Circuit de Barcelona-Catalunya opened the Motul Solidarity Grand Prix of Barcelona with a first day of contact with the track in which Pecco Bagnaia scored the first goal. The Ducati rider closed the official practice, which determines the direct pass to Q2, in the strongest position. The reference time was a 1:38.918, slightly slower than Aleix Espargaró’s 1:38.562 in the same session during the Gran Premi Monster Energy de Catalunya de MotoGP.
While it is true that the tyres and their behaviour have been Friday’s headache, the lap times don’t reflect that to any great extent either. Both riders and mechanics are used to a much warmer track, whereas today it was between 21 and 24ºC. This has led to some unusual events, such as the first position of a Honda thanks to Takaaki Nakagami’s 1:40.501 in this morning’s free practice.
“I crashed in Saturday’s sprint race in Barcelona. We all know how easy it is to make mistakes and we can’t be confident. Besides, the temperature of the track will mean that there will be much less grip,” said Pecco Bagnaia in reference to the ‘tyre factor’ after the end of the session. There is no doubt that the Italian is already using the calculator in his mind.
In practice, apart from Bagnaia, other riders also stood out, such as Marco Bezzecchi (Pertamina Enduro VR46 Racing Team), the only one able to lap in the minute and 38 seconds. Aleix Espargaró and Aprilia were third in the standings and the first brand to challenge Ducati, albeit with a time of 1:39.025.
Johan Zarco (Castrol Honda LCR) took an impressive fourth place, followed by leader Jorge Martín (Prima Pramac Racing). Martin was 279 hundredths of a second off his closest rival’s time. Considering the small gap in the top five of the day, the weekend looks set to be especially thrilling.
Aprilia placed both their units in Q2, as Maverick Viñales finished sixth. The Márquez brothers (Gresini Racing MotoGP) did teamwork and were seventh and eighth, with Álex ahead of Marc. Pedro Acosta (Red Bull GASGAS Tech3) and Enea Bastianini (Ducati Lenovo Team) rounded off the top ten.
Moto2™: Arón Canet has no doubts
Arón Canet finished the day at the top of the standings in the two rounds of the intermediate category of the World Championship. The Fantic Racing rider set the pace in both the free practice session and the first practice session. His best time was a 1:42.426.
On the other hand, Fermín Aldeguer surprised everyone with his lap time on his return just weeks after fracturing his left hand. The Sync SpeedUp rider finished second in this morning’s Free Practice (1:43.198). A few hours later, Jake Dixon was the closest to Canet. His 1:42.657 was enough to seal second place in the first practice.
Ai Ogura (MT Helmets-MSI), already proclaimed Moto2™ champion, kept a low profile today. His best position of the day was sixth, half a second off Canet’s time.
Moto3™: Daniel Holgado fastest of the day
The Red Bull GASGAS Tech 3 rider set the fastest time of the day in Moto3™ today. He did so during Practice 1, setting the benchmark at 1:46.568. David Muñoz (BOE Motorsports) and Ángel Piqueras (Leopard Racing) topped the provisional podium with three brands represented: GASGAS, KTM and Honda, in that order.
The World Championship’s smallest class champion, David Alonso, was 14th today, which would be the last time he had qualified for Q2. Even so, all his rivals are aware of the cards the Aspar Team rider is holding for tomorrow. Colin Veijer (Liqui Moly Husqvarna Intact GP), Holgado’s direct rival for the runner-up spot, lost the battle with the Spaniard today, as his best time gave him fifth place. Tied on points, Holgado and Veijer promise a thrilling weekend.
Charity auction
The Circuit has held today the first of the two in-person auctions to raise funds for the people affected by the flash floods. At the Fan Zone, the attendees were able to enjoy a long list of well-known guests such as Aleix Espargaró, Maverick Viñales, Jorge Martín, Franco Morbidelli, Ai Ogura and many more. Those who would like to support the cause can also do so via the online auction.
The Circuit reaffirms its commitment to sustainability
Circuit de Barcelona-Catalunya is getting ready to host the KISS (Keep It Shiny and Sustainable) programme by FIM Ride Green, organising a series of actions with the collaboration of Dorna and within the framework of its sustainability management based on the 3Cs ‘Conscience, Commitment and Coherence’, in order to raise awareness and sensitise all stakeholders to respect the environment.
The Barcelona track will have a Sustainability Meeting Point, located behind Grandstand G (open Saturday and Sunday from 9:00 a.m. to 2:00 p.m.). It will also make use of 100% certified renewable energy to support the electricity supply and will offer km0 and organic food. In addition, fans will be able to find drinking water fountains in the public areas and in the paddock. The commitment to sustainable mobility will continue thanks to a special public transport programme, as well as to zero waste, using the circular economy, recycling waste and donating surplus food.
Access to the Circuit
Access to the Circuit will be possible through any of its gates from 6:30 a.m. on Saturday and from 7 a.m. on Sunday. All box offices (except box office 5) will be open as well with the same opening hours as the gates. Cars will have to show their parking ticket to be able to park at the Circuit car park. This ticket can be purchased at the Circuit website. Motorbikes can park free of charge in car parks H1 and H3.
