Pedrosa leads FP1 on wildcard return with KTM

Pedrosa won 31 MotoGP races in an illustrious career in the premier class that spanned from 2006 to 2018, all of which being run as a factory Honda rider.

Since retiring, Pedrosa has been a KTM test rider and made a one-off wildcard outing in 2021 at the Styrian GP – in which he was 10th after being involved in a fiery crash with Aprilia’s Lorenzo Savadori in an aborted race start.

Returning for his second wildcard outing with KTM this weekend at Jerez, Pedrosa had several stints leading the opening 45-minute practice on his development RC16 before snatching top spot with a 1m36.770s on a time attack right at the death.

The veteran Spaniard deposed Pramac Ducati’s Jorge Martin by 0.034s, with LCR Honda’s Takaaki Nakagami completing the top three.

Sweltering conditions greeted the grid as it began the first practice of the Spanish GP weekend, with KTM’s Jack Miller setting the early pace with a 1m38.697s.

Miller was quickly beaten by Pedrosa, who fired in a 1m38.540s, with RNF Aprilia’s Miguel Oliveira, Yamaha’s Fabio Quartararo and Miller again all taking turns leading the session in the first 10 minutes.

Pedrosa stole a march with a 1m37.810s with 18 minutes remaining, before Jerez specialist Nakagami taking over with a 1m37.580s 12 minutes later as he kicked off the soft tyre time attack phase of FP1.

Johann Zarco on the sister Pramac Ducati edged ahead on a new medium rear with a 1m37.432s, before Aprilia’s Aleix Espargaro found a 1m37.090s on a new soft rear.

Nakagami found more time on his run, returning to top spot with just over two minutes to go with a 1m37.044s, before Martin smashed the field with a 1m36.804s.

However, this surprisingly wouldn’t keep him at the top of the order at the chequered flag, as a blinding final lap from Pedrosa of 1m36.770s meant the KTM wildcard sensationally saw out FP1 as the rider to beat.

VR46 Ducati rider Luca Marini trailed the top three by just 0.009s ahead of Espargaro and KTM’s Brad Binder, with the top 10 rounded out by Gresini Ducati’s Alex Marquez, Miller, reigning world champion Francesco Bagnaia on the factory Ducati and Aprilia’s Maverick Vinales.

Zarco found himself shuffled down to 11th after the final salvo of time attack laps, with Americas GP winner Alex Rins 12th on his LCR Honda ahead of Oliveira, championship leader Marco Bezzecchi (VR46 Ducati) and Honda’s Joan Mir.

Fabio Quartararo was only 18th on his…