Bagnaia sets fastest practice time to open MotoGP title showdown in Barcelona

Francesco Bagnaia laid down an early marker in the final MotoGP title showdown weekend, recording the fastest practice time on Friday at the Circuit de Barcelona-Catalunya. The Italian clocked a lap of 1 minute 38.918 seconds in the afternoon session, edging closer to Jorge Martin, who leads the championship by 24 points.

After a conservative morning practice, where Honda’s Takaaki Nakagami led with a 1:40.912 lap, the pace intensified in the afternoon. Martin briefly topped the leaderboard with 15 minutes left, only to be overtaken by Maverick Vinales on an Aprilia and later retaking first place. However, Bagnaia surged in the closing minutes on his factory Ducati, outpacing Marco Bezzecchi by 0.08 seconds and Aleix Espargaro by 0.107 seconds.

Martin, who ended the session fifth, appeared tense in the pits, engaging in animated discussions with his Pramac Ducati crew. He later had an opportunity to reclaim the top spot but made a crucial mistake on a corner.

The weekend’s proceedings take place under the banner of the “Solidarity GP,” after Valencia’s devastating floods forced the race to relocate. The sprint race on Saturday offers Martin a chance to seal the championship, while Bagnaia continues his fight to defend his title.