Teruel MotoGP: Alex Marquez quickest in FP1 despite crash
Honda's Alex Marquez topped the first MotoGP practice for the inaugural Teruel Grand Prix despite crashing late on, while title contender Fabio Quartararo was only 17th.
Rookie Marquez has been Honda's leading light during this latest triple-header with two podiums, the latest coming at Aragon last weekend when he put on a charge for victory.
After recording his worst MotoGP finish in last weekend's Aragon GP, Petronas SRT's Quartararo set the initial pace on his Yamaha with a 1m50.694s.
This was quickly bettered by KTM's Pol Espargaro with a 1m49.688s, before Pramac's Jack Miller and factory Yamaha rider Maverick Vinales shot to the top of the order – the latter lowering the pace to a 1m49.176s.
Aragon GP podium finisher Marquez then dipped into the 1m48s for the first time in the session with a 1m48.953s, which stood as the benchmark for the next six minutes.
Fellow Honda rider Takaaki Nakagami – who penned a two-year extension with HRC pre-weekend – deposed his works counterpart on the year-old LCR bike with a 1m48.622s.
Given this is the second round at Aragon in the space of a week and conditions are expected to be fine this afternoon, very few riders opted to fit a fresh soft rear tyre for a time attack at the end of the session.
Marquez was one of them – whose weakest point this year has been qualifying – and found time on his penultimate effort and took over top spot again with a 1m48.184s.
The Spaniard was on for an improvement on his last lap, but crashed unhurt at the final corner when the front-end of his RC213V folded out from underneath him.
He led a Honda 1-2 in FP1 as Nakagami held onto second, while championship leader Joan Mir on the Suzuki completed the top three with a 1m48.993s after a consistent run of laps in the session.
Stefan Bradl – who has been testing some new items for Honda - was fourth fastest ahead of SRT's Franco Morbidelli and Vinales, while Miller was the leading Ducati in FP1 in seventh on his Pramac GP20.
The Espargaro brothers of Aprilia's Aleix and Pol on the KTM headed LCR's Cal Crutchlow, whose session ended early with an apparent technical issue, to complete the top 10.
Aragon GP race winner Alex Rins was 12th, while both factory Ducatis of Danilo Petrucci and Andrea Dovizioso were 14th and 16th.
Quartararo was only 17th, but was one of the many not to go for a time attack late on and spent the entirety of FP1 on the same soft front, medium rear tyre.
| Cla | Rider | Bike | Laps | Time | Gap |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 |  Alex Marquez | Honda | 18 | 1'48.184 | |
| 2 |  Takaaki Nakagami | Honda | 21 | 1'48.622 | 0.438 |
| 3 | Joan Mir | Suzuki | 20 | 1'48.993 | 0.809 |
| 4 |  Stefan Bradl | Honda | 19 | 1'49.003 | 0.819 |
| 5 |  Franco Morbidelli | Yamaha | 21 | 1'49.100 | 0.916 |
| 6 | Maverick Viñales | Yamaha | 17 | 1'49.176 | 0.992 |
| 7 |  Jack Miller | Ducati | 16 | 1'49.211 | 1.027 |
| 8 | Aleix Espargaro | Aprilia | 19 | 1'49.305 | 1.121 |
| 9 | Pol Espargaro | KTM | 15 | 1'49.346 | 1.162 |
| 10 |  Cal Crutchlow | Honda | 13 | 1'49.356 | 1.172 |
| 11 |  Johann Zarco | Ducati | 19 | 1'49.360 | 1.176 |
| 12 | Alex Rins | Suzuki | 20 | 1'49.372 | 1.188 |
| 13 |  Miguel Oliveira | KTM | 17 | 1'49.442 | 1.258 |
| 14 | Danilo Petrucci | Ducati | 19 | 1'49.482 | 1.298 |
| 15 | Iker Lecuona | KTM | 18 | 1'49.501 | 1.317 |
| 16 | Andrea Dovizioso | Ducati | 18 | 1'49.512 | 1.328 |
| 17 | Fabio Quartararo | Yamaha | 18 | 1'49.621 | 1.437 |
| 18 | Bradley Smith | Aprilia | 18 | 1'49.727 | 1.543 |
| 19 |  Brad Binder | KTM | 17 | 1'49.962 | 1.778 |
| 20 | Tito Rabat | Ducati | 22 | 1'50.215 | 2.031 |
| 21 | Francesco Bagnaia | Ducati | 16 | 1'50.251 | 2.067 |
| View full results | |||||
Marquez absence not reason for “strange” season – Quartararo
Michelin explains Quartararo’s Aragon GP tyre issue
How Quartararo cast aside prior doubts to become MotoGP's new king
Doubts were cast over Yamaha’s French recruit after his disastrous end to the 2020 MotoGP season with Petronas SRT, but Fabio Quartararo answered them convincingly in 2021 to claim a MotoGP title that exhibited both his devastating speed and mental strength
The Rossi-less future MotoGP must now navigate
Motorcycle racing's greatest showman has left the stage, as Valentino Rossi calls time on his remarkable career on two wheels. But in his successors, all of whom were inspired by 'the Doctor', grand prix racing has vibrant new acts to keep us hooked
Valentino Rossi’s 10 greatest MotoGP races
As the Italian legend finally bows out and retires from MotoGP, it marks the end of one of the most incredible careers in motorsport history. Here is Motorsport.com's pick of his best rides and the stories behind them
How Ducati has drawn first blood in the 2022 MotoGP title race
The 2021 MotoGP season may have only just ended but preparations for 2022 are well underway following a two-day test at Jerez this week. Ducati has hit the ground running while a lack of progress dominated Yamaha’s and world champion Fabio Quartararo’s test. While no battle lines have been drawn yet for 2022, it appears Ducati has already drawn first blood...
Why Suzuki's quest for a new MotoGP boss may be too late
Suzuki is on the search for a new team manager after its decision not to replace Davide Brivio at the start of 2021 was backed up by its unsuccessful bid to help Joan Mir defend his 2020 MotoGP world title. But whoever Shinichi Sahara appoints next, it may have already come too late to convince Mir to stick with the project
How Rossi got the perfect send-off to his MotoGP career
The greatest chapter in MotoGP history came to a close at the Valencia Grand Prix as Valentino Rossi bid farewell after 26 seasons of grand prix racing. While his run to a strong 10th was a pleasing end to his time in MotoGP, it was what happened at the front of the grid that capped the Italian's ideal send-off
Why MotoGP's under-fire graduate has a point to prove
OPINION: MotoGP-bound Darryn Binder was already under the microscope as his jump from Moto3 to join RNF's new top-class team was announced. But his crash with title hopeful Dennis Foggia caused significant consternation among the ranks - with many current riders suggesting the top level should be harder to break into as a result
How Portugal exposed the biggest threat to Quartararo
Fabio Quartararo’s first DNF of his title-winning 2021 MotoGP season couldn’t have come at a better time. But the events of the Yamaha rider’s Algarve Grand Prix exposed the M1’s well-known major weakness, which could threaten his championship defence given the increasingly Ducati-heavy makeup of the grid heading into 2022