2024 San Marino MotoGP, Misano - Friday Practice Results

* Rookie

Official Misano MotoGP Records:

Best lap: Jorge Martin 1m 30.390s (2023)

Fastest race lap: Francesco Bagnaia 1m 31.791s (2023)

Francesco Bagnaia fights back to lead Friday practice for the 2024 San Marino MotoGP at Misano.

The reigning world champion arrived at his home event sore from Sunday’s Aragon accident and trailing Jorge Martin by 23 points in the world championship.

But after an eighth place this morning, the factory Ducati star shot to the top in the closing minutes of the afternoon hour.

Aragon winner Marc Marquez was second in both sessions with defending Misano winner Martin in third.

Fellow GP24 riders Franco Morbidelli and Enea Bastianini completed the top five with GASGAS rider Pedro Acosta the leading non-Ducati.

Aleix Espargaro’s top ten chances ended with a late accident while Brad Binder also missed the top ten cut for direct Qualifying 2 access and will need to fight through Saturday’s Qualifying 1.

Martin will start Saturday’s Sprint race 23 points ahead of Bagnaia and 70 clear of Marc Marquez.

Acosta, Marc Marquez, Bagnaia and Martin were quickest as fresh tyres were fitted for the final quarter of the hour.

The GASGAS rookie, who regained his mojo after switching to older RC16 settings at Aragon, then retaliated when Bastianini briefly moved ahead.

But the 20-year-old later crashed from his RC16, at Turn 8, as Marc Marquez put the local Gresini team back in charge.

Martin made his move with six minutes to go, but Bagnaia responded on his penultimate lap.

Yamaha’s Fabio Quartararo, an impressive fifth this morning, lost some swingarm aero attachments early in the afternoon.

But the Frenchman remained in the top five until the time attacks and, while he feared a repeat of his 'disaster' on new rubber in testing, still sealed ninth for a place in Qualifying 2.

Repsol Honda’s Joan Mir missed today’s track action “due to continued intense gastroenteritis.”

Pol Espargaro is making his third race weekend appearance of the season for KTM, with HRC test rider Stefan Bradl also entered as a wild-card this weekend.
 

* Rookie

Official Misano MotoGP Records:

Best lap: Jorge Martin 1m 30.390s (2023)

Fastest race lap: Francesco Bagnaia 1m 31.791s (2023)

MotoGP title leader Jorge Martin edges out Aragon winner Marc Marquez for the top spot in opening practice for the San Marino Grand Prix at Misano.

Marquez, who also took his final Honda victory at Misano in 2021, was soon back on top of the timesheets this morning.

But Martin got the better of his fellow Spaniard by just 0.037s with KTM wild-card Pol Espargaro in third.

Franco Morbidelli (Pramac), Fabio Quartararo (Yamaha) and Aleix Espargaro (Aprilia) completed the top six.

Reigning world champion Francesco Bagnaia, sore after last Sunday’s clash with Alex Marquez, began his home weekend in eighth.

Repsol Honda’s Joan Mir will miss today’s track action “due to continued intense gastroenteritis.”

HRC test rider Stefan Bradl is joining Pol Espargaro in a wild-card appearance this weekend.

Misano is hosting two consecutive MotoGP rounds this season, starting with this weekend’s San Marino Grand Prix.

An Official MotoGP test then takes place on Monday before a return to the Italian circuit for the ‘Emilia Romagna’ round, in place of India/Kazakhstan, on September 20-22.