MotoGP News: Bagnaia tops Vinales and Marquez in Spain

In Friday MotoGP Practice at the Gran Premio Estrella Galicia 0,0 de España in Jerez, the top3 were covered by only 0.143, led by reigning Champion Pecco Bagnaia, COTA winner Maverick Viñales and eight-time World Champion Marc Marquez.

For Bagnaia, it was a day to test things out on the bike following by a shiny new lap record; for Viñales, a crash early before a lap time that initially put him top; and for Marquez, just one sector that stood between him and the fastest lap of the day. All three were under the previous lap record too, not just Bagnaia, and that teases plenty of action on super Saturday even before the full cast of characters are brought onto the stage.

Despite a crash at turn one at the beginning of the session, Marco Bezzecchi (Pertamina Enduro VR46 Racing) fought back to fourth in the final 10 minutes of the day, with he and teammate Fabio Di Giannantonio both having a positive Friday and ‘Diggia’ also through to Q2 in P9.

Championship leader Jorge Martin (Prima Pramac Racing) is fifth on Friday, but it’s a four-tenth gap to the top he’s looking to bridge in Q2, and he’s got some company he’d likely rather escape right behind him: Pedro Acosta (Red Bull GASGAS Tech3). The rookie sensation was outside the top 10 heading into the final run but got the pedal to the metal and jumped up to sixth at the end of the day, after earlier running round in tandem with MotoGP Legend and wildcard Dani Pedrosa (Red Bull KTM Factory Racing) too.

Aleix Espargaro (Aprilia Racing) was seventh as he looks to get back on a par with Viñales at a track that saw the #41 take pole last year, making it both factory Aprilias securing a spot in Q2. Second in the Championship Enea Bastianini (Ducati Lenovo Team) set a 1:36.480 for P8 – improving on his pace from the morning Free Practice session – but he’ll want more on Saturday.

Friday Practice Results