Aleix Espargarò confirms his special feeling with the Montmelò track and wins pole position for the 2024 Catalan Grand Prix, sixth round of the MotoGP World Championship of the season. After announcing his retirement (at the end of the year) in the Thursday press conference, the Iberian host unleashed the full potential of his Aprilia on the flying lap, setting a new circuit record in 1’38″190 and laying the foundations for two races (Sprint and GP) as a protagonist.
Pole missed at the last minute by just 31 thousandths but still an excellent second position on the grid Francesco Bagnaia, who will therefore be able to compete for the victory or at least the podium with Ducati in today’s Sprint Race and above all in the long race on Sunday. Front row completed in third place 71 thousandths from the top for the Aprilia Trackhouse of Raul Fernandez.
Good fourth place, 144 thousandths from pole position for KTM’s South African Brad Binder, who preceded the phenomenal Spanish rookie Pedro Acosta on the KTM of Team Red Bull GasGas Tech3 and the Roman’s Ducati GP23 Fabio Di Giannantonio. Disappointment for the championship leader Jorge Martin, who had to settle for seventh place, 211 thousandths from the lead, following a fall at the start of his last run with the Ducati Pramac. The blues are in the fourth row Franco Morbidelli 10th and Enea Bastianini 11th.
Marc Marquez eliminated again in Q1 (as in Le Mans).who probably paid a high price for the choice to follow his brother Alex closely in the second run of the round, finishing the qualifying in 14th position right behind his Team Gresini teammate. Also excluded from Q2 were the other Italians Marco Bezzecchi 16th and Luca Marini 22nd.
2024 MOTOGP CATALONIA GP QUALIFICATION RANKING
1 41 Aleix ESPARGARO SPA Aprilia Racing APRILIA Q2 1’38.190 7 7 349.5
2 1 Francesco BAGNAIA ITA Ducati Lenovo Team DUCATI Q2 1’38.221 3 8 0.031 0.031 349.5
3 25 Raul FERNANDEZ SPA Trackhouse Racing APRILIA Q2 1’38.261 6 7 0.071 0.040 350.6
4 33 Brad BINDER RSA Red Bull KTM Factory Racing KTM Q2 1’38.334 6 8 0.144 0.073 352.9
5 31 Pedro ACOSTA SPA Red Bull GASGAS Tech3 KTM Q2 1’38.369 3 8 0.179 0.035 352.9
6 49 Fabio DI GIANNANTONIO ITA Pertamina Enduro VR46 Racing Team DUCATI Q2 1’38.400 6 8 0.210 0.031 349.5
7 89 Jorge MARTIN SPA First Pramac Racing DUCATI Q2 1’38.401 2 5 0.211 0.001 350.6
8 42 Alex RINS SPA Monster Energy Yamaha MotoGP TeaYAMAHA Q2 1’38.692 6 7 0.502 0.291 349.5
9 43 Jack MILLER AUS Red Bull KTM Factory Racing KTM Q2 1’38.763 6 7 0.573 0.071 350.6
10 21 Franco MORBIDELLI ITA First Pramac Racing DUCATI Q2 1’38.778 3 5 0.588 0.015 349.5
11 23 Enea BASTIANINI ITA Ducati Lenovo Team DUCATI Q2 1’38.860 3 8 0.670 0.082 350.6
12 12 Maverick VIÑALES SPA Aprilia Racing APRILIA Q2 1’38.972 2 6 0.782 0.112 347.2
13 73 Alex MARQUEZ SPA Gresini Racing MotoGP DUCATI Q1 1’38.530 8 8
0.322 348.3
14 93 Marc MARQUEZ SPA Gresini Racing MotoGP DUCATI Q1 1’38.536 7 8
0.328 0.006 351.7
15 88 Miguel OLIVEIRA POR Trackhouse Racing APRILIA Q1 1’38.551 6 8
0.343 0.015 354.0
16 72 Marco BEZZECCHI ITA Pertamina Enduro VR46 Racing Team DUCATI Q1 1’38.662 7 8
0.454 0.111 355.2
17 20 Fabio QUARTARARO FRA Monster Energy Yamaha MotoGP TeaYAMAHA Q1 1’38.705 7 8
0.497 0.043 349.5
18 5 Johann ZARCO FRA CASTROL Honda LCR HONDA Q1 1’38.978 6 7
0.770 0.273 351.719 37 Augusto FERNANDEZ SPA Red Bull GASGAS Tech3 KTM Q1 1’39.120 6 80.912 0.142 355.220 30 Takaaki NAKAGAMI JPN IDEMITSU Honda LCR HONDA Q1 1’39.156 8 80.948 0.036 347.221 36 Joan MIR SPA Repsol Honda Team HONDA Q1 1’39.524 7 71.316 0.368 351.722 10 Luca MARINI ITA Repsol Honda Team HONDA Q1 1’39.621 7 81.413 0.097 348.323 6 Stefan BRADL GER HRC Test Team HONDA Q1 1’40.276 6 82.068 0.655 349.5
