Aragon MotoGP Results, Qualifying | Bagnaia heads all-Ducati front row

Round 15 of the 2022 MotoGP World Championship takes the championship to Aragon this weekend. Francesco Bagnaia comes into the weekend off the back of four consecutive wins, and arrives at the circuit where he took his first MotoGP win last season.

Overview

• Qualifying - Francesco Bagnaia takes pole position, as title rivals Fabio Quartararo and Aleix Espargaro qualify on row two.

• FP1 + FP2 - Jorge Martin fastest on Friday as Marc Marquez completes the first day of his competitive comeback to racing.

• FP3 - Jack Miller tops the final timed practice session before qualifying, and is the only rider below 1:47, as Marc Marquez misses out on the top 10.

Qualifying

Jack Miller headed into qualifying for the Aragon MotoGP as the fastest rider, with four of his Ducati stablemates ensuring a lockout of the top five in free practice behind the Australian. 

Before the start of qualifying, it was announced by Suzuki that Joan Mir would not be continuing this weekend. It was his first race back after crashing in Austria and breaking his ankle, which was not recovered enough to allow him to ride normally. He was unable to use the rear brake properly, which meant he couldn't stop or turn well enough. Mir will also miss the next race in Japan.

Marc Marquez was looking for a tow at the start of Q1, but he set his fastest time without one. A 1:46.909 was the fastest lap of the weekend, but with over half of the session still remaining there was still time for others - and Marquez himself - to improve.

A crash for Maverick Vinales at turn two brought out red flags, which left him out of contention for Q2. It also brought out yellow flags for the likes of Luca Marini behind, who was third after his first run.

But the yellow flags were not relevant for Johann Zarco, who went fastest with around one minute to go. Aleix Espargaro then went fastest, knocking Marc Marquez out. Marquez could not respond because of yellow flags at turns four and five for Pol Espargaro, which somewhat neutralised the end of the session, and ensured passage to Q2 for Aleix Espargaro and Johann Zarco.

Enea Bastianini set a blistering early pace in Q2, with a 1:46.580 - another fastest lap of the weekend. After the everyone's respective first runs, championship leader Fabio Quartararo was seventh, and Aleix Espargaro was 11th having been unable to use a new soft tyre on his first run.

On the second run, it was Francesco Bagnaia who took pole position with a 1:46.069, ahead of Jack Miller and Enea Bastianini, who took his third front row in succession. 

In fourth place was Aleix Espargaro, who rescued his weekend with his final lap, while Johann Zarco completed the top five.

Fabio Quartararo was 0.733 seconds off pole position as he qualified sixth, ahead of Marco Bezzecchi, Jorge Martin, Alex Rins, Brad Binder, Miguel Oliveira, and Takaaki Nakagami who was slowest of the 12 Q2 competitors.

Full Aragon MotoGP qualifying results are below.

2022 Grand Prix of Aragon | MotorLand Aragon | Qualifying Results

FP3

The other thing that was made clear on Friday was that this weekend's race in Aragon would be all about managing tyres, because of the condition of the track surface, which is as old as the track itself, and has not been re-laid since 2009.

That meant that in FP3 riders and teams were still trying to understand which tyre would be the best option for the race, and how to best manage that tyre, as well as focusing at the end of the session on setting fast lap times for Q2 qualification. 

Marc Marquez was not hanging around to get up to speed on Saturday morning. Within the first 10 minutes of the session he had already saved a huge front slide which dragged him off the race track through the final two corners. It was on his stronger left arm, but nonetheless a confirmation that even in his first race weekend back from the fourth surgery on his right humerus, he is pushing the limits of the Honda RC213V.

15 minutes later, he had the first crash of his comeback, and it was in a right-hander. In turn seven, he was slightly wide on approach, which meant he had too much lean angle when braking into the corner, and so he lost the front.

Because he lost the front quite early in the braking zone, it was a relatively fast crash to have in what is quite a slow corner. It also meant that his body felt some impact when he hit the deck, because it had to fall from his braking body position; in comparison to a mid-corner crash, where the rider is almost lying on the floor already. In any case, Marquez was straight back on his feet, and running to the scooter on the outside of the corner to take him back to the Repsol Honda Team pit box. 

With just over 10 minutes to go, Jack Miller became the first rider inside 1:47, before crashes for Brad Binder, Darryn Binder, Cal Crutchlow and Alex Rins brought out several yellow flags. 

A late lap from Francesco Bagnaia was the closest anyone got to Miller's 1:46.992, but even that was outside the 1:46s. He took second place, ahead of Marc Bezzecchi, Enea Bastianini and Jorge Martin, who completed the top five. 

Behind, Brad Binder was sixth, ahead of his factory KTM teammate, Miguel Oliveira, while Fabio Quartararo was eighth, from Takaaki Nakagami - the only Honda in the top 10 - and Alex Rins. 

A disappointing session for Aprilia left Aleix Espargaro in 11th and Maverick Vinales in 17th, while Marc Marquez went 12th with his final flying lap.

Full combined times from MotoGP Free Practice in Aragon are below.

2022 Grand Prix of Aragon | MotorLand Aragon | FP Combined Results

FP1 + FP2

The major news of day one in Aragon was Marc Marquez' return to action. He was already faster than teammate Pol Espargaro at the end of FP1 - which was topped by Aleix Espargaro - and after 20 minutes in FP2 he was the top Honda overall in sixth. 

Before FP2, there was also the news that Pol Espargaro's 2023 teammate in the Tech 3 GasGas Factory Racing team will be Augusto Fernandez, who topped Moto2 FP1 in MotorLand on Friday morning.

With just under 10 minutes to go in FP2, Maverick Vinales topped the combined times for Aprilia, ahead of Francesco Bagnaia and Fabio Quartararo, who was having a more positive afternoon than morning, possibly thanks to the new chassis, first tested post-race in Misano, that he seems to be favouring already this weekend.

A fast lap from Jorge Martin took him to the top of the times, and confirmed him as the fastest rider of day one in MotorLand. Fabio Quartararo was a solid second, ahead of Johann Zarco, Enea Bastianini and Francesco Bagnaia who completed the top five. 

Alex Rins was briefly fastest before the others' laps, but he ended the day in sixth, ahead of Maverick Vinales and Marc Marquez, who might have ended the day fastest himself but for a rear slide in the middle of the final corner on his fast lap. Jack Miller and Luca Marini hold the final two overnight provisional Q2 spots.

Full MotoGP FP1 and FP2 combined results are below.

2022 Grand Prix of Aragon | MotorLand Aragon | FP1 + FP2 Combined Results