A new layer of asphalt on a MotoGP circuit always creates some uncertainty for the riders and their teams as they prepare their motorcycles since the level of grip is quite different from what the teams recorded during their last visit to that circuit. And when the premier class hasn’t been at Motorland Aragón for a while, it adds even more uncertainties, complicating calculations and making predictions difficult.
And that’s what we saw in this first session counting towards the Aragon Grand Prix at the Spanish Motorland Aragón circuit, which underwent extensive renovations, the biggest change being the new asphalt.
In Free Practice 1 of MotoGP, held this Friday morning, we saw several riders still trying to figure out the limits of grip of the new Aragón asphalt, with their lap times still far from the circuit’s official records.
For the Portuguese riders, after two previous rounds that revealed various problems in extracting the best from the Aprilia RS-GP24 from the very start, Miguel Oliveira’s (Trackhouse Racing) performance in MotoGP Free Practice 1 was quite positive.
The #88, who still hasn’t officially confirmed his future but has mentioned that he is ‘safe’ at Pramac Racing, entered the track in attack mode.
Miguel Oliveira jumped to the top of the time sheet as soon as he completed his first timed lap, and from there he maintained a position among the top, slightly fluctuating as the minutes went by.
Even as the final minutes of the session that opened the Aragon Grand Prix approached, and keeping the same tires on his Aprilia, Miguel Oliveira managed to stay among the fastest on the track and was indeed the best Noale bike on track.
His best lap was achieved on the 7th visit to the finish line, having completed 18 laps at Motorland Aragón this morning. The Portuguese rider stopped the clock at 1m49.086s, a time that allows for a positive start to the weekend in Spain, placing him 7th in the time sheet.
It should be noted that with 344 km/h reached on the long straight of the Aragón circuit, Miguel Oliveira is among the riders who can achieve higher speeds, which might benefit him when he needs to push the limits to secure passage to Qualifying 2 this afternoon.
As for the fastest rider on track, that ‘honor’ in Free Practice 1 went to Spaniard Marc Márquez. The eight-time world champion and Gresini Racing rider stopped the clock at 1m48.289s, enough to leave Jorge Martin (Prima Pramac Ducati) in second place and nearly half a second behind.
The ‘Top 3’ was completed with the presence of Pedro Acosta (Red Bull GasGas Tech3), with the young “rookie” returning to the top spots in a practice session after several Grands Prix where he had been much more discreet.
In this MotoGP Free Practice 1 counting towards the Aragon Grand Prix, we can also highlight the absence of the other Aprilia bikes from the ‘Top 10’, with Maverick Viñales (Aprilia Racing) finishing 12th, Raul Fernandez (Trackhouse Racing) 20th, and Aleix Espargaró (Aprilia Racing) the worst in 22nd, last in the time sheet.
It should also be noted that in this time sheet we find the two-time champion and current MotoGP leader, Francesco Bagnaia (Ducati Lenovo Team), only in 21st place and second to last. A complicated start for the Aragon Grand Prix for the Italian, but, as has been seen on other occasions, Bagnaia usually manages to elevate his performance level to rise into the top positions.
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Results of MotoGP Free Practice 1 for the Aragon GP
1 – Marc Márquez (Gresini Racing) – 1m48.289s
2 – Jorge Martin (Prima Pramac Ducati) – 1m48.772s
3 – Pedro Acosta (Red Bull GasGas Tech3) – 1m48.902s
4 – Brad Binder (Red Bull KTM Factory) – 1m48.952s
5 – Fabio di Giannantonio (Pertamina Enduro VR46) – 1m48.954s
6 – Alex Márquez (Gresini Racing) – 1m49.044s
7 – Miguel Oliveira (Trackhouse Racing) – 1m49.086s
8 – Jack Miller (Red Bull KTM Factory) – 1m49.115s
9 – Enea Bastianini (Ducati Lenovo Team) – 1m49.220s
10 – Franco Morbidelli (Prima Pramac Ducati) – 1m49.261s
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