Marquez leads opening Aragon MotoGP session
Defending MotoGP champion Marc Marquez headed the opening premier-class practice session at Aragon.
Marquez brothers Marc and Alex, who both count Aragon among their favourite circuits, led for most of the session - and Marc stayed ahead despite sticking with the same set of tyres.
He was close to being usurped late on by the fresh-tyred Raul Fernandez, but Trackhouse's British Grand Prix winner ultimately came up 0.035s short.
Marco Bezzecchi (Aprilia) and the younger Marquez were 0.221s and 0.264s off the top time in the end, both staying on old rubber in the end.
But there was a surprising chasm of over four tenths between Alex Marquez in fourth and Pedro Acosta in fifth, Acosta by far the strongest of KTMs but having his almost-customary FP1 crash at Turn 12 late on.
There were strong showings for injury returnees Fermin Aldeguer (ninth) and Johann Zarco (11th), Zarco the lead Honda in his first MotoGP appearance in months after a long absence due to knee injury.
As for the injury stand-ins, Pol Espargaro was a credible 15th for Tech3 KTM in Maverick Vinales's stead, and Aprilia tester Lorenzo Savadori was 2.8s off in last - on his first appearance on the 1,000cc bike in a long time as he replaces injured title hopeful Ai Ogura.
The only other crashes besides Acosta was Fabio Di Giannantonio, who shrugged off an early fall at Turn 3.
Session results
1 Marc Marquez (Ducati) 1m47.532s
2 Raul Fernandez (Trackhouse Aprilia) +0.035s
3 Marco Bezzecchi (Aprilia) +0.221s
4 Alex Marquez (Gresini Ducati) +0.264s
5 Pedro Acosta (KTM) +0.713s
6 Jack Miller (Pramac Yamaha) +0.767s
7 Franco Morbidelli (VR46 Ducati) +0.847s
8 Fabio Di Giannantonio (VR46 Ducati) +0.937s
9 Fermin Aldeguer (Gresini Ducati) +0.966s
10 Fabio Quartararo (Yamaha) +1.108s
11 Johann Zarco (LCR Honda) +1.117s
12 Alex Rins (Yamaha) +1.273s
13 Diogo Moreira (LCR Honda) +1.290s
14 Joan Mir (Honda) +1.352s
15 Pol Espargaro (Tech3 KTM) +1.477s
16 Toprak Razgatlioglu (Pramac Yamaha) +1.574s
17 Luca Marini (Honda) +1.582s
18 Jorge Martin (Aprilia) +1.591s
19 Brad Binder (KTM) +1.789s
20 Pecco Bagnaia (Ducati) +1.875s
21 Enea Bastianini (Tech3 KTM) +1.969s
22 Lorenzo Savadori (Trackhouse Aprilia) +2.785s
