MotoGP

Binder quickest as pivotal Sepang MotoGP weekend kicks off

by Valentin Khorounzhiy
3 min read

KTM rider Brad Binder set the fastest time in the opening practice session of MotoGP’s penultimate race weekend of 2022 at Sepang.

Key moments:

> Quartararo a deceptive seventh

> Ditto for Bagnaia in 11th

> Espargaro limited to five laps

Championship leader Fabio Quartararo spent the vast majority of FP1 – the first grand prix weekend MotoGP session at Sepang since 2019 – in the lead, but was relegated to seventh and a second off the pace late on, simply by virtue of deciding not to switch to fresh tyres.

Binder was among those who did, his medium-medium selection propelling him to a 1m59.479s that put him ahead of Marc Marquez (Honda) at the chequered flag.

Phillip Island race winner Alex Rins (Suzuki) also jumped ahead of Marquez after the flag flew, while outside title hopeful Enea Bastianini (Gresini Ducati), Rins’ team-mate Joan Mir and Pramac Ducati rider Jorge Martin completed the top six – Bastianini having passed VR46 Ducati’s Luca Marini on his fastest lap.

Championship leader Francesco Bagnaia, who will be champion this weekend if he outscores Quartararo by 11 points or more while not dropping more than two points relative to Aleix Espargaro, was 12th, likewise forgoing a late switch to fresh rubber.

Espargaro had a particularly miserable session, crashing one Aprilia RS-GP at Turn 8 early on and then having an apparent mechanical problem develop on his spare – this combining to limit him to just five laps.

His team-mate Maverick Vinales got 11 laps more but likewise didn’t look to be having a great time, only one place ahead in 19th and having himself just narrowly avoided a shunt.

Joining Espargaro on the crash list were rookies Marco Bezzecchi (VR46 Ducati) and Darryn Binder (RNF Yamaha).

Practice 1 Results

Pos Name Team Bike Gap Next Gap Leader Best Time
1 Brad Binder Red Bull KTM Factory Racing KTM 1m59.479s
2 Alex Rins Team SUZUKI ECSTAR Suzuki +0.097s +0.097s 1m59.576s
3 Marc Marquez Repsol Honda Team Honda +0.047s +0.144s 1m59.623s
4 Enea Bastianini Gresini Racing MotoGP Ducati +0.252s +0.396s 1m59.875s
5 Joan Mir Team SUZUKI ECSTAR Suzuki +0.076s +0.472s 1m59.951s
6 Jorge Martin Pramac Racing Ducati +0.015s +0.487s 1m59.966s
7 Fabio Quartararo Monster Energy Yamaha MotoGP Yamaha +0.577s +1.064s 2m0.543s
8 Fabio Di Giannantonio Gresini Racing MotoGP Ducati +0.009s +1.073s 2m0.552s
9 Luca Marini Mooney VR46 Racing Team Ducati +0.181s +1.254s 2m0.733s
10 Marco Bezzecchi Mooney VR46 Racing Team Ducati +0.034s +1.288s 2m0.767s
11 Francesco Bagnaia Ducati Lenovo Team Ducati +0.003s +1.291s 2m0.77s
12 Franco Morbidelli Monster Energy Yamaha MotoGP Yamaha +0.001s +1.292s 2m0.771s
13 Alex Marquez LCR Honda Castrol Honda +0.244s +1.536s 2m01.015s
14 Jack Miller Ducati Lenovo Team Ducati +0.019s +1.555s 2m01.034s
15 Johann Zarco Pramac Racing Ducati +0.014s +1.569s 2m01.048s
16 Pol Espargaró Repsol Honda Team Honda +0.152s +1.721s 2m01.2s
17 Miguel Oliveira Red Bull KTM Factory Racing KTM +0.047s +1.768s 2m01.247s
18 Cal Crutchlow WithU Yamaha RNF MotoGP Team Yamaha +0.004s +1.772s 2m01.251s
19 Maverick Viñales Aprilia Racing Aprilia +0.077s +1.849s 2m01.328s
20 Aleix Espargaró Aprilia Racing Aprilia +0.326s +2.175s 2m01.654s
21 Remy Gardner Tech3 KTM Factory Racing KTM +0.05s +2.225s 2m01.704s
22 Darryn Binder WithU Yamaha RNF MotoGP Team Yamaha +0.127s +2.352s 2m01.831s
23 Raul Fernandez Tech3 KTM Factory Racing KTM +0s +2.352s 2m01.831s
24 Tetsuta Nagashima LCR Honda IDEMITSU Honda +1.035s +3.387s 2m02.866s
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