MotoGP Catalonia Barcelona FP2 LIVE: Aprilia double!

It is therefore a MotoGP Grand Prix of Catalonia without the stage location Marc Marquez that we are preparing to experience on a Barcelona-Catalonia circuit with a layout that was once again modified last year. The Catalan, who was successfully operated on yesterday, is replaced until further notice by the Honda test driver Stefan bradl, further weakening the Tokyo manufacturer which can barely count on anything other than Takaaki Nakagami to make an RC213V shine which is only a shadow of itself. 

The situation is not much better at Suzuki where, despite drivers who are physically operational but undoubtedly too anxious to do well, no points have been scored in the last two races by the representatives of the Japanese brand at the start of the queen category through the back door…

Finally, at the third Japanese manufacturer, we only owe fabio quartararo not to experience the same horrors as his compatriots, the Frenchman leading the world championship being the tree that hides a forest of performances that are difficult to see. It was therefore vital to secure its renewal for 2023 and 2024, which has just been done.

Riding a Yamaha YZR-M1 that moves as fast as a slow motion film, The Devil bravely holds its position against an Italian offensive led jointly by Ducati and Aprilia, even if the strategies used by the two transalpine manufacturers are very different: the quantity for Borgo Panigale which once again lines up 9 machines in Barcelona (with the wild card Michele Pirro), the experience and tenacity of a Alex Espargaro who is completing his 12th full season in MotoGP for Noale.

Before facing each other in Catalonia for the 9th time of the year, the situation of the general classification is therefore clear if not permanent: two escapees who stand shoulder to shoulder in front of a Enea Bastianini who put his knees on the ground at Mugello, himself detached in front Francis Bagnaia leading the peloton in front Johann zarco and rising like a rocket...

Built between 1989 and 1991, the 4,7 kilometer Catalunya circuit offers a relatively loose surface and a straight line downhill of 1047 meters which allowed Jack Miller to reach 355,2 km/h. A priori unappealing factors for the Yamaha which leads the championship, and yet the YZR-M1 has often shone in Catalonia, even winning the event 13 times between 1994 with Luca Cadalora and 2020 with fabio quartararo, going through the famous period 2004-2016 with the victories of Valentino Rossi (2004, 2005, 2006, 2009, 2016) and Jorge Lorenzo (2010, 2012, 2013, 2015).

Yamaha is thus the most successful manufacturer there, with even some legendary moments!

Too pessimistic at Mugello, the weather forecasts this time promise us good weather during practice and a race which will take place over 24 laps, perhaps faster than the record for the best lap in a race held by Johann zarco in 1'39.939.

 

This morning, Alex Rins, Maverick Vinales, Franco Morbidelli, Aleix Espargaro, Pol Espargaro, Takaaki Nakagami, Alex Marquez, Miguel Oliveira, Joan Mir and Enea Bastianini pre-qualified for Q2 in a session where the headliners did not use a new tire in the final minutes.

While waiting to discover more, as the 25 drivers prepare for this second 45-minute free practice session in the dry, with clear skies and temperatures of 28° in the air and 53° on the ground , let's enjoy these few live moments thanks to the official website MotoGP.com :

Past references:

Catalunya-Barcelona MotoGP™	2021	2022
FP1	1'40.378 Aleix Espargaro (See here)	1'40.101 Alex Rins (See here)
FP2	1'39.235 Johann Zarco (See here)	1'39.402 Aleix Espargaro (See here)
FP3	1'38.929 Franco Morbidelli (See here)
FP4	1'39.602 Fabio Quartararo (See here)
Q1	1'39.153 Jack Miller (See here)
Q2	1'38.853 Fabio Quartararo (See here)
Warm Up	1'39.783 Takaaki Nakagami (See here)
Course	Oliveira, Zarco, Miller (See here)
All time lap record	1'38.853 Fabio Quartararo 2021 (See here)

When the red lights go out... it's the in-line four-cylinder Franco Morbidelli who crosses the exit of the pit lane first while that of Fabio Quartararo concludes this departure: the tradition is preserved!

In terms of tires, we moved up a notch at the front and rear, with KTMs that stand out in this area:

At the end of the first flying round, Johann zarco registered 1'41.420 ahead Fabio Quartararo and Franco Morbidelli.

In the next passage, it is Marco Bezzecchi who leads the Pramac driver in 1'40.728. The VR 46 driver immediately improved to 1'40.577.

Johann zarco temporarily moved back into second position before being overtaken by Pol Espargaro.

We no longer take advantage of the straight line to rest...

Obviously, the hierarchy of this morning's FP1 has already been modified and, at the end of the first quarter of an hour and when the drivers return to their box, we find a combined classification made up of Alex Rins, Maverick Vinales, Marco Bezzecchi, Pol Espargaro, Franco Morbidelli, Aleix Espargaro, Johann Zarco, Brad Binder, Francesco Bagnaia, Fabio Quartararo, Takaaki Nakagami, Alex Márquez, Miguel Oliveira, Joan Mir, Enea Bastianini, Raul Fernandez, Jorge Martin , Fabio Di Giannantonio, Luca Marini, Jack Miller, Remy Gardner, Andrea Dovizioso, Michele Pirro, Stefan Bradl and Darryn Binder.

On resumption, Alex Espargaro made its V4 speak in 1'40.207, the best time of the session and the second overall. In the process, the stage local registered 1'40.067, this time the best time of the day!

However, we remain much slower than last year when Johann zarco concluded the first day in 1'39.235. Let’s wait…

It is with this observation that most of the drivers return to their box one last time 15 minutes from the checkered flag, while only 13 of them have so far improved their morning times.

At the start of the final rush, Maverick Vinales is the first to come out on the soft rear tire. Straight away, the Aprilia rider jumped from 17th to first place, in 1'39.884! On the next pass, the Catalan achieves 1'39.705 under the eyes of his teammate who is still in his box.

With less than five minutes remaining in the session, Jorge Martin goes back to second position before entrusting it to Francis Bagnaia.

Enea Bastianini comes between the two men but it is Alex Espargaro who is the only one to light the first sectors in red…

In the end, the Aprilia rider snatched provisional pole position in 1'39.402!

Aleix Espargaro, Maverick Vinales, Enea Bastianini, Francesco Bagnaia, Jorge Martin, Brad Binder, Jack Miller, Alex Rins, Fabio Quartararo and Franco Morbidelli are therefore pre-qualified for Q2 while Johann zarco saw his best time canceled for having done it under a yellow flag.

Result of FP2 of the MotoGP Catalan Grand Prix on the Barcelona-Catalunya circuit:

FP1/FP2 result of the MotoGP Catalan Grand Prix on the Barcelona-Catalunya circuit:

Credit ranking: MotoGP.com