Valencia MotoGP, Circuit Ricardo Tormo - Free Practice (1) Results

Free Practice (1) results from the Valencia MotoGP at the Ricardo Tormo circuit, the 18th and final round of the 2021 world championship.
Iker Lecuona, Valencia MotoGP, 12 November 2021
Iker Lecuona, Valencia MotoGP, 12 November 2021
© Gold and Goose

Iker Lecuona fastest during a wet Free Practice 1 at Valencia, the start of his final MotoGP weekend before moving to WorldSBK in 2022.

Factory Ducati riders Jack Miller and Francesco Bagnaia both fell during the session on their way to second and sixth places.

KTM's Miguel Oliveira bounced back from his race-stopping accident with Lecuona in Portimao last weekend for third, ahead of Pramac Ducati's Johann Zarco and Suzuki's Joan Mir.

Luca Marini was another rider to be caught out by the slippery conditions, finishing seventh.

Valentino Rossi's legendary MotoGP career reaches its conclusion this weekend as the nine-time world champion bows out of the sport after 26 years in grand prix racing. Rossi only rode for four laps this morning.

It's also the last grand prix for Danilo Petrucci (switching to the Dakar). Petrucci suffered the first fall of the weekend, a nasty highside, walking away but did not return to action.

Marc Marquez will finish the season where he started it, on the sidelines, missing his second event in a row due to vision problems triggered by a training accident. The Repsol Honda star won't be back on a MotoGP bike until 2022.

While the riders' (Fabio Quartararo) and constructors' (Ducati) world championship have already been decided, Ducati Lenovo holds a 28-point lead (maximum of 45 points still available) over Monster Yamaha for the teams' title…

Valencia MotoGP, Circuit Ricardo Tormo - Free Practice (1) Results
PosRiderNatTeamTime/DiffLapMax
1Iker LecuonaSPAKTM Tech3 (RC16)1'40.569s17/19317k
2Jack MillerAUSDucati Team (GP21)+0.155s11/12323k
3Miguel OliveiraPORRed Bull KTM (RC16)+0.161s19/19314k
4Johann ZarcoFRAPramac Ducati (GP21)+0.371s20/20320k
5Joan MirSPASuzuki Ecstar (GSX-RR)+0.374s16/17318k
6Francesco BagnaiaITADucati Team (GP21)+0.446s13/13321k
7Luca MariniITASky VR46 Avintia Ducati (GP19)*+0.535s13/14315k
8Franco MorbidelliITAMonster Yamaha (YZR-M1)+0.631s15/17314k
9Pol EspargaroSPARepsol Honda (RC213V)+0.731s18/19318k
10Takaaki NakagamiJPNLCR Honda (RC213V)+0.917s19/19315k
11Alex RinsSPASuzuki Ecstar (GSX-RR)+0.943s16/16318k
12Jorge MartinSPAPramac Ducati (GP21)*+0.978s17/18318k
13Aleix EspargaroSPAAprilia Gresini (RS-GP)+1.320s14/14315k
14Enea BastianiniITAAvintia Ducati (GP19)*+1.405s11/14317k
15Fabio QuartararoFRAMonster Yamaha (YZR-M1)+1.512s20/21315k
16Alex MarquezSPALCR Honda (RC213V)+1.589s16/16320k
17Brad BinderRSARed Bull KTM (RC16)+1.599s18/19313k
18Andrea DoviziosoITAPetronas Yamaha (YZR-M1)+1.613s12/12308k
19Danilo PetrucciITAKTM Tech3 (RC16)+1.869s6/6310k
20Maverick ViñalesSPAAprilia Gresini (RS-GP)+2.198s14/15321k
21Valentino RossiITAPetronas Yamaha (YZR-M1)+12.412s3/4293k

* Rookie
Official Valencia MotoGP records:
Best lap:
Marc Marquez SPA Honda 1m 31.116s (2019)
Fastest race lap:
Jorge Lorenzo SPA Yamaha 1m 29.401s (2016)

By Peter McLaren

Read More

Subscribe to our MotoGP Newsletter

Get the latest MotoGP news, exclusives, interviews and promotions from the paddock direct to your inbox