Aleix Espargaro concluded the last MotoGP practice session on top before the crucial qualifying session in Catalunya. Espargaro, who announced his retirement on Thursday before this weekend’s race, was fastest in two consecutive practice sessions in his home race. Right behind the Spanish rider was Francesco Bagnaia, who was fine-tuning his setup for the Sprint race. The Pramac Ducati duo, Franco Morbidelli and Jorge Martin, secured third and fourth positions respectively.
Celebrating his birthday, Pedro Acosta emerged as the top KTM rider in fifth place. However, the factory team struggled compared to yesterday’s performance, with Brad Binder and Jack Miller finishing in 12th and 13th places respectively. Trackhouse Racing showed their competitiveness in terms of race pace, with Miguel Oliveira and Raul Fernandez finishing in sixth and eighth places. Fabio Quartararo positioned himself between the two Trackhouse Racing riders.
The Gresini Ducati brothers, Alex and Marc Marquez, completed the top 10. Marc Marquez had a peculiar crash at turn 5 early in the session, losing control of his GP23 late in the corner. Fortunately, his bike did not suffer additional damage, allowing him to quickly return to the track. Fabio Di Giannatonio once again finished ahead of Marco Bezzecchi, but the VR46 team continued to struggle with their year-old Ducati, resulting in 11th and 18th places respectively.
Joan Mir showcased his skills on the factory Honda bike, finishing in 14th place. Augusto Fernandez, the only KTM rider to face Q1, finished just behind Mir. Factory Ducati rider Enea Bastianini struggled to find the right setup for the race and ended up in a disappointing 16th place. Maverick Vinales also faced difficulties and settled for 17th place.
Despite securing an automatic spot in Q2, Alex Rins finished the final practice session in 19th place. Once again, Honda occupied the last positions on the grid, with Takaaki Nakagami ahead of his LCR teammate Johann Zarco, who suffered a late crash at turn 5. Luca Marini finished in 22nd place, while test rider Stefan Bradl returned after missing yesterday’s second practice due to illness.
