Today marked the first running of Motogp in Brazil since 2004, and the first in Goiania since 1989. Despite this the track layout bared no chance since the last race here, but that didn’t mean Friday didn’t surprise us.
FP1: Acosta fastest as track becomes a concern
Free Practice 1 in Goiania was a case of falling lap times as bikes were on wet tyres for the majority of the session, after the downpour that delayed Moto3 earlier in the day.
However, as the track began to dry it became evident that there were large patches of standing water that wouldn’t be drying up any time soon, therefore delaying teams from moving to slick tyres.
The first rider to switch was the master of the changeable conditions Jack Miller. Despite arguably switching too early, he would end the session 2nd behind the world championship leading KTM of Pedro Acosta.
Another standout result was Fermin Aldeguer in 8th, having missed the Thai GP and all of pre season with a broken femur.
Top 5:
- Pedro Acosta
- Jack Miller
- Marco Bezzecchi
- Marc Marquez
- Franco Morbidelli
Practice: Spots of rain leads to unexpected results
The practice session would be met with the threat of rain beginning after the sunny spells from earlier on in the day faded, and the wind picked.
Despite spots of rain falling from an early point in the session, times were still falling all the time, with riders having to keep navigating the damp patches still present across the whole day, meaning it was a case of who could time their best lap the best.
That man ended up being the LCR Honda of Johann Zarco, with Marc Marquez splitting the Frenchman and a sensational Toprak Razgatlioglu in P3.
Other honourable mentions were Fabio Quartararo and Fermin Aldeguer in P7 and P8 respectively, with neither being expected to be in the top 10 this weekend, especially Aldeguer having come back from a long injury.
However these changeable conditions left big hitters facing Q1. These include the likes of Bezzecchi, Fernandez and the VR46 bikes, and Bastianini was left almost 5 seconds off the pace.
Through to Q2:
- Johann Zarco
- Marc Marquez
- Toprak Razgatlioglu
- Jorge Martin
- Pedro Acosta
- Alex Marquez
- Fabio Quartararo
- Fermin Aldeguer
- Francseco Bagnaia
- Ai Ogura
Key Points to take from Friday in Brazil
- Rain is in to affect the whole weekend
- Possible unexpected results are on the cards
- Ducati are closer to, if not quicker than Aprilia in Brazil
- Yamaha showed stronger pace in changeable conditions
From rain to injuries to atmosphere, this track proved to be a showstopper in its first day back.
Long Lap Loop 