Pedro Acosta led MotoGP World Championship practice on Friday afternoon at the Circuit de Barcelona-Catalunya, Spain. Riding the Red Bull KTM Factory Racing RC16 on special Michelin tires, the Spaniard led the 22-rider field with a time of 1:38.710.
Alex Marquez was the best of the rest with a 1:38.728 on the BK8 Gresini Racing Ducati Desmosedici GP26.
Acosta’s teammate Brad Binder was third in 1:38.780.
Raúl Fernández finished fourth in the session on the Trackhouse Aprilia RS-GP26 with a time of 1:38.788.
Johann Zarco finished fifth in practice on the Castrol Honda LCR RC213V with a lap time of 1:38.789.
Marco Bezecchi in his Aprilia Racing RS-GP26 was 17th with a lap time of 1:38.831 and team-mate Jorge Martin 17th with a 1:39.389.
Francesco Bagnaia is 12th in the Lenovo Team Ducati Desmosedici GP26 with a time of 1:39.060.
More from the MotoGP press release:
Acosta tops KTM in MotoGP Practice, joined by Martin in Q1. MotoGP just keeps getting closer and closer and for the second consecutive Friday in a Friday we celebrate the closest top ten of all time with Acosta leading the way.
0.269s and counting, all five manufacturers and eight different teams advanced to Q2 after some tough action on Friday as Pedro Acosta (Red Bull KTM Factory Racing) chased down. The #37 won the KTM with teammate Brad Binder in third place, both split from last year’s Catalan GP winner Alex Marquez (BK8 Gresini Racing MotoGP). From his double at Le Mans, Jorge Martin (Aprilia Racing) crashed late and found himself in Q1 after finishing P17.
In progress
Let the green lights go on, let the action begin; MotoGP practice started with everyone going through the first half of the session quickly, checking their feelings and packages. Halfway through the session and the Aprilias were on song, Marco Bezecchi (Aprilia Racing) was leading the way ahead of Ai Ogura (Trackhouse MotoGP Team), the Japanese star following a maiden podium finish in the final lap. It was until he fell on turn 2; The front-end plug is nothing to worry too much about, but the rest of the session will be on the spare bike while the main is repaired.
Second half, KTM charge
Into the second half of the session and the A riders were advancing; Bezcicci suffered an off-track excursion at turn 4 but Alex Rins (Monster Energy Yamaha MotoGP) wasn’t so lucky and the home-hero kept going straight though. Elsewhere, the first 1’38 of the weekend was achieved by Brad Binder, the South African who finished in the same session as he did last year. KTM’s charge was also pressing, with teammate Acosta taking over in P1, while podium finisher Form 2025 Enea Bastianini (Red Bull KTM Tech 3) was provisionally third.
CRUNCH TIME, PUSH TIME
There were many improvements in the final ten minutes as Alex Marquez and Fabio Di Gianntonio (Pertamina Enduro VR46 Racing Team) moved into the top three, while Joan Mir (Honda HRC Castrol) took fourth. Raul Fernandez (Trackhouse MotoGP Team) got himself into P6 with Franco Morbidelli (Pertamina Enduro VR46 Racing Team) in the final Q2 position. Jorge Martin (Aprilia Racing) and Francesco Bagnaia (Ducati Lenovo Team) were the two big names who needed time in the last minute of the day.
That time would not come for the #89 as Martineter hit the deck for his second crash of the day in Turn 2, ending the practice session early and sending him into Q1 for the first time this season. The lap times seemed to have worked out for Peco, who squeezed into P10 but not as others had been accused, as Johan Zarco (Castrol Honda LCR) and Fabio Quattararo (Monster Energy Yamaha MotoGP) beat the double world champion.
Your top 10 in Barcelona on Friday
At the front, Acosta rode his RC16 KTM ahead of 2025 Catalan GP winner Alex Marquez, with no one stopping the shark attack. Two KTMs in third with Binder flying in third. Raul Fernandez grabbed fourth on the final flying lap as Zarco took P5 ahead of Di Giantantonio and championship leader Bezeci. Mir was eighth at the flag but crashed late on lap 10 and the two Yamahas went straight into Q2 with Jack Miller (Prima Pramac Yamaha MotoGP) and Fabio Quattararo (Monster Energy Yamaha MotoGP) ninth. Bastiani’s heroics were not enough and he dropped 11.ThLe Mans stage winner Ogura was 13 ahead of BagnaiaThFour places ahead of Martin.
Sprint expects Saturday; MotoGP Qualifying will be action-packed in Barcelona!
MotoGP practice results from the Catalan GP!
Post MotoGP: Acosta fastest Friday afternoon in Montmelo It appeared at first Roadracing World Magazine | Motorcycle riding, racing and technology news.
