Brad Binder delivered a statement performance in Friday’s MotoGP practice, leading a KTM 1-2 at the end of a hectic final time attack session.
The South African clocked a 1m38.141s on his 24th lap to secure top spot, just 0.104s ahead of his teammate Pedro Acosta, as KTM locked out the first two positions.
Behind them, Alex Marquez placed third for Gresini Ducati, narrowly beating his older brother and championship leader Marc Marquez, who settled for fourth on the factory Ducati.
Marco Bezzecchi was the best of the Aprilias in fifth, continuing his strong form of recent weeks.
Yellow flags brought out by @Bestia23's T2 crash 😱#CatalanGP 🏁 pic.twitter.com/AsEoOis2PI
— MotoGP™🏁 (@MotoGP) September 5, 2025
Tech3 KTM rider Enea Bastianini placed sixth despite a crash in the late stages of the session, bringing out the yellow flags at Turn 2 with four minutes to go and ruining several last-lap attempts.
Franco Morbidelli and Johann Zarco set identical lap times to finish the day seventh and eighth, while Luca Marini completed the top nine on the factory Honda.
Rookie Ai Ogura impressed with his first direct Q2 spot since his MotoGP debut weekend in Thailand, pushing Yamaha’s Fabio Quartararo out of the direct Q2 places by just 0.003s.
The Frenchman, visibly frustrated after the session, ended Practice eleventh.
Fabio Quartararo misses out by 3 thousandths 🤯💢#CatalanGP 🏁 pic.twitter.com/uz562sob9m
— MotoGP™🏁 (@MotoGP) September 5, 2025
Miguel Oliveira, Joan Mir, Fermin Aldeguer and Jack Miller rounded out the Top 10.
Several big hitters struggled for one-lap pace on the first day of running in Barcelona, and, with their chances for a direct Q2 spot on the line, were hit by the yellow flags of the Zarco and Bastianini crashes in the final minutes.
Fabio Di Giannantonio could do no better than 17th, with Francesco Bagnaia and reigning World Champion Jorge Martin failing to look anything near competitive in 21st and 23rd.
