Barcelona MotoGP: Valentino Rossi fastest in first practice
Yamaha factory rider Valentino Rossi topped the first practice of MotoGP's Barcelona round, as long-time leader Marc Marquez was demoted right at the end
Honda's Marquez had an early pace advantage compared to his rivals as he took the lead with his first flyer, and maintained a significant gap with a couple of improvements.
He led by nearly a second with his 1m39.882s, which remained the benchmark until the final minute of the session.
Mugello winner Jorge Lorenzo, Cal Crutchlow, Andrea Iannone and Rossi all took turns in second, closing the gap to Marquez.
Rossi eventually surpassed Marquez as he improved with only a few seconds left on the clock with a 1m39.456s, using fresh soft tyres on the front and rear of his YZR-M1.
Marquez did not improve at the end and was also demoted by Andrea Dovizioso and Lorenzo, the Ducati factory team-mates separated by one thousandth of a second in second and third.
Johann Zarco was half a tenth slower than Marquez in fifth, followed by fellow Yamaha rider Maverick Vinales.
Crutchlow ended up seventh ahead of Avintia Ducati's Tito Rabat and Iannone, whose progress was halted by a crash at the Turn 10 hairpin.
Iannone was the first rider to fall but other riders followed suit late on with Franco Morbidelli and Karel Abraham both crashing at the second part of the Turn 1/2 complex.
Jack Miller also had an incident as he tried to pass Bradley Smith into the tight downhill Turn 5 left-hander but ended up touching the Briton's KTM and falling - leaving Miller visibly frustrated with Smith after the incident.
Miller ended the session 10th ahead of Aprilia's Aleix Espargaro and Honda's Dani Pedrosa.
Wildcard Mika Kallio was the fastest KTM in 15th, beating Pol Espargaro, who was 18th, by less than a tenth.
Suzuki wildcard Sylvain Guintoli ended the session 24th, only ahead of Tom Luthi and Abraham.
FP1 times
| Pos | Rider | Team | Bike | Time | Gap | Laps |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Valentino Rossi | Yamaha | Yamaha | 1m39.456s | - | 19 |
| 2 | Andrea Dovizioso | Ducati | Ducati | 1m39.803s | 0.347s | 18 |
| 3 | Jorge Lorenzo | Ducati | Ducati | 1m39.804s | 0.348s | 18 |
| 4 | Marc Marquez | Honda | Honda | 1m39.882s | 0.426s | 21 |
| 5 | Johann Zarco | Tech3 Yamaha | Yamaha | 1m39.933s | 0.477s | 19 |
| 6 | Maverick Vinales | Yamaha | Yamaha | 1m40.114s | 0.658s | 21 |
| 7 | Cal Crutchlow | LCR Honda | Honda | 1m40.159s | 0.703s | 18 |
| 8 | Tito Rabat | Avintia Ducati | Ducati | 1m40.264s | 0.808s | 20 |
| 9 | Andrea Iannone | Suzuki | Suzuki | 1m40.274s | 0.818s | 20 |
| 10 | Jack Miller | Pramac Ducati | Ducati | 1m40.310s | 0.854s | 17 |
| 11 | Aleix Espargaro | Aprilia | Aprilia | 1m40.388s | 0.932s | 17 |
| 12 | Dani Pedrosa | Honda | Honda | 1m40.454s | 0.998s | 19 |
| 13 | Hafizh Syahrin | Tech3 Yamaha | Yamaha | 1m40.504s | 1.048s | 18 |
| 14 | Alvaro Bautista | Aspar Ducati | Ducati | 1m40.795s | 1.339s | 21 |
| 15 | Mika Kallio | KTM | KTM | 1m40.882s | 1.426s | 20 |
| 16 | Xavier Simeon | Avintia Ducati | Ducati | 1m40.896s | 1.440s | 19 |
| 17 | Alex Rins | Suzuki | Suzuki | 1m40.899s | 1.443s | 20 |
| 18 | Pol Espargaro | KTM | KTM | 1m40.945s | 1.489s | 18 |
| 19 | Danilo Petrucci | Pramac Ducati | Ducati | 1m40.957s | 1.501s | 19 |
| 20 | Takaaki Nakagami | LCR Honda | Honda | 1m41.001s | 1.545s | 20 |
| 21 | Scott Redding | Aprilia | Aprilia | 1m41.038s | 1.582s | 20 |
| 22 | Bradley Smith | KTM | KTM | 1m41.194s | 1.738s | 19 |
| 23 | Franco Morbidelli | MVDS Honda | Honda | 1m41.350s | 1.894s | 14 |
| 24 | Sylvain Guintoli | Suzuki | Suzuki | 1m41.436s | 1.980s | 17 |
| 25 | Thomas Luthi | MVDS Honda | Honda | 1m41.438s | 1.982s | 21 |
| 26 | Karel Abraham | Aspar Ducati | Ducati | 1m42.159s | 2.703s | 15 |
Jorge Lorenzo initiated Honda deal after realising Ducati rebuff
Barcelona MotoGP: Jorge Lorenzo fastest, Marc Marquez crashes
Why Honda and Yamaha have been left behind in MotoGP's new era
The once all-conquering Japanese manufacturers are going through a difficult period in MotoGP this season. With Suzuki quitting, Honda struggling to get near the podium and Yamaha only enjoying success courtesy of Fabio Quartararo, Japanese manufacturers have been left in the dust by their European counterparts. Key paddock figures explain why.
Who is Valentino Rossi’s newest MotoGP star?
Valentino Rossi’s protégés stole the show at Assen as Francesco Bagnaia stormed to victory to arrest a recent barren run. But it was the rider in second, on Bagnaia’s old bike, who had all eyes on him. Securing his and the VR46 team’s first MotoGP podium, Marco Bezzecchi has all the characteristics that made his mentor special
How Quartararo is evoking an absent MotoGP great in 2022
OPINION: Fabio Quartararo has seized control of the 2022 MotoGP world standings after another dominant victory as his nearest rivals faltered. And he is very much heading towards a second championship echoing how the dominator of the last decade achieved much of his success
The human importance of Marquez’s latest enforced MotoGP absence
OPINION: Marc Marquez will likely sit out the remainder of the 2022 MotoGP season to undergo a fourth major operation on the right arm he badly broke in 2020. It is hoped it will return him to his brilliant best after a tough start to the season without a podium to his name. But it’s the human victory that will far outweigh any future on-track success he may go on to have
Why Ducati holds all the power in its MotoGP rider dilemma
OPINION: The French Grand Prix looks to have made Ducati’s decision on its factory team line-up simpler, as Enea Bastianini stormed to his third win of the campaign and Jorge Martin crashed out for a fifth time in 2022. But, as Ducati suggests to Autosport, it remains in the strongest position in a wild rider market
The seismic aftershock left by Suzuki's decision to leave MotoGP
Suzuki's sudden decision to leave the MotoGP World Championship at the end of the season has acted as a stirring element in a market that had already erupted. Autosport analyses what this means for the grid going into 2023
How the real Ducati began to emerge in MotoGP’s Spanish GP
Ducati’s 2022 MotoGP bike has had a tough start to life and the expected early-season title charge from Francesco Bagnaia did not materialise. But the Spanish Grand Prix signalled a turning point for both the GP22 and Bagnaia, as the 2021 runner-up belatedly got his season underway after a straight fight with Fabio Quartararo
How Honda's praise for its 2022 MotoGP bike has turned into doubt
In a little over two months, Honda has gone from setting the pace in MotoGP testing with its new RC213V prototype to being at a crossroads - caused by the discrepancy in its riders' feedback. After a Portuguese GP that underwhelmed, serious questions are now being asked of Honda in 2022