Overview
- Following Friday's FP1 benchmark from Alex Marquez, Pedro Acosta set a 1:38.710 to lead the later practice by 0.018s from Marquez with Brad Binder third.
- Jorge Martin crashed heavily at Turn 12 in FP1, was checked by the series doctor for left forearm pain, then fell again at Turn 2 in Practice and ended 17th with reports describing a minor concussion that has not been officially confirmed.
- Only the top 10 advance straight to Q2, the pole shootout, which put Acosta, Marquez, Binder, Raul Fernandez, Johann Zarco, Fabio Di Giannantonio, Marco Bezzecchi, Joan Mir, Jack Miller and Fabio Quartararo through.
- Francesco Bagnaia, Enea Bastianini, Ai Ogura and Martin must fight through Q1 on Saturday, a setback as Bezzecchi holds a one-point lead over Martin after Aprilia’s Le Mans surge.
- Cold, low-grip conditions at Catalunya produced multiple ‘cold-tyre’ falls at Turns 2 and 12, and the KTM’s stability in such grip levels helped Acosta and Binder rise to the top while reigning champion Marc Marquez remained sidelined after shoulder and foot surgery.