Jorge Martin was just over a second away from his MotoGP lap record at Misano and a slender 0.037s faster than Aragon winner Marc Marquez in opening practice for the San Marino Grand Prix.
In hot and sunny conditions, Martin, who is struggling with the residue of a stomach virus and is at less than peak fitness, set his best effort on his 13th of 20 laps in the session to top FP1 ahead of Marc Marquez and KTM wildcard Pol Espargaro.
Espargaro initially headed the list on the development version of the KTM RC16 and has good previous form with the Austrian bike at the track, having finished on the podium at Misano in 2020.
The Catalan was the first of three KTMs in the top 10 as Brad Binder took seventh – just three-tenths from leader Martin – and Pedro Acosta on the Tech3 10th, having also posted the highest top speed of 301.6kph (187.4mph).
Franco Morbidelli, who took the first of his three career grand prix victories at Misano in 2020, was fourth for Pramac Ducati and in front of Yamaha’s Fabio Quartararo.
The Frenchman started the day promisingly at the site where he celebrated the 2021 MotoGP championship and where Yamaha has been conducting the majority of its testing programme in 2024 as it maximises the concessions allowance.
Fabio Quartararo, Yamaha Factory Racing
Photo by: Gold and Goose / Motorsport Images
Aleix Espargaro was the quickest Aprilia in sixth just ahead of Binder, with world champion Francesco Bagnaia, who said he is still suffering pain in his neck and shoulder after his race crash last weekend, in eighth.
Maverick Viñales rode the other factory Aprilia RS-GP24 to ninth ahead of Acosta.
Jack Miller, expected to be announced as a Pramac Yamaha rider here when the series returns for the next round in two weeks, was 11th with the resurgent Augusto Fernandez in 12th.
Enea Bastianini, a rider with three MotoGP podium finishes at Misano, was 0.761s from top spot in 13th and was in front of the first Honda rider in the FP1 classification of Johann Zarco.
Repsol Honda has been reduced to one-man representation in open practice as Joan Mir could not contest the session due to illness. The 2020 world champion needed medical treatment for a stomach virus on Thursday and was still not fit enough to ride Friday morning.
Luca Marini was 18th fastest and over a second slower than the top Ducati runner.
MotoGP San Marino Grand Prix – FP1 results
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