Following free practice 1, it was a relatively tight battle in practice to make the top 10 and advance to the second part of qualifying. With just over 2 tenths separating P3 to P11, it was a close fight for who would qualify. However, Aprilia looked quick with the top two riders being the factory rider of Marco Bezzecchi and Trackhouse MotoGP Team rider Raúl Fernández. The pairing stormed ahead, leaving it clear that Aprilia is the bike to beat.
Yamaha Back on Form?
Following a tricky season for the Monster Energy Yamaha MotoGP Team, it looked to be a positive practice session. Riders Fabio Quartararo and Álex Rins looked competitive from the get go. Early on, Rins was setting quick times, quickly finding himself in the top 5. For a while, the factory pairing were sitting pretty in P2 and P3, just behind Marco Bezzecchi.
Quartararo is no stranger to Q2 this year, taking 4 pole positions. Teammate Rins however, has only seen the second qualifying 4 times this year. Last time out in Indonesia, both the #20 and #42 both got through and then finished in the top 10 of the race – can that happen again this weekend?
Minor Issues in The Grid
All in all, the MotoGP practice session was rather straight forward. However, there were a few issues across the grid. Early on Francesco Bagnaia looked unhappy on his bike and was struggling to set quick lap times. Instead of settling, the Italian returned the his pit and swapped to the second bike. This seemed to work as once back on track, something clicked and he found himself in the top 5. He eventually finished P9. His teammate however, Michele Pirro, continued to settle into his first outing on the Desmosedici GP25 bike and finished at the lower end of the grid. With Marc Márquez missing, this could be the opportunity for Bagnaia to return to the top.
Pedro Acosta also suffered some issues throughout the session. Whilst initially he was swapping fastest times, at the halfway point of the session, the young Spaniard crashed. Luckily for him, it wasn’t a bad one – merely sliding off at the Turn 4 hairpin. He was quick to return to the grid but could only do enough for P10. With 0.005 seconds separating him and newest winner Fermín Aldeguer, Acosta made it through by the skin of his teeth.
Aprilia Were Rapid
From the green light, Aprilia riders were looking quick. Factory rider Marco Bezzecchi was setting fastest lap after fastest lap. Riders tried to deny him top spot, but he always took it back. The #72 is on a mission this weekend – to close in on Francesco Bagnaia and take 3rd in the championship standings. With only 20 points separating them, a good weekend for the factory Aprilia rider could see that come down even further.
It wasn’t just Bezzecchi who was quick though. Raúl Fernández also joined him at the top by the end of the session. Whilst still over 2 tenths behind Bezzecchi, Fernández was the rider who could get closest to the rapid lap. Ai Ogura returns this weekend following an injury, whilst he couldn’t make the top 10 he still put in quick lap times, finishing ahead of Aprilia Racing’s replacement rider Lorenzo Savadori.
A Tight Fight to Advance
Come the end of the session, Marco Bezzecchi was untouchable. With an unbelievably fast lap of 1:26.492, he set a new all-time lap record. However, he didn’t set only one. He beat his own record, having already set it earlier in the session.
The top 3 were separated by 0.420 seconds, but behind them it was a tight fight across the field. From Fabio Di Giannantonio in 3rd back to Fermín Aldeguer in 11th there was a mere 0.238 seconds between the grid. Despite there being a few bigger gaps in the second half – many people were separated by only hundredths of a second. With times close, it’s anyone’s game in the race.
The top ten and who heads straight into the fight for pole is below:
It looks like Marco Bezzecchi is the man to beat, will anyone be able to do it? Next up is qualifying, with times falling fast over the first two sessions, will Bezzecchi’s record be beaten?