Francesco Bagnaia topped MotoGP World Championship practice Friday afternoon at Misano World Circuit – Marco Simoncelli, in San Marino. Piloting his Michelin-shod Lenovo Ducati Desmosedici around the 2.6-mile track, the two-time and defending World Championship turned a 1:30.286. Not only was that good enough to top the field of 22 riders, it also lowered Bagnaia’s own two-week-old All-Time Lap Record from 1:30.304 to 1:30.286.
Jorge Martin, the current World Championship point leader, was the best of the rest with a 1:30.484 on his Prima Pramac Racing Ducati.
Six-time MotoGP World Champion Marc Marquez was third with a 1:30.585 on his Gresini Racing Ducati.
Bagnaia’s teammate Enea Bastianini did a fourth-fastest 1:30.607.
Fabio Quartararo was fifth overall and the top non-Ducati rider with a 1:30.886 on his Monster Energy Yamaha YZR-M1.
Other riders finishing the session in the top 10 and transferring directly to Qualifying Two on Saturday were: Martin’s teammate Franco Morbidelli (1:30.932), Pertamina Enduro VR46 Racing Team Ducati’s Marco Bezzecchi (1:30.964), Aprilia factory rider Maverick Vinales (1:30.990), Red Bull GASGAS Tech3’s rookie sensation Pedro Acosta (1:30.991), and Vinales’ teammate Aleix Espargaro (1:31.167).
More, from a press release issued by Dorna:
Bagnaia lands Misano lap record to lead Martin and Marc Marquez on Day 1
Despite a small crash for one, the top three in the title fight sail to Friday’s timesheet summit as Bastianini keeps close tabs
Friday, 20 September 2024
Following a slower start to proceedings at the Gran Premio Pramac dell’Emilia-Romagna due to damp conditions in morning, the sun shone on MotoGP™ Practice in the afternoon and it was some of 2024’s brightest stars that rose to the fore, with Francesco Bagnaia (Ducati Lenovo Team) taking control. The #1 set a new Misano World Circuit Marco Simoncelli all-time lap record – a 1:30.286 – to beat World Championship leader Jorge Martin (Prima Pramac Racing) by 0.198s, with the #89 unable to search for an improvement in the closing stages after a small crash at Turn 8. Completing the top three was Round 13 winner Marc Marquez (Gresini Racing MotoGP™) as the eight-time Champion sits 0.299s off Pecco heading into Saturday.
Having suffered from a fever during the morning, Alex Rins (Monster Energy Yamaha MotoGP™ Team) unfortunately sat out Emilia-Romagna Practice, which began with Martin and Pedro Acosta (Red Bull GASGAS Tech3) starting strong. The latter – pushing hard –then tucked the front at Turn 14 to hamper the rookie’s session slightly, before Alex Marquez (Gresini Racing MotoGP™) slid down the road at Turn 1.
The thick of the action – as usual – started to surface in the final 20 minutes of the day. Martin was as rapid as ever on the soft Michelin rear but had his best time chalked off due to yellow flags being waved for an Augusto Fernandez (Red Bull GASGAS Tech3) crash – rider OK.
Then, Bagnaia started to build some scintillating momentum on familiar territory to climb to P1, before Martin’s session ended prematurely while shadowing teammate Franco Morbidelli. Marc Marquez and Enea Bastianini (Ducati Lenovo Team) ensured they’d finish the 60-minute stint towards the summit, as the Italian became another rider to have a small off at the end of the day.
That didn’t trouble ‘The Beast’ though, as he keeps tabs on the top three by ending the day in P4. Performance of the day goes to the rider in fifth place though – Fabio Quartararo (Monster Energy Yamaha MotoGP™ Team). The Frenchman earns successive automatic Q2 appearances for the first time this season after unravelling a properly impressive display to beat the likes of sixth place Morbidelli and seventh place Marco Bezzecchi (Pertamina Enduro VR46 Racing Team).
The Italians will sleep well knowing they don’t have to stress about Q1 on Saturday morning, and so too will Maverick Viñales (Aprilia Racing), Acosta and Aleix Espargaro (Aprilia Racing) – late laps from all three Spaniards earned them a Friday pass into the pole position shootout.
Jack Miller (Red Bull KTM Factory Racing) missed out by 0.050s in P11, as CASTROL Honda LCR’s Johann Zarco ended Friday in a commendable P12. Fighting fit Fabio Di Giannantonio (Pertamina Enduro VR46 Racing Team) suffered a big crash in the latter moments of Practice to halt his top 10 charge, the Italian will be sore but determined on Saturday, as Brad Binder (Red Bull KTM Factory Racing) crashed at Turn 5 to also see his Q2 promotion hopes end.
The title frontrunners will be gunning for pole position honours on Saturday morning, as a crucial day awaits in Misano. Don’t miss a beat on motogp.com!
Arbolino holds commanding advantage heading into Saturday
Just shy of 0.4s is the healthy advantage Tony Arbolino (Elf Marc VDS Racing Team) boasts on Friday at the Emilia-Romagna GP as the Italian fires in a 1:35.386 to lead second place Aron Canet (Fantic Racing) and impressive rookie Diogo Moreira (Italtrans Racing Team) in Moto2™ Practice 1.
– Fourth place went the way of Fermin Aldeguer (MB Conveyors SpeedUp) as the Spaniard and two of his fellow title contenders – Joe Roberts (OnlyFans American Racing) and World Championship leader Ai Ogura (MT Helmets – MSI) – complete the top six, with all three riders four tenths down on Arbolino’s pace.
– Having produced a classy comeback to P5 from a poor qualifying at the San Marino GP, Jake Dixon (CFMOTO Inde Aspar Team) kicked off the Emilia-Romagna GP with a P10 finish, one place ahead of Italy’s Celestino Vietti (Red Bull KTM Ajo). Both riders will be searching for improvements to ensure they’re safely into the Q2 shootout on Saturday afternoon.
– Sergio Garcia (MT Helmets – MSI) squeezed into P14 on his final flying lap of the day to sit 0.7s away from top spot – but just three tenths down on the top five.
Can anyone bridge the gap to Arbolino in Practice 2? Find out at 09:25, before qualifying gets going at 13:45.
Fernandez finds Friday form to end Day 1 fastest
For the second Friday in a row at Misano, Adrian Fernandez (Leopard Racing) topped the timesheets on Friday afternoon thanks to a 1:41.071 – a lap good enough to beat second place Daniel Holgado (Red Bull GASGAS Tech3) by just over a tenth. Third place went the way of San Marino GP race winner Angel Piqueras as Leopard Racing see both their bikes sit inside the top three at the early stage of the Emilia-Romagna GP.
– Collin Veijer and the Dutch rider’s Liqui Moly Husqvarna Intact GP teammate Tatsuki Suzuki complete the top five heading into Practice 2 on Saturday morning.
– Championship-hunting Ivan Ortola (MT Helmets – MSI) claimed P7, one place ahead of title race leader David Alonso (CFMOTO Gaviota Aspar Team). The Colombian had a relatively quiet Friday at the office, but there are only 0.2s splitting the front eight riders at the end of play. As ever, it’s tight between the lightweight class frontrunners.
Tune into motogp.com to watch Moto3™ Practice 2 at 08:40 to see who earns an automatic Q2 spot at Misano.
