Huge wrap from opening day of practice at Aragon MotoGP

MotoGP 2022 – Round 15 – Aragon
Friday Practice Reports/Results

Jorge Martin heads into Saturday’s action at Aragón with the time to beat after his 1:47.402 proved just enough to pip World Championship leader Fabio Quartararo to the top.

Johann Zarco made it two Prima Pramac Racing Ducatis in the top three but some headlines were stolen as Marc Marquez (Repsol Honda Team) enjoyed a successful Friday back in the office – the Spaniard ended Day 1 in P8, 0.359s off P1.

Rider Quotes

Jorge Martin – P1

“We started off on the right foot, I feel really fit and I’m very charged up. This feels like my home race, I always enjoy being here racing. We still have to improve a little bit, but we are in the right direction.”

Fabio Quartararo – P2

“In the practice sessions, it’s always different than during a test, but I’m feeling good and I’m feeling confident. Let’s see what it will be like in the race. I feel like our pace is great, it’s strong, and hopefully we can manage to have a great day also tomorrow.

“I tried the new chassis this morning and this afternoon, back to back. I made my fastest lap today with the new chassis, but I knew that both chassis are working well, so we had a great pace on both today.”

Johann Zarco – P3

“I am satisfied, we still have to work on some aspects but I have good feelings but being among the firsts is always positive. I have a better feeling than at Misano, if we can take another step forward we can do well.”

Enea Bastianini – P4

“Despite the very difficult track conditions, we managed to have a couple of good sessions. The track is surely slower and with little grip, however; we tried some modifications to the set-up but then we decided to revert back to something more ‘familiar’ while trying to adapt more to the track.

“There is surely plenty of margin for improvement, but it’ll also depend on track conditions. We’re working a lot on the front-end because so far I haven’t been able to perform at my best on corner entry and mid-turn.”

Francesco Bagnaia – P5

“I’m satisfied with our work today. We didn’t give too much importance to the times: we focused mainly on doing the most laps on used tyres, and our pace was good. I couldn’t make an exceptional time attack, but today with the soft tyre, I didn’t find the right conditions to push.

“Tomorrow morning in FP3, the grip will definitely be better than today so many riders will improve. It will be important to stay in the top ten and have a good qualifying session. Starting in front here at Aragon is crucial, as is managing the tyres well in the race. Anyway, I’m confident because we already know what steps to take tomorrow”.

Alex Rins – P6

“Today was a good day for me, from the start I was able to ride quite fast and put myself in the top positions, so overall I feel happy and encouraged ahead of qualifying. Tomorrow I will try the new ride height device that I tested in Misano, we didn’t use it today but we’ll give it a go tomorrow and see how it changes things – I think it could give me a couple more tenths, especially on the corner exits. Tyre management is going to be key for this race, so that’s another thing we’ll keep an eye on.”

Maverick Vinales – P7

“A very positive day. To be honest, I arrived here curious to see how much we would be able to improve from last year. The step forward is incredible – one second in terms of pace is a lot better even on the flying lap, although there was no perfect time attack. This means that we’re working well and in the right direction.

“We still need to see which tyre will be the best choice here and that, along with taking a spot on the front row of the starting grid, will be the goal for tomorrow.”

Marc Marquez – P8

“I am very happy to be back on the bike and riding in MotoGP again. The feeling from the morning to the afternoon improved a lot. In the morning I wasn’t riding well, and I was quite stiff on the bike. Then in the afternoon I was more relaxed, and I didn’t get as tired and we were able to work in a better way.

“Overall, it was good to understand the bike and how to ride well at this track again. On my last run with the soft tyre, I was putting in a good lap but had a little bit of a moment in the final corner. If you’re making mistakes, it means you’re pushing which is good. There are some things to work on, but we on our way.”

Jack Miller – P9

“It was a good first day here at Aragón: we worked well, focusing on finding the right setup for this track. Unfortunately, the grip level is lower than we expected. The track is very slippery in some areas, but already in the afternoon, the situation had improved compared to the morning, so I expect good conditions tomorrow morning in FP3.

“Overall, it was a positive day, and we have to keep working in this direction. We know we have a good pace. Now we need to improve a few details and understand in tomorrow’s FP4 what pace we’ll be able to keep in Sunday’s race.”

Luca Marini – P10

“A very positive Friday, we worked well, we just need a little bit in terms of pace to be even more competitive tomorrow in qualifying. Let’s analyse the data, the feeling is good, we only understand where I can make a step forward in terms of riding and how to modify the bike. On the time attack I was not perfect, I don’t know why honestly. I didn’t see a big difference between the soft and the medium at the rear.”

Takaaki Nakagami – P11

“Today was quite a positive day in FP1 and FP2. We were able to stay in the top 10 for a long time, in the end I dropped a position to finish outside in P11. But in the sessions we were quite competitive and each outing we were able to improve the feeling of the bike, so I’m quite happy. I’m really looking forward to tomorrow and hopefully we can make a good lap-time in FP3 to get in the top and start in the Q2 qualifying.”

Aleix Espargaro – P13

“It was a positive day in spite of a couple mistakes – the first because I was off my line and hit the dirty part of the track. For the second one, I was pushing to the limit but unfortunately I didn’t have any new tyres afterwards, so I missed the session. However, we were fast with the race tyres both in the morning and in the afternoon.

“In FP2 I was doing a good time too. Of course, it would be better never to crash but we’re pushing hard and trying to give it our all, to be fast, and to be competitive and the poor grip didn’t help. Anyway, a crash in a practice session isn’t important. What really counts is finishing the race at the top.”

Franco Morbidelli – P14

“The new chassis was positive. It has some benefits that I like, both in Misano and Aragon, so I think we will keep using it this weekend. It makes the bike easier to turn and quicker, that’s important. It allows me to turn a bit better in the corner.

“This morning I was feeling really good, and I was able to get into the top 10 with used tyres. I had a decent feeling, there was a margin to improve in many areas. But this afternoon, something changed. The feeling was worse, and I couldn’t do anything in the time attack. Thanks to the soft tyre, I improved, but it’s not the lap time we know we’re capable of.”

Fabio DiGiannantonio – P16

“Today was OK. We’re not too far from the leaders and we improved a lot compared to the morning session, but we need to find something extra because I don’t feel too comfortable on the bike. Generally speaking, there is very little grip on this track but I’m having a hard time especially in sectors two and four, where we lose a bit more.”

Marco Bezzecchi – P17

“Not one of my best Fridays, I have struggled to manage the tire and pick up the pace, but I am struggling a bit everywhere. We analyse the data, we need to understand where to improve and where to work both in terms of riding style and on the set up to approach the Top 10 tomorrow.”

Álex Márquez – P18

“The first day was not like we expected. We came from a track like Misano where the technical level is really high and our base setting was not really working well from the beginning. We tried to adapt it and change the electronic side and this afternoon was better, but with a medium tyre there was a yellow flag and I was not able to improve and with the soft one at the end I did a big mistake that cost me a lot of time.

We are not bad, we are better than we showed today. Like always we’ll give our maximum as a team, we’re working really hard and we’ll try to make another step tomorrow.”

Cal Crutchlow – P19

“It was great to be back out on track this weekend with the WithU Yamaha RNF MotoGP Team. We worked well as a team today, we did some positive steps. We didn’t change the bike too much, but we managed to eliminate some things for the race weekend.

“It’s funny how you change your mindset from being a test rider back to a racer. I had good fun out there. At the end of the day, I was disappointed not to be able to really improve my lap time. We had a small issue with my brake and I wasn’t able to stop the bike in a good way. But we know the problem, so hopefully tomorrow we can go a lot better. Overall, it was a good day working with the team, it was nice to be back out on track and now let’s see how the rest of the weekend goes.”

Darryn Binder – P20

“I feel like today has been a positive day here in Aragon. I get the impression that the small things we worked on during the Misano test are showing to be helpful here. I made a good step from FP1 to FP2, I’m really enjoying the track on the MotoGP bike and I’m ready to keep working for tomorrow to try to close the gap a little bit more. Anyway, I’m happy with the gap today, 1.2 seconds is I think the closest to the top I’ve been on a Friday.”

Joan Mir – P21

“At the end of this first day I can say that I didn’t feel how I expected to in terms of my injury. I’m struggling to ride how I want, and that includes using the rear brake. I don’t have the dexterity and flexibility to use it properly at the moment. But together with the team we’re trying to find a solution to make it easier, and we’ll go again tomorrow. It’s disappointing, but we’re not going to give up yet.”

Raul Fernandez – P22

“MotorLand Aragon is one of my favorite tracks of the calendar so I was hoping for a bit more today to be honest. We had a good set up during the Misano Test but today the bike was not quite the same and I struggled finding confidence on the bike. We will work tonight to try preparing a bike which will suit me better.”

Pol Espargaro – P23

“It wasn’t a good day today, but maybe not quite as bad as it looks from the result sheet. On my last time attack I made a couple of mistakes, and I couldn’t improve my time with the soft tyre. I think we could be inside the top 15 if I could put a lap together but I wasn’t feeling comfortable, and we need to find more grip. Hopefully the grip on track improves tomorrow and we can also improve it from our side. The plan is to hit the ground running tomorrow and do our best.”

Remy Gardner – P24

“The position is not great today but I was slightly disturbed by Alex Marquez and lost time during a good lap, which I think could have placed us in the top 20 at least. We made some positive changes following the Misano Test which I am happy about. We will continue working tomorrow and try getting a good grid position. Let’s continue pushing.”

Friday Practice Report

The times tumbled straight away in the afternoon as FP1 pacesetter Aleix Espargaro (Aprilia Racing) went from P1 down to P11, with Marc Marquez briefly sitting fastest before Francesco Bagnaia (Ducati Lenovo Team) climbed to the summit.

Then, after rising to P4, Aleix Espargaro crashed for the second time on Friday. The title chaser tucked the front at Turn 14 and was thankfully unhurt, but it wasn’t the start to FP2 Espargaro needed.

Halfway through the afternoon stint, Marc Marquez, as we saw at the Misano Test, ventured out on the much talked about Kalex swingarm HRC have been testing, with Maverick Viñales (Aprilia Racing) then leading the way at the top.

Heading into the final 10 minutes, the top four riders – Viñales, Bagnaia, Quartararo and Luca Marini (Mooney VR46 Racing Team) – were split by just 0.051s. But the time attacks were about to come in. Alex Rins (Team Suzuki Ecstar) set a 1:47.665 to go fastest before both Quartararo and then Martin bettered Rins’ time, with Martin leading the way by 0.074s.

Marc Marquez was then shadowing Martin and the eight-time World Champion set three red sectors. However, a small mistake at the final corner saw the number 93 climb higher into the top 10 as the likes of Zarco and Enea Bastianini (Gresini Racing MotoGP) improved late on.

Behind Quartararo in the Pramac sandwich, Bastianini’s last lap in FP2 saw the Italian claim fourth on the combined time-sheets, one place ahead of compatriot and 2023 team-mate Pecco. The 2021 Aragon GP race winner settled for P5 on the opening day, a couple of tenths shy of Martin.

Rins and Viñales head into Saturday P6 and P7 on the timesheets, with Marc Marquez a very impressive P8 – and there was a beaming smile when he arrived back in the box at the end of the session.

Jack Miller (Ducati Lenovo Team) and Marini close out the top 10, but a big story of the day is Aleix Espargaro – one of the pre-race favourites – finishing outside the top 10 after his two crashes. A crucial FP3 lies ahead for the Aprilia star in his pursuit of an automatic place in Q2.

2022 Aragon MotoGP Friday Practice Results

MotoGP Championship Points Standings

Moto2

Aron Canet (Flexbox HP40) turned the tables on Moto2 World Championship leader Augusto Fernandez (Red Bull KTM Ajo) to claim Friday honours at Aragon. Canet was fastest in FP2 after Fernandez ruled FP1. Misano winner Alonso Lopez (CAG Speed Up), who scored a breakthrough victory just under a fortnight ago at Misano, was third quickest in both.

Just before he was confirmed as a future MotoGP rider at Tech3 GASGAS Factory Racing, Fernandez topped Moto2 FP1 on a 1:52.925 while Canet was second-fastest in that session on a 1:53.057. Just prior to the halfway mark of FP2, they were split in terms of combined times when Lopez punched out a 1:53.011.

However, with less than four minutes of the day’s action to go, Canet crept up two positions when he clocked a 1:52.852 and that was how the top three would stay. 

Fernandez could not be accused of a lack of consistency, though, given his fastest lap time of FP2 at 1:52.952 was just 0.027 seconds slower than his FP1 benchmark. 

Canet also might not have had a chance to usurp his countryman had he crashed early in the session at Turn 14, but the Pons Racing rider pulled off an impressive save.

Behind the top three, Jake Dixon (Shimoku GASGAS Aspar Team) picked up fourth with a 1:53.128 and Tony Arbolino (Elf Marc VDS Racing Team) took fifth on a 1:53.154. 

Rounding out the top 10 were Pedro Acosta (Red Bull KTM Ajo), Albert Arenas (Shimoku GASGAS Aspar Team), Fermin Aldeguer (CAG Speed Up), Joe Roberts (Italtrans Racing Team), and Somkiat Chantra (Idemitsu Honda Team Asia).

Ai Ogura (Idemitsu Honda Team Asia), who is just four points off the World Championship lead, ended the day in 12th. He’s behind Marcos Ramirez (MV Agusta Forward Racing) and just ahead of Jorge Navarro (Flex HP 40) and Zonta van den Goorbergh (RW Racing GP). 

That means neither of the Mooney VR46 Racing Team riders are in Q2 as it stands, with Celestino Vietti in 17th and Niccolo Antonelli in 27th, both having crashed in FP2 in separate incidents.

Young Aussie Senna Agius is enjoying his third weekend standing in for Sam Lowes in the MarcVDS Team and ended P24 at the end of day one, 1.8-seconds from the Friday benchmark set by Canet. 

Senna Agius

“The main priority for today was to improve the front feeling of the bike and I feel we did a good job. The conditions changed quite a lot between the morning and afternoon but I was still able set decent times in both sessions.

“There are some points of the track where I’m strong and I just need to link everything together because I feel there is plenty more to come.

“I know this track but it is my first time here on a Moto2 bike and that makes it challenging but I feel we’ve started the weekend with a good base to build on.”

2022 Aragon Moto2 Friday Practice Results

Moto2 Championship Points Standings

Moto3

Fresh from his Misano win, Leopard Racing’s Dennis Foggia went fastest overnight at Aragon, setting the pace in FP2 with a 1:58.507. That time put Foggia just under two-tenths of a second clear of Sterilgarda Husqvarna Max’s Ayumu Sasaki and just over three-tenths of a second up on Red Bull KTM Ajo’s rookie Daniel Holgado.

Sasaki was the fastest rider in FP1 on a 1:58.819 and that was still the fastest lap time of the day until the final two minutes of FP2, when Foggia jumped to the top of the timing screen with the aforementioned 1:58.507. 

Sasaki had an earlier crash on his way into the Reverse Corkscrew but, with the chequered flag out, the Japanese rider consolidated second with a 1:58.677, while Holgado’s best was a 1:58.830.

Behind the top trio, Stefano Nepa (Angeluss MTA Team) claimed fourth with a late 1:59.055, just clear of World Championship leader Izan Guevara (Autosolar GASGAS Aspar Team), who finished fifth on combined times with the 1:59.085 he set in FP1. 

Sixth through eighth after the first two sessions of the weekend are Ivan Ortola (Angeluss MTA Team), Xavier Artigas (CFMoto Racing PruestelGP) courtesy of his FP1 time, and Deniz Öncü (Red Bull KTM Tech3).

Young Aussie Joel Kelso (CIP Green Power) had a crash just minutes into FP2 at Turn 7 but sits ninth as it stands thanks to his time from earlier in the day, while David Muñoz (BOE Motorsports) rounds out the top 10. 

The cusp of the top 14 Q2 cut-off is full of notable names with Sergio Garcia (Autosolar GASGAS Aspar Team) 13th and John McPhee (Sterilgarda Husqvarna Max) 14th, with Tatsuki Suzuki (Leopard Racing) currently the first set to lose out in 15th. 

Two-time winner Jaume Masia (Red Bull KTM Ajo), meanwhile, is 20th after a session in which he had an off-track excursion at Turn 14. However, it is expected that FP3 will be decisive in terms of the qualifying order on Saturday afternoon.

2022 Aragon Moto3 Friday Practice Results

Moto3 Championship Points Standings

2022 MotoGP Calendar