Aleix Espargaro completed 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 the fastest in two consecutive practice sessions at 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 faced difficulties compared to yesterday’s performance, with Brad Binder and Jack Miller finishing in 12th and 13th places, respectively. Trackhouse Racing showed its 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 get back on 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 the 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.
A pesar de asegurar un lugar automático en el Q2, Alex Rins terminó la sesión de entrenamientos final en el 19º lugar. Una vez más, Honda ocupó las últimas posiciones en la parrilla, con Takaaki Nakagami por delante de su compañero de equipo de LCR, Johann Zarco, quien sufrió una caída tardía en la curva 5. Luca Marini quedó en 22º lugar, mientras que el piloto de pruebas Stefan Bradl regresó después de perder el segundo entrenamiento de ayer debido a una enfermedad.
