquez had been trying has now been handed to LCR’s Takaaki Nakagami.

Reigning world champion Fabio Quartararo returns to the scene of his 2021 ‘wardrobe malfunction’ with a new two-year Yamaha contract in his pocket and leading the MotoGP standings by eight points over Aprilia’s Aleix Espargaro.

Enea Bastianini has slipped 28 points from the top after falling in Italy, with last Sunday’s home winner Francesco Bagnaia up to fourth but still 41 points behind Quartararo.

An official post-race test will be held at the Barcelona circuit on Monday.

 

2022 Catalunya Grand Prix – MotoGP schedule (UK Time):

Friday June 3

08:55-09:40 Free Practice 1 

13:10-13:55 Free Practice 2 

 

Saturday June 4

08:55-09:40 Free Practice 3 

12:30-13:00 Free Practice 4 

13:10-13:25 Qualifying 1 

13:35-13:50 Qualifying 2 

 

Sunday June 5

08:40-09:00 Warm-up 

13:00 Race