2024 Barcelona MotoGP: Nakagami leads FP1, Bagnaia suffers late crash
LCR rider begins h𝄹is final MotoGP weekend fastest in cold FP1
LCR Honda's Takaaki Nakgamai topped FP1 at the 2024 MotoGP Solidarity Grand Prix while Francesco Bagnaia crashed during the p﷽ractice start session.
MotoGP’s second visit to Barcelona in 2024 comes in the wake of the devastating flooding in Valencia that led to the gr൩and prix at the Ricardo Tormo Circuit to be cancelled.
The Solidarity GP is n🌺amed as such to honour the peopl♛e of Valencia.
The champions𓆉hip battle between Jorge Martin and Bagnaia comes down to the wire this weekend, 𝓀with the former leading the way by 24 points.
After the opening 45-minute practice, Martin held the advantage over his rival in fifth, whi🔯le Bagnaia was seventh.
Top honours went to Naka൩gami and Honda, with the Japanese rider set to retire from full-💦time racing at the end of this weekend to take up a new role as an HRC development rider.
Fitting a ಌfresh medium rear tyre for his final run, Nakagami shot toꦇ the top of the order on his LCR-run RC213V with a 1m40.501s in the final moments to lead the way by 0.411s.
He headed Tech3 GAS🌳GAS𝓡 rookie Pedro Acosta, who was involved in a scary collision with team-mate Augusto Fernandez five minutes into the session.
The pair exited Turn 5 side-by-side and made contact on the exit, with both riders going down an🎶d the red flag🃏 brought out to clear up the debris.
Both riders were unhurt𒉰 🦄in the collision and were able to get back on track for the restart.
When action resumed, Martin set the early pace with a 1m41.8ꦑ20s, with Bagnaia edging ahead moments later with a 1m41.798s.
Top spot would change hands to Pramac’s Martin again, with Gresini’s Alex Marquez and Acosta tak🃏ing turns l✱eading the way.
Acosta took overဣ top spot with a 1m40.912s with just under half an hour remaining, and would stay at the head of the pack until Nakagami - who crashed at Turn 2 during the session - fired in a 1m40.501s with just over two minutes to go.
Alex Marquez completed the top three behind Nakagami and A꧑costa, while KTM’s Brad Binder was fou𒐪rth and Martin was fifth.
He headed the factory team Duc♔ati duo of Enea Bastianini and Bagnaia, who was involved in an odd incident at the end of the session during the practice start phase.
On the approach to Turn 1, Aಌprilia’s Maverick Vinales swooped ahead of Bagnaia into the braking zone🦂.
There was no contact, but Bagnaia crashed under🦋 braking and was livid with Vinales, who was eighth at the🦋 chequered flag.
KTM’s Jack Miller and Marc Mar🌺quez (Gresini) completed the top 10.
Fabio Quartararo was the leading Yamaha in 11th, while Augusto Fernandez was 18th after his ea𒊎rly tan💞gle with Acosta.
Michele Pirro was 20th as♔ he stands in f♋or Fabio Di Giannantonio at VR46, while Miguel Oliveira headed Trackhouse team-mate Raul Fernandez in 21st on his return from injury.
