Riders reflect on opening day of practice at Valencia MotoGP finale

MotoGP 2022 – Round 20 – Valencia

Luca Marini – P1

“I immediately had good sensations: I enjoyed every lap since the FP1. This morning I struggled a bit in terms of electronics then we were able to improve on several aspects. Traction, engine braking and also we have changed the front livery to better manage the wind. The bike was easier to ride and we were really competitive in the afternoon. We continue to work because the gaps are minimal and tomorrow many riders will improve. Achieving the direct access to the Q2 will be crucial.”

Jorge Martín – P2

“I feel in good shape and in excellent harmony with the bike since few races now. Today I felt good on both the flying lap and in the race pace and I can’t wait to fight tomorrow for the front row.“

Jack Miller – P3

“I am quite satisfied with the work done on this first day. The track conditions today were tricky because of the wind, but the bike is working well, and we still managed to improve steadily with every exit from the pit. I’m enjoying my last weekend with the Ducati Lenovo Team. I’m just thinking about having fun without pressure and living in the moment. I am satisfied with my race pace and the time I set today. I would like to be able to say goodbye to my team with one last win. It won’t be easy, as there are many competitive riders, but we will keep working on trying to achieve this goal on Sunday.”

Marc Marquez – P4

“The day was positive, and I really attacked today, it’s why I crashed twice. I pushed from the start because I want to have a good weekend at the last race of the year. Let’s see what happens because everyone is quite strong here, you saw in FP2 that many people were able to make a step. Anyway, I’ll keep working and keep pushing. Maybe I crash again, but I am here to try to be as fast as I can be. Unfortunately, I am feeling quite sick this weekend with a cold and I’m taking a lot of vitamins and medicine to try and be as strong as possible on Sunday.”

Enea Bastianini – P5

“It was a good day. We struggled a little in FP1, but we were in a good place already in the afternoon. The FP2 time attack gave us a good feeling, even though I know I can improve a little in the third split and at the last corner. We’re OK in the rest of the track. Our pace is consistently quick despite some tiny little mistakes here and there. We still need a small extra step forward for the race, but we’re in line for a good weekend.”

Johann Zarco – P7

“I’m happy with this first day, I was fighting in the fast group right from the start. The work with the team has been very good, improving lap by lap and pushing to the maximum, we are ready for tomorrow.”

Fabio Quartararo – P8

“It’s a good day, especially my pace was very good. We know that we struggle on the time attack. Last year we had some difficulties, but I think we are working really well. We need to see where we can make another step for tomorrow’s time attack. We have to make a big step, especially for the afternoon. Qualifying will be the most important thing. As for race pace, we have it! If I have a good start, I think we can fight for the victory. We’re working well as a team to make it happen, but we have to work step by step. We need a good qualifying first, and then we’ll see.”

Francesco Bagnaia – P9

“I’m happy with how this first day went. We managed to make big steps forward compared to the morning, especially in the second part of FP2, where we got very close to the leaders’ pace. Tomorrow it will be crucial to confirm in the top ten, but I am convinced that we will be even more competitive tomorrow morning, thanks to the improvements this afternoon.”

Alex Rins – P11

“It was very windy today, which is actually quite annoying when you’re trying to ride. Our aerodynamic packages are very advanced, but in the wind it’s a strange feeling. But I managed to build a good pace and rhythm today, so I’m quite pleased with this progress for Friday and let’s continue like this.”

Maverick Viñales – P12

“Overall it was a positive day. We’ve improved compared to last year and the feeling of the ride is significantly better. I lapped faster and I’m able to hold good lines. However, we are struggling with a lack of grip which particularly involves how we are able to manage the rear tyre, especially on left-handers – turn two, turn three, turn six… But that’s part of the work we need to do to grow. We’re working to resolve it and I think that we have margins for improvement.”

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Aleix Espargaró – P13

“To be honest, I think our level is better than the standings demonstrate. In any case, we aren’t super fast but we’ll be able to improve tomorrow, enough to be in the top ten. The crash with my first bike certainly slowed me down and it was the last thing I needed, partly because we are moving forward with assessments on two rather different RS-GP units. There are positive and negative sides in both configurations, so the goal is to put together the good things we found today and to try and set up the best possible package.”

Joan Mir – P14

“Today was more difficult than I expected, quite a tricky one. I struggled a bit to stop the bike, which is a problem I’ve had before, but here it felt worse. In general I didn’t feel that comfortable, and we found that was the case especially with the medium compound tyres. But we started to find solutions in FP2, and I was able to improve my lap time by half a second. So, anyway, we’re staying optimistic, and we’ll work tonight and tomorrow to find the best settings. The pace is fast out there for the first day, so let’s improve.”

Marco Bezzecchi – P15

“Not a bad day, even if I was hoping for something better. In FP1 I struggled a lot, while in the FP2 it went better. On the time attack I was not effective and I have to make a step forward on the bike and riding style to be really competitive. The pace is not bad, but we have a margin.”

Franco Morbidelli – P16

“It was a tricky day. We started the day well, but then we wanted to improve the package and instead the feeling and speed got worse. I had a crash at the start of FP2, and the programme changed a little bit after that. We did the time attack with a medium front and some more laps on the rear tyre. I did a bit of a longer time attack. We didn’t extract our real potential today. I think the feeling from Sepang is still there. We will try again tomorrow.”

Álex Márquez – P17

“First day here in Valencia and it was quite positive, I enjoyed it quite a lot with the bike. It’s true we’re missing some rear grip, but overall not bad, we still have our problems, but this weekend I want to forget about our problems, I don’t want to speak about our problems. I just want to enjoy being on the bike, being with the team, give our maximum as always and enjoy the weekend. I enjoyed the first day here in front of all the fans and we’ll keep pushing like this tomorrow to improve a little bit more and be ready for the race, that’s the main target.”

Pol Espargaro – P18

“Our race pace today wasn’t too bad, we spent most of the day working with the medium tyre and before the time attacks started we were seventh. I feel quite good but today we didn’t really focus on the time attack, so we need to really go for in Free Practice 3. It won’t be easy, it’s never easy in MotoGP, but the situation is not as dire as it seems from the results sheet. Tomorrow in the morning it should be a bit cooler which should make the medium front work a little bit better. We have to smash that lap to get into Q2, that’s the main goal for tomorrow.”

Cal Crutchlow – P19

“Today was a difficult day. We’ve been trying to adjust settings with the bike and had a different program to the guys in the Factory, which we normally do throughout the weekend to help them out. I felt quite good, unfortunately, I had a small crash in turn two. I went out and the front tyre was cold and I didn’t heat it enough on the out lap, so it was completely my own fault. I should know better with my experience and my age.

“I still managed to go out in the end and tried a fast lap time. Unfortunately, we had a medium front tyre, which didn’t work that well at this track in these conditions. But we are positive for tomorrow. We need to make the bike a lot more calm at the moment as it seems we are having to fight quite a lot here in Valencia. Let’s see how it’s going to work out tomorrow in Qualifying.”

Raul Fernandez – P20

“FP1 was a nice surprise this morning as we finished in P12. This track in Valencia really looks like a karting track: very small, fast and enjoyable. All the riders are quite close here so we can follow the Ducati bikes, the Yamaha bikes, and it is a very positive point for me. We did not get a good position in FP2, but we have margin to improve, especially in the fast corners, and we will try closing the gap in the morning tomorrow. It is important for the team and for myself to try finishing 2022 in the best way possible.”

Remy Gardner – P21

“We did a good FP1 in the morning and we were able to do a good lap with a new medium tyre towards the end of the session. In the afternoon, we worked with used mediums, before putting a hard front toward the end, but I did not feel comfortable with it and the set up I had. It was also quite windy, but with a MotoGP bike you don’t feel it that much because it has so many wings, so it was manageable. We will look to improve tomorrow for qualifying day.”

Takaaki Nakagami – P22

“First of all, I’m really happy about the performance today. After FP1 I didn’t have the best feeling in my right hand, but this afternoon in FP2 I was much better and I tried to adapt. Hopefully, we will continue to do that tomorrow.  The lap time was getting better and better, so I’m really happy with today. I’m looking forward to tomorrow and making another step with our pace.”

Fabio DiGiannantonio – P23

“We surely didn’t get off to a good start. We tried to improve in FP2, and we did it, but the crash at turn two slowed us down and there will be a lot to catch up with tomorrow in order to have a good Saturday.”

Darryn Binder – P24

“It’s not been an easy start to the final GP of the season. Unfortunately, I didn’t manage many laps in FP1, as we had some small troubles with one bike. I got out on the second bike, but unluckily I had a crash in turn one, which ended my FP1 early. In FP2 I made some steady progress slowly, but surely and made some improvements compared to this morning. I’m still looking to get comfortable and figure my way out around the circuit of Valencia.”

Friday MotoGP Report

Friday Free Practice at the Gran Premio Motul de la Comunitat Valenciana saw almost nothing split the two MotoGP World Championship contenders.

Fabio Quartararo (Monster Energy Yamaha MotoGP) secured P8 for the day, but that was just one position and 0.005 seconds ahead of the rider he is trying to overhaul in the Championship standings: Francesco Bagnaia (Ducati Lenovo Team). Quartararo must win to give himself a chance at the crown, and despite the position on the timesheets he sounded optimistic about the possibility given race pace.

It was a Ducati lockout at the top though as Luca Marini (Mooney VR46 Racing Team) set the pace in FP2 with a 1:30.217, with Jorge Martin (Prima Pramac Racing) a tenth further back and Jack Miller (Ducati Lenovo Team) only a smidge in further arrears in third.

Quartararo was fastest in FP1 but it took only minutes into FP2 before Alex Rins (Team Suzuki Ecstar) bettered it with a 1:31.238 and then Quartararo himself moved the marker even further to a 1:31.149.

The opening 10 minutes of FP2 also saw a spate of crashes, first Franco Moribdelli (Monster Energy Yamaha MotoGP) at Turn 5 then Fabio Di Giannantonio (Gresini Racing MotoGP) at Turn 2, before Marc Marquez (Repsol Honda Team) went down at Turn 1 – his second tumble of the day after going down at Turn 2 in FP1. Finally, it was Aleix Espargaro (Aprilia Racing) at Turn 5. Riders all ok.

Marini was next to take over P1 when he set a 1:31.110 in the 27th minute of the session – but, on used tyres, he was only warming up. Still, he remained the fastest at the beginning of the final runs, by which time Bagnaia had crept up to seventh despite a couple of detours into run-off areas, and Quartararo had emerged unscathed from a close call going past Darryn Binder (WithU Yamaha RNF MotoGP Team) at Turn 13 on the half-hour mark.

One the fresh rubber was in and the hammer down for time attacks, Miller clocked a 1:30.608 to go P1 inside the final five minutes before Marini fired in his 1:30.217. Bagnaia got as high as P2 when he set a 1:30.447 with less than two minutes to go but was shuffled back several positions by the time the music stopped.

Martin struck late to claim second on a 1:30.322 and Miller made it an all-Ducati top three when he improved to a 1:30.345, ahead of Marc Marquez on a 1:30.390 and Enea Bastianini (Gresini Racing MotoGP) in fifth on a 1:30.394. Miguel Oliveira (Red Bull KTM Factory Racing) took sixth on a 1:30.422, ahead of Johann Zarco (Prima Pramac Racing) on a final-lap of 1:30.424.

Quartararo got down to a 1:30.442 on his time attack but it’s P8, and Bagnaia finished ninth on that 1:30.447.

Brad Binder (Red Bull KTM Factory Racing), who had been sampling a radical new chassis spec on Friday, rounded out the top 10 on a 1:30.519 – only 0.302 off the top. That means that the likes of Rins, Joan Mir (Team Suzuki Ecstar) and Aprilia Racing duo Maverick Viñales and Aleix Espargaro will certainly need to find more time if they are going to go straight into Q2, given they currently occupy 11th through 13th respectively.

One more Free Practice session remains before the first 10 Q2 riders are locked in, and neither of the Championship contenders are safe yet.

MotoGP Friday Combined Practice Times

MotoGP Championship Points Standings

Moto2

Pedro Acosta might have upstaged Red Bull KTM Ajo teammate Augusto Fernandez in FP2 at the Gran Premio Motul de la Comunitat Valenciana but the Moto2 Championship leader should be feeling quietly confident with his performance. Fernandez’s fastest lap of the day was only 0.031 seconds off Acosta’s 1:34.948 around the Circuit Ricardo Tormo in the afternoon session, and he was once again significantly quicker than his only remaining rival for the title, Idemitsu Honda Team Asia’s Ai Ogura, who was P11.

The opening day belonged to Red Bull KTM Ajo who dominated FP1 as Fernandez set his 1:34.979 and the only rider within eight tenths of a second of the Spaniard was teammate and compatriot Acosta on a 1:35.206. Acosta got the upper hand in FP2, clocking the fastest lap of the day just under a dozen minutes into proceedings, but Fernandez was still second-quickest for the session on a 1:35.069. He also added to the highlights reel with a big save exiting Turn 4.

Best of the rest would be Beta Tools Speed Up’s Alonso Lopez, who leads the fight for Rookie of the Year ahead of Acosta, and the Boscoscuro rider well and truly showed that he is a threat for a third victory this season by closing to 0.180 seconds off the pace with a 1:35.128 halfway into FP2.

Fourth for the day went to Jake Dixon (Inde GASGAS Aspar Team) on a 1:35.554 and fifth to Somkiat Chantra (Idemitsu Honda Team Asia) on a 1:35.571. Mattia Pasini, who is riding this weekend as an injury replacement for Barry Baltus at RW Racing GP, is sixth on the timesheets despite a spill in FP2, having already laid down a 1:35.623 in that session.

Seventh currently belongs to last-start winner Tony Arbolino (Elf Marc VDS Racing Team), from Cameron Beaubier (American Racing), another injury replacement rider in Borja Gomez (Flexbox HP40), and Albert Arenas (Inde GASGAS Aspar Team) in 10th. Ogura enters the weekend 9.5 points behind Fernandez in the Championship and right now, coincidentally, he is 0.905 seconds off the pace set by Acosta as he holds 11th.

Replacing injured Briton Sam Lowes for the fourth time this season, Senna Agius was one of the star performers in Friday morning’s FP1 when he fought the top 10 throughout and eventually finished in a superb 14th position after completing 20 very productive laps.

Agius impressed again in FP2 to improve by the big margin of nearly half-a-second to finish 16th overall and the Australian is confident planned overnight front-end changes will give him a great opportunity to book a direct place in Q2 tomorrow.

Senna Agius – P16

“Last week, I was racing here in Valencia in the European Moto2 series and today was all about getting back up to speed with the World Championship-spec machine. It wasn’t a bad day at all, and I feel like I was able to get the good feeling back with the bike from when I last rode it in Aragon. I got to a decent pace quickly but finding that next step is never easy and now we need to analyse the data overnight to understand where we can improve tomorrow. The biggest step can come from finding a better front feeling, and if we can find that good balance, I think we can have a very positive day tomorrow.”

Moto2 Combined Practice Times

Moto2 Championship Points Standings

Moto3

Tatsuki Suzuki claimed Friday Free Practice honours in the Moto3 class at the Gran Premio Motul de la Comunitat Valenciana in a Leopard Racing 1-2. Suzuki clocked a 1:39.467 late in FP2 before teammate Dennis Foggia moved into P2 with a 1:39.488 as he took the chequered flag.

‘The Rocket’ is still a good chance of taking second in the World Championship, needing to overcome an eight-point deficit to Sergio Garcia (Valresa GASGAS Aspar Team), who is in sixth. Foggia is looking quick this weekend given he was fastest for much of FP2 after being among the pace-setters in FP1.

Izan Guevara (Valresa GASGAS Aspar Team), who was already crowned World Champion, finished third-fastest on the day thanks to the 1:39.533 which he set right at the end of FP1, while Carlos Tatay (CFMoto Racing PruestelGP) is provisionally into Q2 after jumping from outside the top 14 to fourth on combined times with a 1:39.537 on his penultimate lap of FP2.

Diogo Moreira (MT Helmets – MSI) holds fifth courtesy of the 1:39.543 which he set in the morning session, and will be especially keen to maximise his qualifying position on Saturday afternoon given he will have to serve a Long Lap Penalty for crashing under a yellow flag in FP1.

Garcia sits sixth on a 1:39.586 – just 0.119 seconds slower than Suzuki’s benchmark – ahead of David Salvador (Angeluss MTA Team), Xavier Artigas (CFMoto Racing PruestelGP), Daniel Holgado (Red Bull KTM Ajo), and the other chance for P2 in the Championship, Ayumu Sasaki (Sterilgarda Husqvarna Max) in 10th. The latter holds that position by virtue of a 1:39.715 in FP1, before a minor crash at Turn 6 in FP2.

Young Aussie Joel Kelso kicked off his final weekend with the CIP Green Power squad in P20 on the combined time-sheets.

Moto3 Friday Combined Practice Times

Moto3 Championship Points Standings

2022 Valencia MotoGP Time Schedule
(AEDT)