MotoGP™ returned to action for the title decider at the Motul Solidarity Grand Prix of Barcelona, a weekend that carries special significance beyond the action on the circuit. It was a busy FP1, with Takaaki Nakagami (IDEMITSU Honda LCR) stealing top honours after clocking an impressive 1:40.501. The #30 heads into his final weekend as a full-time MotoGP™ rider, finishing ahead of Pedro Acosta (Red Bull GASGAS Tech3) after a dramatic session. The #31 crashed in the early stages, colliding with his teammate, but later returned to the track to secure P2, followed closely by Alex Marquez (Gresini Racing MotoGP™), who completed the top three after a strong performance.
Time atTAKA! 🔥@takanakagami30 has bounced back from today's early T2 crash to top the session! A great way to start the weekend👍#SolidarityGP 🏁 pic.twitter.com/RxgObzwnq6
— MotoGP™🏁 (@MotoGP) November 15, 2024
Fourth place went the way of Red Bull KTM Factory Racing’s Brad Binder, with the #33 setting over 20 laps across FP1. Binder ended the morning ahead of Championship leader Jorge Martin (Prima Pramac Racing), with the Spaniard crucially finishing in fifth after setting 1:40.971. Ducati Lenovo Team’s Enea Bastianini charged to P6 ahead of teammate Francesco Bagnaia. The #1 was 0.582s adrift from the top spot and was behind his title rival at the start of a pivotal weekend. Bagnaia's morning ended dramatically, with the Italian suffering a crash on the entry to Turn 1 during the practice start session.
😱 @PeccoBagnaia locked the front as Maverick was passing!
— MotoGP™🏁 (@MotoGP) November 15, 2024
That's a crash during the practice start session for the title challenger 💥#SolidarityGP 🏁 pic.twitter.com/RBqgwmtErG
Aprilia Racing’s Maverick Viñales wrapped up FP1 in eighth, while Jack Miller returned to action, placing ninth in the standings after a consistent session that earned the Aussie a spot ahead of Marc Marquez (Gresini Racing MotoGP™). The #93 grabbed the final position inside the top 10 as the battle for third place in the Championship continues to heat up. Further back, Aleix Espargaro (Aprilia Racing) took 14th in an emotional weekend for the #41 as he prepares for his final outing as a full-time MotoGP™ rider.
Friday’s action does not stop here, with a vital 60 minutes coming up in MotoGP™ Practice as the premier class stars battle for a Q2 spot at 15:00 local time (UTC +1), and we continue to go #RacingForValencia.
Top 10:
| 1 | Takaaki Nakagami (IDEMITSU Honda LCR) | 1:40.501 |
| 2 | Pedro Acosta (Red Bull GASGAS Tech3) | +0.411 |
| 3 | Alex Marquez (Gresini Racing MotoGP™) | +0.414 |
| 4 | Brad Binder (Red Bull KTM Factory Racing) | +0.451 |
| 5 | Jorge Martin (Prima Pramac Racing) | +0.470 |
| 6 | Enea Bastianini (Ducati Lenovo Team) | +0.568 |
| 7 | Francesco Bagnaia (Ducati Lenovo Team) | +0.582 |
| 8 | Maverick Viñales (Aprilia Racing) | +0.626 |
| 9 | Jack Miller (Red Bull KTM Factory Racing) | +0.677 |
| 10 | Marc Marquez (Gresini Racing MotoGP™) | +0.695 |