Until the Autonomous Racing League of Abu Dhabi
Until the Autonomous Racing League of Abu Dhabi
For the second consecutive time, Marc Marquez, the six-time MotoGP champion, once again failed to qualify for Q2.
Marquez finished 12th in the second practice session on Friday at the Catalunya Grand Prix, with Aleix Espargaro taking the top spot.
Key moments:
Espargaro set a new lap record of 1m38.562s at his home circuit, announcing on Thursday that he will retire from full-time competition at the end of the season.
This impressive performance from the Aprilia rider was expected, given his personal connection to the track and the strength of his RS-GP on its low-grip and flowing layout. However, his teammate Maverick Vinales managed to secure a spot in the top 10.
Instead, it was the KTM RC16s that posed the biggest challenge for Espargaro.
They dominated the early stages of the session, although Brad Binder’s session was in jeopardy after he crashed twice in the same part of the track.
First, his KTM lifted at the front, causing him to fall during the change of direction from Turn 1 to Turn 2. A few minutes later, he crashed again a few meters further in the sequence of corners.
Same corner, another crash 💥 @BradBinder_33’s session goes from bad to worse 😱 #CatalanGP 🏁 pic.twitter.com/miYoyyVlmh
However, Binder returned to the track with 13 minutes remaining and managed to secure second place. Pedro Acosta, from the Tech3 Gas Gas KTM team, finished third.
Reigning champion Pecco Bagnaia finished fourth, while Jack Miller, under pressure, secured fifth place, making it three KTM RC16s in the top five.
They were followed by Jorge Martin and Franco Morbidelli from the Pramac Ducati team, and Enea Bastianini from the factory Ducati team.
The Yamaha pilot, Alex Rins, strategically positioned himself behind Espargaro and Miller during Espargaro’s record lap, securing his place in Q2 with a ninth place. Vinales secured the last spot in the top 10.
However, Vinales was at risk of elimination, as Alex Marquez, from Gresini Ducati, was improving his lap time at the end of the session, only to crash at Turn 10.
Marquez crashed right in front of his brother, but Marc didn’t seem to have the pace to enter the top 10. He consistently lost time throughout the lap, despite being fast in the first sector.
Fabio Di Giannantonio, from the VR46 Ducati team, seemed to have the performance to fight for a place in Q2, but he crashed twice and ended his session with 10 minutes remaining. There were also crashes for Fabio Quartararo (Yamaha) and Augusto Fernandez (Tech3 Gas Gas).
Drama at the start when @FabioQ20 crashes at T5 after setting the fourth fastest time 😮 Happy to see he’s okay! 👍 #CatalanGP 🏁 pic.twitter.com/GGoZhKXZK1
However, both Quartararo and Fernandez were ahead of the Honda riders, with Johann Zarco (LCR Honda) leading the way. Surprisingly, Zarco was half a second faster than his fellow RC213V riders, despite finishing in a modest 19th place.
Only four Honda riders took part in the session, as guest rider Stefan Bradl had to sit out due to a suspected case of food poisoning.
Title: Sensation of Brazilian Soccer Surprises with his Skills
The young Brazilian soccer player, only 19 years old, has been impressing everyone with his talent and exceptional skills. With a promising future ahead, he is already considered one of the biggest revelations in the sport in the country.
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At just 19 years old, the player has already won important titles and received recognition for his exceptional performance. He is a true hope for Brazilian soccer and will certainly continue to shine in the coming years.
There is no doubt that we are witnessing a rising star. The future of Brazilian soccer is in good hands with this promising talent. Everyone is eager to see what he will still be able to achieve and how he will make his mark in the history of the sport.
