Aragon MotoGP, MotorLand - Free Practice (1) Results

Free Practice (1) results from the Aragon MotoGP at MotorLand, round 13 of the 2021 world championship.
Marc Marquez, MotoGP, British MotoGP 27 August 2021
Marc Marquez, MotoGP, British MotoGP 27 August 2021
© Gold and Goose

Marc Marquez dominates opening practice for the 2021 Aragon MotoGP.

Having missed the 2020 rounds through injury, the Spaniard is seeking his fifth Aragon win in a row at one of his favourite anti-clockwise tracks.

The Repsol Honda rider was fastest from the early stages of this morning's session then pulled almost one-second clear after being one of the few to fit a new soft tyre at the end of the session, with the Suzuki of Joan Mir (who lost his fastest lap) and Ducati of Francesco Bagnaia closest to the #93.

Alex Marquez, who took a podium at Aragon one year ago, snatched a late fourth for LCR with Bagnaia's team-mate Jack Miller completing the top five.

After splitting from Yamaha following Austria and missing Silverstone, Maverick Vinales returned to official MotoGP action with Aprilia this morning, where he has signed to race until the end of 2022.

Vinales, who recently took part in a private two-day test at Misano to help prepare for this weekend's RS-GP debut, finished the session in 19th position. The Spaniard was 2.139s behind Marquez, but within one-second of team-mate Aleix Espargaro.

Yamaha test rider Cal Crutchlow is replacing Vinales at the Factory Yamaha team for the second event in a row, with Jake Dixon likewise staying at Petronas Yamaha on the injured Franco Morbidelli's 2019 A-spec bike.

Iker Lecuona suffered a fast accident at Turn 16 in the opening minutes, with Valentino Rossi falling at Turn 5 with 13mins to go. Both riders walked away.

Aragon MotoGP, MotorLand - Free Practice (1) Results
PosRiderNatTeamTime/DiffLapMax
1Marc MarquezSPARepsol Honda (RC213V)1'48.048s18/20343k
2Joan MirSPASuzuki Ecstar (GSX-RR)+0.971s17/18340k
3Francesco BagnaiaITADucati Team (GP21)+1.145s16/19343k
4Alex MarquezSPALCR Honda (RC213V)+1.158s18/18343k
5Jack MillerAUSDucati Team (GP21)+1.214s16/21346k
6Aleix EspargaroSPAAprilia Gresini (RS-GP)+1.265s15/18343k
7Johann ZarcoFRAPramac Ducati (GP21)+1.324s17/17346k
8Fabio QuartararoFRAMonster Yamaha (YZR-M1)+1.403s14/19334k
9Takaaki NakagamiJPNLCR Honda (RC213V)+1.411s8/21345k
10Pol EspargaroSPARepsol Honda (RC213V)+1.541s13/18346k
11Enea BastianiniITAAvintia Ducati (GP19)*+1.604s13/17344k
12Cal CrutchlowGBRMonster Yamaha (YZR-M1)+1.622s14/17340k
13Danilo PetrucciITAKTM Tech3 (RC16)+1.693s15/18340k
14Alex RinsSPASuzuki Ecstar (GSX-RR)+1.736s11/18339k
15Luca MariniITASky VR46 Avintia Ducati (GP19)*+1.888s17/18341k
16Iker LecuonaSPAKTM Tech3 (RC16)+1.894s12/13341k
17Jorge MartinSPAPramac Ducati (GP21)*+1.899s10/17347k
18Miguel OliveiraPORRed Bull KTM (RC16)+1.916s17/19344k
19Maverick ViñalesSPAAprilia Gresini (RS-GP)+2.139s16/21343k
20Valentino RossiITAPetronas Yamaha (YZR-M1)+2.251s11/12335k
21Brad BinderRSARed Bull KTM (RC16)+2.305s14/17346k
22Jake DixonGBRPetronas Yamaha (YZR-M1)+3.140s14/20332k

* Rookie
Official Aragon MotoGP records:
Best lap:
Marc Marquez SPA Honda 1m 46.635s (2015)
Fastest race lap:
Franco Morbidelli ITA Yamaha 1m 48.249s(2020)

By Peter McLaren

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