– Marco Bezzecchi set a new lap record in Friday practice for the Aragon Grand Prix at MotorLand Aragon. The Aprilia rider was a few hundredths of a second faster than Alex Marquez (Gresini-Ducati) and Marc Marquez (Ducati).
Read more MotoGP live ticker Aragon: Bezzecchi just ahead of Marquez duo on Friday
In the afternoon, the temperature rose to 26 degrees Celsius and the conditions were optimal. Everyone relied on the medium front tire, most riders also on the medium rear tire. Some started with soft on the rear.
In the first run, Marc Marquez set the pace and was initially six tenths of a second faster than the rest with the soft rear tire. Pedro Acosta (Soft) and Bezzecchi (Medium) reduced the gap to around three tenths of a second.
Acosta also fitted the medium rear tire on his KTM for the second run. Bezzecchi, on the other hand, switched to soft and came within 0.161 seconds of Marc Marquez’s best time (1:46.320 minutes).
At the halfway point of the practice, Bezzecchi improved again and was only 0.039 seconds behind Marc Marquez’s mark. Fabio Di Giannantonio (VR46-Ducati) also improved to third place with the soft rear tire.
Before the qualifying attempts began, Acosta and Franco Morbidelli (VR46-Ducati) completed the top 5. During race preparations, Marc Marquez refrained from using the soft rear tire.
In the last 20 minutes, there was the mandatory time attack for the top ten positions, which means direct Q2 qualification. Jack Miller (Pramac-Yamaha) crashed in his first qualifying lap in turn 2.
Marc Marquez also made a mistake and went off track in the chicane at turn 8 but was able to continue. In the next lap, he set a new lap record with 1:45.493 minutes.
Alex Marquez ensured a brotherly one-two. Bezzecchi was third with a gap of 0.342 seconds. After the first qualifying attempt, Acosta was seventh with a six-tenths gap.
Read more How the situation in the Middle East complicates the planning of Formula 1 teams
Marc Marquez does not improve at the end
Two minutes before the end of practice, Bezzecchi took the lead with 1:45.455 minutes. Then Alex Marquez attacked and was faster than the Aprilia rider after the first three sectors.
With a gap of 0.010 seconds, Alex Marquez took second place. Marc Marquez did not improve in the last attempt and finished the practice in third. He was 0.038 seconds short of Bezzecchi’s new lap record.
Di Giannantonio was already three tenths behind in fourth. Fermin Aldeguer (Gresini-Ducati) returned from his injury in Assen with fifth place.
Aprilia riders Raul Fernandez (Trackhouse) and Jorge Martin finished Friday in sixth and seventh positions. Acosta was the best KTM rider in eighth place. His gap was six tenths.
Morbidelli followed in ninth. And Johann Zarco (LCR-Honda) managed direct Q2 qualification as tenth in his comeback. Thus, the Frenchman was also the best Honda rider.
Zarco rode a MotoGP machine again for the first time since his knee injury at the Catalan Grand Prix. For the start accident back then, he received two long-lap penalties for the Grand Prix on Sunday.
Francesco Bagnaia had a difficult Friday. The second Ducati factory rider made several mistakes. His gap was one second, which meant twelfth place and participation in Q1 (to the result).
On Saturday, the second free practice starts at 10:10 am, directly followed by qualifying from 10:50 am. The sprint over 11 laps starts at 3:00 pm.
Read more Decision made: Ferrari relies on the new engines in Monza
