Aprilia sweeps Argentina MotoGP Friday, Quartararo to Q1

Aleix Espargaro ended MotoGP’s Friday practice in Argentina on top as Aprilia shone again, while Yamaha’s championship hopeful Fabio Quartararo and all the KTMs were consigned to Q1.

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Key moments:

> Espargaro 0.162s ahead of Vinales

> Bezzecchi, Marini best of the rest for VR46

> Nakagami, Morbidelli book Q2 places

> Quartararo in strife

> KTMs miss out

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Espargaro posted a 1m38.518s late on to end the day as the pace-setter, jumping a tenth and a half ahead of team-mate Maverick Vinales, who had topped the opening session.

Behind the Aprilia clean sweep – after the Noale bikes were also 1-2 in first practice – VR46 Ducati recorded a 3-4, Marco Bezzecchi heading Luca Marini.

With both the VR46 riders on year-old Ducatis, Pramac’s Johann Zarco was best of the current-spec Desmosedicis in fifth, followed by reigning champion Pecco Bagnaia and the other Pramac entry of Jorge Martin.

LCR Honda’s Takaaki Nakagami and Yamaha’s Franco Morbidelli, both under pressure due to their current form and contract status, delivered stellar Friday showings, and both managed to pick up automatic Q2 spots.

Nakagami’s late improvement meant a Q1 spot for former team-mate Alex Marquez, who was unable to respond and ended up 0.067s off 10th place – with the final automatic Q2 spot going instead to Marquez’s LCR replacement Alex Rins.

The KTM RC16s, so promising in Portimao, underwhelmed, with even a tow from Marini not quite enough for its lead rider Binder to get over the line for a Q2 berth.

But it was enough to lift Binder past both Joan Mir – the Honda works team’s sole representative this weekend in Marc Marquez’s absence – and Quartararo.

The 2021 champion is enduring what may well be his worst weekend as a Yamaha factory rider so far, looking well adrift of Morbidelli all throughout Friday – with his final 14th place coming as little surprise.

Glad to see @Afernandez37 is all OK after tumbling through the gravel at Turn 1! 👍

The first real blip in the rookie's progression so far this season 💨#ArgentinaGP 🇦🇷 pic.twitter.com/I0oxceezf9

— MotoGP™🏁 (@MotoGP) March 31, 2023

After Rins’ fall in first practice, it was another one-crash session. Rookie Augusto Fernandez (Tech3 Gas Gas) was the faller, tumbling quite heavily as he entered the gravel, but was unhurt and ultimately continued to show what looks like stellar pace relative to the works KTMs – even if he did end up 17th of 18 riders.

Practice 2 Results