Alex Marquez has a strong afternoon in Barcelona on a provisional Q2 spot, while Stefan Bradl is back on track.
After making solid improvements during the Misano test, the Repsol Honda team wanted to hit the track again in Barcelona to confirm their results on a different track.
For Alex Marquez, the MotoGP rookie who learned in Free Practice 1 on the Circuit de Barcelona-Catalunya on the Repsol Honda Team RC213V, it went straight back to work. After a modest start to the day, Alex was 20th in FP1 but only half a second off the top ten. A 1: 40.478 in Free Practice 2 was one and a half seconds faster than Alex’s fastest time in FP1 and catapulted the rookie into the top ten. The Moto2 world champion occupies eighth place in FP2 and ninth in the overall standings before free practice 3 on Saturday morning, a provisional place in Q2. The result marks Alex’s best start to a weekend in the premier class so far.
Stefan Bradl was back in shape after a week’s break, his right arm no longer caused serious problems on board the Repsol Honda RC213V. The German, who was racing in Barcelona for the first time since 2016, finished the first session of the day in the top ten within half a second. Bradl was uninjured after a small fall in Turn 2 in Free Practice 2 and finished the session in 1’41.260, about seven tenths away from Alex.
Both riders from the Repsol Honda Team will return to the Montmelo circuit on Saturday at 09:55 local time. Alex Marquez is determined to maintain his Q2 position.