Catalunya MotoGP, Barcelona - Friday Practice Results
| 2023 Catalunya MotoGP, Barcelona - Practice (2) Results | ||||||
| Pos | Rider | Nat | Team | Time/Diff | Lap | Max |
| 1 | Aleix Espargaro | SPA | Aprilia Racing (RS-GP23) | 1'38.686s | 22/23 | 350k |
| 2 | Maverick Viñales | SPA | Aprilia Racing (RS-GP23) | +0.362s | 22/24 | 347k |
| 3 | Francesco Bagnaia | ITA | Ducati Lenovo (GP23) | +0.375s | 22/23 | 348k |
| 4 | Johann Zarco | FRA | Pramac Ducati (GP23) | +0.571s | 20/23 | 346k |
| 5 | Brad Binder | RSA | Red Bull KTM (RC16) | +0.660s | 22/23 | 351k |
| 6 | Alex Marquez | SPA | Gresini Ducati (GP22) | +0.863s | 27/28 | 346k |
| 7 | Marco Bezzecchi | ITA | Mooney VR46 Ducati (GP22) | +0.864s | 24/26 | 347k |
| 8 | Fabio Di Giannantonio | ITA | Gresini Ducati (GP22) | +0.935s | 16/22 | 343k |
| 9 | Enea Bastianini | ITA | Ducati Lenovo (GP23) | +0.942s | 23/24 | 350k |
| 10 | Jorge Martin | SPA | Pramac Ducati (GP23) | +1.007s | 24/26 | 345k |
| 11 | Pol Espargaro | SPA | Tech3 GASGAS (RC16) | +1.035s | 20/21 | 351k |
| 12 | Jack Miller | AUS | Red Bull KTM (RC16) | +1.066s | 18/23 | 350k |
| 13 | Raul Fernandez | SPA | RNF Aprilia (RS-GP22) | +1.071s | 16/17 | 343k |
| 14 | Miguel Oliveira | POR | RNF Aprilia (RS-GP22) | +1.093s | 22/24 | 351k |
| 15 | Luca Marini | ITA | Mooney VR46 Ducati (GP22) | +1.121s | 21/24 | 350k |
| 16 | Augusto Fernandez | SPA | Tech3 GASGAS (RC16)* | +1.205s | 18/23 | 345k |
| 17 | Fabio Quartararo | FRA | Monster Yamaha (YZR-M1) | +1.420s | 22/22 | 347k |
| 18 | Franco Morbidelli | ITA | Monster Yamaha (YZR-M1) | +1.469s | 20/24 | 342k |
| 19 | Marc Marquez | SPA | Repsol Honda (RC213V) | +1.563s | 19/23 | 345k |
| 20 | Takaaki Nakagami | JPN | LCR Honda (RC213V) | +2.200s | 16/20 | 342k |
| 21 | Iker Lecuona | SPA | LCR Honda (RC213V) | +2.209s | 23/23 | 343k |
| 22 | Joan Mir | SPA | Repsol Honda (RC213V) | +2.327s | 21/22 | 346k |
*Rookie.
Official Barcelona MotoGP records
Best lap: Aleix Espargaro 1m 38.742s (2022)
Fastest race lap: Johann Zarco 1m 39.939s (2021)
Aprilia team-mates Aleix Espargaro and Maverick Vinales repeat their morning practice one-two on Friday afternoon at the 2023 Catalunya MotoGP.
Meanwhile, last year's winner Fabio Quartararo (Yamaha) and eight-time world champion Marc Marquez (Honda) were left just 17th and 19th, sending them into Saturday's Qualifying 1 on a day when Japanese machines filled the last six places.
Just as this morning, Aleix Espargaro snatched P1 away from Vinales in the closing stages - this time setting a new all-time lap record in the process.
Ducati's reigning champion Francesco Bagnaia, Pramac Ducati's Johann Zarco, KTM's Brad Binder, Gresini Ducati's Alex Marquez plus Marco Bezzecchi, Fabio di Giannantonio, Enea Bastianini and Jorge Martin completed the top ten with direct Qualifying 2 access.
A long list of riders had a late lap cancelled due to yellow flags after Luca Marini appeared to run out of fuel.
Weather forecasts warn of possible rain storms on Saturday and Sunday.
| 2023 Catalunya MotoGP, Barcelona - Practice (1) Results | ||||||
| Pos | Rider | Nat | Team | Time/Diff | Lap | Max |
| 1 | Aleix Espargaro | SPA | Aprilia Racing (RS-GP23) | 1'39.809s | 13/15 | 347k |
| 2 | Maverick Viñales | SPA | Aprilia Racing (RS-GP23) | +0.264s | 10/19 | 350k |
| 3 | Jorge Martin | SPA | Pramac Ducati (GP23) | +0.464s | 17/19 | 347k |
| 4 | Brad Binder | RSA | Red Bull KTM (RC16) | +1.050s | 16/22 | 351k |
| 5 | Francesco Bagnaia | ITA | Ducati Lenovo (GP23) | +1.091s | 4/18 | 347k |
| 6 | Pol Espargaro | SPA | Tech3 GASGAS (RC16) | +1.108s | 17/17 | 350k |
| 7 | Miguel Oliveira | POR | RNF Aprilia (RS-GP22) | +1.135s | 5/19 | 350k |
| 8 | Franco Morbidelli | ITA | Monster Yamaha (YZR-M1) | +1.195s | 14/21 | 342k |
| 9 | Fabio Quartararo | FRA | Monster Yamaha (YZR-M1) | +1.202s | 5/21 | 344k |
| 10 | Johann Zarco | FRA | Pramac Ducati (GP23) | +1.208s | 5/19 | 348k |
| 11 | Jack Miller | AUS | Red Bull KTM (RC16) | +1.335s | 20/20 | 346k |
| 12 | Alex Marquez | SPA | Gresini Ducati (GP22) | +1.356s | 6/20 | 346k |
| 13 | Enea Bastianini | ITA | Ducati Lenovo (GP23) | +1.374s | 6/17 | 346k |
| 14 | Augusto Fernandez | SPA | Tech3 GASGAS (RC16)* | +1.409s | 20/21 | 344k |
| 15 | Fabio Di Giannantonio | ITA | Gresini Ducati (GP22) | +1.456s | 12/18 | 344k |
| 16 | Marco Bezzecchi | ITA | Mooney VR46 Ducati (GP22) | +1.495s | 4/20 | 348k |
| 17 | Joan Mir | SPA | Repsol Honda (RC213V) | +1.530s | 17/19 | 347k |
| 18 | Luca Marini | ITA | Mooney VR46 Ducati (GP22) | +1.592s | 5/19 | 348k |
| 19 | Raul Fernandez | SPA | RNF Aprilia (RS-GP22) | +1.595s | 5/15 | 345k |
| 20 | Takaaki Nakagami | JPN | LCR Honda (RC213V) | +1.597s | 5/20 | 340k |
| 21 | Marc Marquez | SPA | Repsol Honda (RC213V) | +1.639s | 4/16 | 344k |
| 22 | Iker Lecuona | SPA | LCR Honda (RC213V) | +2.116s | 6/21 | 339k |
*Rookie.
Official Barcelona MotoGP records
Best lap: Aleix Espargaro 1m 38.742s (2022)
Fastest race lap: Johann Zarco 1m 39.939s (2021)
Aleix Espargaro leads an Aprilia one-two during opening practice for the 2023 Catalunya MotoGP at Barcelona.
Jorge Martin was caught on camera dragging his shoulder at 59 degrees over the Turn 5 kerbs before claiming third place for Pramac Ducati, with Brad Binder fourth for KTM and reigning champion Francesco Bagnaia in fifth for Ducati Lenovo.
Pol completed an excellent session for the local Espargaro brothers with sixth place for GASGAS Tech3.
By contrast, another home star, Marc Marquez, fell on entry to Turn 5 in the closing minutes, his 17th accident of the year (despite missing multiple rounds).
The Repsol Honda rider was just 20th at the time and finished the session ahead of only LCR stand-in Iker Lecuona.
Aprilia dominated most of the 45 minutes, Aleix Espargaro - who suffered the nightmare of giving away second in his home race after backing off a lap early last season - initially led factory team-mate Maverick Vinales, before Vinales leapfrogged in front.
But Espargaro fought back in the closing minutes to top FP1 with a time of 1m 39.808s. Miguel Oliveira made it three Aprilias in the top seven, having been as high as fourth for RNF heading into the closing stages.
Fabio Quartararo, race winner for Yamaha last season, had a 'new' exhaust (tried at the Jerez test) on his M1 this morning. The Frenchman was ninth, just behind team-mate Franco Morbidelli.
Newly re-signed VR46 rider Marco Bezzecchi clipped LCR Honda stand-in Lecuona early on but both remained upright, Bezzecchi finishing the session 16th and Lecuona last.
Ducati’s reigning champion Francesco Bagnaia takes a 62-point title lead over Pramac’s Jorge Martin into this weekend’s Catalunya MotoGP, after completing his third double of the season last time in Austria.
VR46’s Marco Bezzecchi is six points behind Martin with Brad Binder the top KTM in fourth.
LCR Honda’s Alex Rins remains absent due to his Mugello leg injuries and is again replaced by WorldSBK rider Iker Lecuona.
The Misano round takes place next weekend, followed by a post-race Official test then two months of ‘flyaway’ events held outside of Europe.
Peter has been in the paddock for 20 years and has seen Valentino Rossi come and go. He is at the forefront of the Suzuki exit story and Marc Marquez’s injury issues.
