MotoGP Catalonia Barcelona FP1 LIVE: Outsiders take control… – Paddock GP

It is therefore a MotoGP Grand Prix of Catalonia without the local Marc Márquez scene that we are preparing to experience on a Barcelona-Catalonia circuit with a modified layout once again last year. The Catalan, who underwent successful surgery yesterday, is replaced until further notice by the Honda test rider, Stefan Bradl, which further weakens the Tokyo brand, which can now only count on Takaaki Nakagami to show off an RC213V that is just a shadow of itself.

The situation is not much better at Suzuki where, despite the fact that the riders are physically operative but certainly too concerned about doing well, the representatives of the Japanese brand have not scored points in the last two races at the start of the premier class through the back door…

Finally, with the third Japanese manufacturer, we just have to fabio quartararo so as not to experience the same pain as his compatriots, the French world leader being the tree that hides a forest of performances that are worth seeing. Therefore, it was vital to get it renewed for 2023 and 2024, which has just been done.

Mounted on a Yamaha YZR-M1 that moves as fast as a slow motion movie, The devil valiantly maintains the position against an Italian offensive led jointly by Ducati and Aprilia, although the strategies used by the two transalpine manufacturers are very different: the amount for Borgo Panigale that realigns 9 machines in Barcelona (with the wild card Michele Pirro), the experience and tenacity of a Alex Espargaro who is in his 12th full season in MotoGP for Noale.

Before meeting in Catalonia for the 9th time of the year, the situation in the general classification is clear, if not permanent: two breakaways that face shoulder to shoulder against a Enea Bastianini who knelt at Mugello, himself separated in front of francesco bagnaia leading the pack ahead johann zarco and going up like a rocket…

Built between 1989 and 1991, the 4.7-kilometre Catalunya circuit offers a relatively low grip surface and a 1,047-metre downhill straight that allowed Jack Miller to reach 355.2 km/h. A priori unattractive factors for the Yamaha that leads the championship, and yet the YZR-M1 has shone many times in Catalonia, even winning the race 13 times between 1994 with luca cadalora and 2020 with fabio quartararogoing 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 therefore the most successful manufacturer in the room, even with some anthology moments!

Too pessimistic in Mugello, the weather forecast promises us good weather this time during practice and a race that will be held over 24 laps, perhaps faster than the record for the best lap in the race that it held johann zarco at 1’39.939.

Waiting to find out more, as the 25 drivers prepare for this first 45-minute free practice session in the dry, with clear skies and temperatures of 25° in the air and 36° on the ground, let’s take advantage of these few live. moments thanks to the official website of MotoGP.com:

Past references:

Catalunya-Barcelona MotoGP™	2021	2022
FP1	1’40.378 Aleix Espargaro (Look here)	1’40.101 Alex Rins (See here)
FP2	1’39.235 Juan Zarco (Look here)
FP3	1,38,929 Franco Morbidelli (Look here)
FP4	1’39.602 Fabio Quartararo (Look here)
Q1	1’39.153Jack Miller (Look here)
Q2	1’38.853 Fabio Quartararo (Look here)
Heating	1’39.783 Takaaki Nakagami (Look here)
The race	Oliveira, Zarco, Miller.Look here)
Record	1,38,853 Fabio Quartararo 2021 (Look here)

When the red lights go out… the live timing locks up, we can only tell you that the drivers are gone! 🙂

Franco Morbidelli 1’42.011 records the first reference before entrusting the command to Alex Espargaro at 1’41.734 then at joan mir at 1’41.251.

The Suzuki rider improves steadily in 1’40.907 after Alex Espargaro he regained control in 1’40.745.

Franco Morbidelli he reminds everyone at 1’40.695 after his fifth fastest lap, when the live timing is back on. We then found out that all the riders are on soft tyres, and all but two on the rear mid, both being alex rin Y Alex Marquez who have chosen the hard.

As the end of the first quarter of an hour approaches and the drivers begin to return to their pits, the hierarchy is made up of Franco Morbidelli13/1000 front Aleix Espargaro, Alex Rins, Takaaki Nakagami, Maverick Vinales, Miguel Oliveira, Joan Mir, Fabio Quartararo, Pol Espargaro, Enea Bastianini, Johann Zarco, Francesco Bagnaia, Brad Binder, Marco Bezzecchi, Jack Miller, Andrea Dovizioso, Fabio Di Giannantonio, Luca Marini, Jorge Martín, Raúl Fernández, Alex Márquez, Stefan Bradl, Michele Pirro, Remy Gardner and Darryn Binder.

Although this morning the track, which is already naturally low in grip, has not yet received a good amount of rubber, it is important to try to get a good time there given the high temperatures expected on the tarmac this afternoon, that make the latter a bit.” greasy”…

We are just over 3/10 of the best time achieved by Alex Espargaro last year on exactly the same track in FP1, and we can expect his 1’40.378 to be beaten…

At the beginning of the second run where we notice that alex rin Y George Martin test the medium front tire, Aleix Espargaró, Alex Rins, Maverick Viñales, Johann Zarco and Pol Espargaró lights up the first sector in red but the improvements stop there, although the Honda driver returns to third position.

This is almost the only change in the second race and now we are waiting for the final race…

In recovery, George Martin minor dip in turn #2.

Six minutes from the checkered flag, alex rinthen fourth, he lit up the first three sectors in red before taking provisional pole position in 1’40.631s, then 1’40.101s.

Miguel Oliveira in turn try the hard tire in the rear like Raul Fernandez Y Remy Gardner pass the soft rear tire first.

Alex Marquez go back to sixth position then Maverick Vinales He is second, however, almost half a second behind the Suzuki rider.

A somewhat strange session in which, as Franco Morbidellifew drivers changed new tires at the end of the session, probably preferring to work directly for the race, which was not the case foralex rin or of Maverick Vinales…

For now, Alex Rins, Maverick Viñales, Franco Morbidelli, Aleix Espargaró, Pol Espargaró, Takaaki Nakagami, Alex Márquez, Miguel Oliveira, Joan Mir and Enea Bastianini are pre-qualified for Q2.

Result of the FP1 of the MotoGP Grand Prix of Catalonia at the Barcelona-Catalunya circuit:

Qualifying Credit: MotoGP.com