Suzuki Ecstar’s Joan Mir and Alex Rins reigned supreme on Friday morning as MotoGP free practice began at Jerez.
Half a second covered the top ten after the opening 45 minutes on track in southern Spain with LCR Honda’s Alex Marquez and Aprilia’s Aleix Espargaro heading 2021 MotoGP Champion Fabio Quartararo in the top five.
It was Gresini’s Enea Bastianini who battled Portimao race winner Quartararo at the top of the times as free practice fired up for the premier class in Andalucia. The Yamaha rider circulating on 1’39.439 pace after just four laps around his favoured 4.4km layout. Monster Energy teammate Franky Morbidelli sat third after the opening ten minutes before Repsol Honda’s Marc Marquez and Aprilia’s Espargaro arrived to lock out the top three.
The Repsol riders were on early form as Pol Espargaro advanced on his teammate before Marquez improved overall, Quartararo hitting back with the first 1’38 of the morning before disaster struck at a turn 13 damp patch next time around and he clattered out of contention in obvious pain after a ‘delicate’ collision with his YZR-M1.
Back on track Espargaro continued to shine on the RS-GP as he joined the Frenchman under the 1’39 barrier. Marquez met with Ducat’s Jack Miller and LCR man Takaaki Nakagami in the top five before Mir joined the party in third.
Maverick Viñales maintained Aprilia’s improving prospects in the top ten as the second half began, the second RS-GP circulating in the midst of the second Yamaha and Repsol riders with Andrea Dovizioso just adrift in 13th.
The younger Espargaro was in charge as the final 20 minutes began, thanks to a 1’38.521 on his 12th lap. Marquez heading Pramac’s Jorge Martin in third and fourth as Quartararo returned to the track. Aprilia’s elder brother held fifth from Portimao’s dicing duo of Mir and Miller with Nakagami, KTM’s Miguel Oliveira and Bastianini completing the top ten.
A quiet start to the weekend found Alex Rins running 11th in the final quarter of an hour, HRC test rider Stefan Bradl narrowly behind. While his Ecstar teammate staked a claim on the top, finding second. Morbidelli continued to make improvements from seventh, as the final rider so far running under 1’39 with one second covering the top 15.
Mir struck for glory in the final ten minutes as he fine-tuned the pace to a 1’38.4. Nakagami now 0.036s behind the number 36 with Quartararo in the midst of the Espargaro brothers less than two tenths back. The defending champion was doing just that, however, moments later as he improved again to within 0.017s. Aleix Espargaro splitting the difference by even smaller margins as he circulated just 0.004s off the Suzuki with five minutes to go, his brother less tan a tenth off the top in fifth.
The moments continued for Quartararo as the clock counted down, turns eight and five catching him out and disrupting his rhythm in quick succession as he hunted for improving pace in the closing stages.
LCR’s Alex Marquez stunning the standings in the final minute with a 1’38.368 before the 2020 struck back two-tenths clear. Final efforts promoting Brad Binder to sixth on the Red Bull KTM from Rins, Vinales and Miller before the Suzuki joined his teammate to lock out the top. Marc Marquez settling for 11th at the flag with Raul Fernandez ruled out of the weekend in its entirety following damage to his right hand after his Portimao crash.
