The excitement of Marc Márquez’s return could already be felt at Repsol-Honda on Thursday. In FP1, the superstar darted to a remarkable 11th place. Aleix Espargaró fell badly.
The 14th MotoGP showdown of the season at MotorLand Aragón is spiced up with the return of Marc Márquez. And World Championship leader Fabio Quartararo is worried because although he was on pole position here in 2020, he never managed to get past 5th place on the 5.077km track in the race. So his pursuers are waiting for a weakness in the Frenchman. World Championship runner-up Pecco Bagnaia has scored 100 out of a possible 100 points in the last four races and is only 30 points behind. And World Championship third Aleix Espargaró (33 points behind) damaged his little finger on the left during the test in Misano, but he has already finished in the top 7 in seven MotoGP races in Aragón.
In FP1, Marc Marquez, the five-time MotoGP winner in Aragón, used the previous 2022 chassis, and the aerodynamics from the Misano test have not been used so far. At Yamaha, however, there was a new chassis in the pits for Quartararo and Morbidelli, i.e. the update that was used during the test in Misano.
Aleix Espargaró was first after 7 of 45 minutes with 1:49.349 min ahead of Quartararo (+ 0.088 sec) and Miller. Then Johann Zarco (Pramac-Ducati) roared to first place with a time of 1:48.882 minutes. 2. Bagnaia, +0.205sec. 3. Quartararo, +0.222. 4. Martin (+.439).
At Pierer-Mobility-AG, the last MotoGP place for 2023 is now also certain: Yesterday, eyewitnesses observed a secret photo session with Augusto Fernández wearing GASGAS team clothing, because the Moto2 World Championship leader will be a MotoGP teammate in the upcoming MotoGP by Pol Espargaró in Hervé Poncharal’s GASGAS Tech3 Factory Team.
Aleix Espargaró moved back to first place after 13 minutes with 1:48.696 min ahead of Bagnaia, Zarco, Bastianini, Rins. Oliveira, Quartararo, Marc Marquez (+0.521sec), 9th Martin. 10. Marini.
In the top speed measurements, Fabio Quartararo was now only 20th, 10 km/h behind Jack Miller (Ducati)!
Aleix Espargaró had the best time on the demanding Aragón track with seven right-hand bends and ten left-hand bends and the 968-metre-long start/finish straight, but 21 minutes before the end the Aprilia star slipped in the fast turn 16. He was there before the braking zone with approx. 345 km/h on the road! Luckily he was able to continue.
Meanwhile, Fabio Quartararo went out on the new chassis for the first time in FP1, sitting 7th, 0.399s back. Teammate Frankie Morbidelli was also now trying out the new M1 frame.
Opponents are still struggling with Aleix Espargaró’s best time. But Bagnaia was only 0.12 seconds behind. 3. Rins in front of Zarco, Bastianini, Nakagami, Oliveira, Quartararo, Marc Márquez and Martin, Marini and Miller.
Over the last ten laps, Morbidelli has moved up to 9th with a time of 1:49.117, having won the 2020 Teruel GP in Aragón.
In the finish, LCR Honda driver Taka Nakagami also moved up, the Japanese was already on pole position here in 2020.
Brad Binder briefly appeared in fourth place at the finish, but his best lap time was discarded. So Miguel Oliveira is seventh as the best Red Bull KTM factory rider.
Results FP1 Aragon, MotoGP, September 16th
1. Aleix Espargaró, Aprilia, 1:48.686 min
2. Bagnaia, Ducati, + 0.012 sec
3. Rins, Suzuki, + 0,089
4. Nakagami, Honda, +0.176
5. Zarco, Ducati, + 0.196
6. Bastianini, Ducati, + 0.205
7. Oliveira, KTM, + 0.319
8. Quartararo, Yamaha, + 0,399
9. Morbidelli, Yamaha, +0.402
10. Marini, Ducati, +0.484
11. Marc Marquez, Honda, +0.521
12. Martin, Ducati, +0.634
13. Miller, Ducati, +0.636
14. Bezzecchi, Ducati, +0.663
15. Viñales, Aprilia, + 0.671
16. Crutchlow, Yamaha, +0.706
17. Mir, Suzuki, + 0,761
18. Aleix Marquez, Honda, + 0.804
18. Pol Espargaro, Honda, +0.829
20. Brad Binder, KTM, + 0,956
21. Di Giannantonio, Ducati, + 1.164
22. Gardner, KTM, + 1,563
23. Raúl Fernández, KTM, + 1,626
24. Darryn Binder, Yamaha, + 1,684