2024 Austrian MotoGP, Red Bull Ring - Friday Practice Results

* Rookie

Official Red Bull Ring MotoGP Records:

Best lap: Marco Bezzecchi 1m 28.533s (2023)

Fastest race lap: Francesco Bagnaia 1m 29.840s (2023)

Francesco Bagnaia rules Friday practice for the 2024 Austrian MotoGP while Pedro Acosta is among those to miss the top ten, sending the rookie into Saturday’s Qualifying 1.

Reigning world champion Bagnaia, seeking a third Red Bull Ring victory in a row, topped the timesheets from Marc Marquez and title leader Jorge Martin as time attacks began in the final 15 minutes of the hour.

Bagnaia then broke the lap record as he finished 0.281s clear of Franco Morbidelli, who celebrated his newly announced VR46 Ducati deal with second place.

Team-mate and FP1 pace setter Martin was third while Marquez made big steps after a quiet morning in fourth.

Brad Binder was the only KTM in the top ten, at the expense of Acosta.

After this morning’s fast accident, Acosta gave the Tech3 mechanics more repair work by flipping his RC16 through the gravel at Turn 9.

The rookie was up and running back to the pits before he’d even stopped sliding and returned on his spare bike for the soft-tyre shootout, but couldn’t hold on to tenth.

That position instead went to double Silverstone winner Enea Bastianini. The Italian was also in danger after a late fall but held on and helds straight to Q2.

Valentino Rossi was watching trackside this afternoon but returned to the paddock when both Marco Bezzecchi and VR46 team-mate Fabio di Giannantonio fell in quick succession. Bezzecchi later made the top ten but Diggia didn't return.

Aprilia’s Aleix Espargaro, who suffered a nightmare pair of crashes at the same Turn 2 chicane this morning, fought back to feature as high as third in the closing stages. 

Espargaro eventually edged out team-mate Maverick Vinales for seventh, behind Alex Marquez.

KTM wild-card Pol Espargaro, third this morning, was visibly frustrated at having to park his development RC16 at the side of the track just after the halfway stage. Espargaro didn’t return, apparently due to a pre-existing issue with his second machine.

Fellow test riders Lorenzo Savadori (Aprilia) and Stefan Bradl (Honda) are also making wild-card appearances this weekend.

After a sunny Friday, cooler temperatures and possibly rain showers are predicted for Saturday and Sunday.

* Rookie

Official Red Bull Ring MotoGP Records:

Best lap: Marco Bezzecchi 1m 28.533s (2023)

Fastest race lap: Francesco Bagnaia 1m 29.840s (2023)

MotoGP title leader Jorge Martin puts Ducati on top in opening practice for the 2024 Austrian MotoGP at Red Bull Ring, which saw red flags in the closing minutes after a fast accident for rookie Pedro Acosta.

The GASGAS Tech3 rider walked away from the 300km/h accident, which occured moments after he hit the brakes for Turn 4. The aero on Acosta's bike was already damaged after a slow fall at the 'new' Turn 2 chicane, on the hard front tyre, perhaps contributing to the accident.

While Acosta's accident was by far the most dramatic, the young Spaniard certainly wasn't alone on the FP1 crash list. Aprilia's Aleix Espargaro was caught out twice at the Turn 2 chicane, while VR46's Marco Bezzecchi and factory KTM's Brad Binder also slid off at low speed.

Franco Morbidelli, tipped to be confirmed as a 2025 VR46 Ducati rider this weekend, was quickest for much of the session before Pramac team-mate Martin edged 0.218s ahead.

KTM wild-card Pol Espargaro, running numerous new parts, most visibly some radical swingarm-mounted wings, used recent private testing knowledge to lead the opening minutes on his way to third place ahead of reigning champion Francesco Bagnaia.

Marc Marquez made a slow start to the weekend but briefly jumped to 8th place on his last lap before it was cancelled due to track limits, leaving the Gresini rider in 18th.

As previously reported, the Honda riders have a revised engine configuration for this weekend.

High tyre stress at the Sachsenring means Michelin brings a reinforced rear construction for the Red Bull Ring.