Bologna bullets set the pace in FP1

Jack Miller and fellow Ducati Lenovo Team rider Francesco Bagnaia have set the pace in MotoGP™ FP1 at the Liqui Moly Motorrad Grand Prix Deutschland. Since the most recent round of the season, Miller has been confirmed as being on his way to Red Bull KTM Factory Racing in 2023, but there are 11 races left in 2022 and the Australian is clearly going to make the most of them. He set a 1:21.479 just past the 15-minute mark in the opening session this weekend at the Sachsenring, and no one would beat that. His team-mate Bagnaia came closest, just 0.015 seconds shy on a 1:21.494 which he set about 15 minutes later again.

World Championship leader Fabio Quartararo, who had the new-spec swingarm on his YZR-M1, was not far away from the very best pace either. The Monster Energy Yamaha MotoGP™ rider finished the session third-fastest courtesy of a 1:21.557 which he set just after Miller’s fastest lap. Very few went for time attacks at the end of proceedings but Quartararo continued to lap in the 1:22s despite using just the one set of tyres. Fourth went to Johann Zarco (Prima Pramac Racing) on a 1:21.655 and fifth to Takaaki Nakagami (LCR Honda Idemitsu) on a 1:21.660, an encouraging start to the grand prix weekend for the Japanese rider after his crash at Catalunya a fortnight ago.

• HAVE YOUR SAY IN MotoGP™ NOW!

Aleix Espargaro is another who has been looking to put bad memories of Barcelona behind him – he said in Thursday’s press conference at the Sachsenring that a trip to Disneyland did the trick – and the Aprilia Racing rider was a solid sixth in FP1. Sampling the Noale factory’s new fairing, he clocked a 1:21.665, and managed to keep himself upright despite an excursion through the gravel at Turn 1. Luca Marini (Mooney VR46 Racing Team) took seventh on a 1:21.671 while Andrea Dovizioso (WithU Yamaha RNF MotoGP™ Team) picked himself up from a crash at Turn 1 to claim eighth with a 1:21.730 which he set near the end of the session on new tyres.

The top 10 was rounded out by Jorge Martin (Prima Pramac Racing) on a 1:21.735 and Alex Marquez (LCR Honda Castrol) on a 1:21.772, with Maverick Viñales (Aprilia Racing) just 0.041 seconds slower again in 11th. Three-time race winner so far in 2022, Enea Bastianini (Gresini Racing MotoGP™), finished the session in 16th courtesy of a 1:22.057 on his Ducati.

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While Aleix Espargaro and Dovizioso were unscathed or relatively so after their incidents at Turn 1, the consequences looked somewhat more painful for the former’s brother, Pol. The Repsol Honda Team rider had already lost the front at that corner when he then had a nasty highside on his second RC213V, and took some time to get to his feet. The Spaniard eventually walked away and has already been cleared of injury to his left elbow after a visit to the medical centre. Alex Rins (Team Suzuki Ecstar), who brings a wrist injury into the event, only rode for half the session after he too had a spill at Turn 1. Pol Espargaro would take 12th for the session on a 1:21.822 while Rins found himself 19th at the end having gone as quick as a 1:22.251.

With few having shown their hand yet as far as out-and-out qualifying pace is concerned, it is set to be an ultra-exciting FP2. Catch all the action later on Friday from 14:10 (GMT +2).

MotoGP™ FP1 Top 10:
1. Jack Miller (Ducati Lenovo Team) – 1:21.479
2. Francesco Bagnaia (Ducati Lenovo Team) + 0.015
3. Fabio Quartararo (Monster Energy Yamaha MotoGP™) + 0.078
4. Johann Zarco (Prima Pramac Racing) + 0.176
5. Takaaki Nakagami (LCR Honda Idemitsu) + 0.181
6. Aleix Espargaro (Aprilia Racing) + 0.186
7. Luca Marini (Mooney VR46 Racing Team) + 0.192
8. Andrea Dovizioso (WithU Yamaha RNF MotoGP™ Team) + 0.251
9. Jorge Martin (Prima Pramac Racing) + 0.256
10. Alex Marquez (LCR Honda Castrol) + 0.293

CLICK HERE FOR FULL RESULTS!