Aprilia got off to a strong start at the Catalan MotoGP GP. The Noale manufacturer dominated the opening session in Barcelona, with one of its riders leading from the first five minutes.
After the initial flying laps, Maverick Viñales was on top. From then until the end, the Spaniard alternated in the lead with his Aprilia teammate, Aleix Espargaró.
It was indeed Aleix Espargaró, racing at home, who set the fastest time: 1m39.809s. Viñales secured an Aprilia one-two with the second-best time, 0.264s behind the leader. Jorge Martín (Prima Pramac/Ducati) finished third.
The top five was rounded out by the protagonists from the Austrian GP: Brad Binder (Red Bull KTM) and Francesco Bagnaia (Ducati). Pol Espargaró (GasGas Tech3/KTM) surprised with the sixth-fastest time.
The session was particularly challenging for Honda, as three of its four riders ended up in the last three positions. Six-time world champion Marc Márquez (Repsol Honda) suffered a crash and could only manage 21st place.
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