Acosta Sets the Pace in Barcelona FP1
Barcelona, Spain - Pedro Acosta (Red Bull KTM factory Racing) stormed to the top of the timesheets in the opening practise session for the Catalan Grand Prix at the Circuit de Barcelona-catalunya, clocking a 1’38.979. The remarkable performance signals a strong start to the weekend for the young spaniard and the KTM factory.
Acosta’s late-session charge saw him leapfrog competitors, culminating in back-to-back fastest laps to secure P1. This result builds on recent strong form for the rider, suggesting a competitive weekend ahead. Notably, all four KTM bikes finished within the top ten, demonstrating the manufacturer’s promising setup at the Montmelo circuit. Johann Zarco (CASTROL Honda LCR) secured a surprising second place, while Marc Marquez (Ducati Lenovo Team) rounded out the podium in third, having led earlier in the session.
The top five was completed by Maverick Viñales (Red Bull KTM Tech 3) in fourth and Alex Marquez (BK8 Gresini Racing MotoGP) in fifth.Honda also showed late-session improvement with Luca Marini (Honda HRC Castrol) taking sixth, followed closely by Brad Binder (Red Bull KTM Factory Racing) in seventh. Marco Bezzecchi (aprilia Racing) claimed eighth, ahead of wildcard entry Aleix Espargaro (Honda HRC Test Team) in ninth. enea Bastianini (red Bull KTM Tech 3) completed the top ten, giving KTM four riders in the leading group.
Conversely, reigning champion Francesco Bagnaia (Ducati Lenovo Team) struggled, finishing 23rd and second-to-last. While Bagnaia is not typically a frontrunner in Friday practice, this result may be a cause for concern.
Full results from MotoGP FP1 in Montmelo!
