Aragon MotoGP: Vinales tops delayed FP1, Quartararo crashes
Maverick Vinales topped a Yamaha 1-2-3 in a delayed first practice of the MotoGP Aragon Grand Prix as championship leader Fabio Quartararo crashed.

The first 45-minute session of the Aragon weekend was delayed by over half an hour owing to the extremely low temperatures, as Michelin’s tyres need a minimum of around 12 degrees on track for its compounds to work safely.
Once the session finally got under way, KTM’s Pol Espargaro set the first meaningful lap time with a 1m51.032s, before championship leader Quartararo on the Petronas SRT Yamaha edged ahead with a 1m51.005s.
Quartararo leads the standings by 10 points over Suzuki’s Joan Mir ahead of Sunday’s 10th rounds.
The Frenchman improved to a 1m50.677s, which stood as the benchmark for around six minutes before teammate Franco Morbidelli produced a 1m50.533s.
The Italian further improved to a 1m50.433s, though his session was interrupted in the final 10 minutes when he crashed at the Turn 14 right-hander.
The cool and windy conditions would catch out a number of riders, with Avintia’s Johann Zarco the first to be bitten by the cold when he wrecked his Ducati at Turn 14 10 minutes into the session.
Fellow rookies Alex Marquez (Honda) and Tech 3’s Iker Lecuona – who was top of the timesheets briefly at the start of the session – also took trips into the Turn 2 gravel traps.
Around 10 minutes after Morbidelli went to the top of the standings, Vinales on the sole factory team Yamaha after Valentino Rossi was ruled out with COVID-19 deposed him with the first sub 1m50s lap of the session – a 1m49.866s.
Due to the conditions and the promise of better ones this afternoon, few went out for a soft tyre time attack at the end of FP1, which meant Vinales would go unchallenged through to the chequered flag.
Morbidelli held onto second despite his crash ahead of his teammate Quartararo, who limped away from a crash at Turn 8 right at the end of the session.
Marquez jumped up to fourth late on despite his earlier tumble with a 1m50.176s ahead of LCR’s Takaaki Nakagami and the Suzuki of Mir.
Pol Espargaro was seventh on the lead KTM from the sister LCR bike of Cal Crutchlow, while Alex Rins (Suzuki) and the Aprilia of Aleix Espargaro rounded out the top 10.
Last year’s Moto2 race winner at Aragon Brad Binder was 11th on his KTM, with Jack Miller the leading Ducati runner on the Pramac GP20 in 12th on a 1m51.219s.
All Ducati runners had a low-key FP1, with Le Mans winner Danilo Petrucci 15th, teammate Andrea Dovizioso 17th and Pramac’s Francesco Bagnaia in 21st behind Zarco.
Results:
Cla | Rider | Bike | Time | Gap | |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
1 | | ![]() | Yamaha | 1'49.866 | |
2 | | ![]() | Yamaha | 1'49.951 | 0.085 |
3 | | ![]() | Yamaha | 1'50.142 | 0.276 |
4 | | ![]() | Honda | 1'50.176 | 0.310 |
5 | | ![]() | Honda | 1'50.420 | 0.554 |
6 | | ![]() | Suzuki | 1'50.425 | 0.559 |
7 | | ![]() | KTM | 1'50.464 | 0.598 |
8 | | ![]() | Honda | 1'50.598 | 0.732 |
9 | | ![]() | Suzuki | 1'50.721 | 0.855 |
10 | | ![]() | Aprilia | 1'50.801 | 0.935 |
11 | | ![]() | KTM | 1'50.973 | 1.107 |
12 | | ![]() | Ducati | 1'51.219 | 1.353 |
13 | | ![]() | KTM | 1'51.241 | 1.375 |
14 | | ![]() | Honda | 1'51.285 | 1.419 |
15 | | ![]() | Ducati | 1'51.340 | 1.474 |
16 | | ![]() | KTM | 1'51.357 | 1.491 |
17 | | ![]() | Ducati | 1'51.408 | 1.542 |
18 | | ![]() | Aprilia | 1'51.442 | 1.576 |
19 | | ![]() | Ducati | 1'51.581 | 1.715 |
20 | | ![]() | Ducati | 1'51.807 | 1.941 |
21 | | ![]() | Ducati | 1'51.934 | 2.068 |
22 | | ![]() | Yamaha | ||
View full results |

Previous article
Yamaha unlikely to replace Rossi for Teruel GP
Next article
Aragon MotoGP: Vinales dominates FP2 as Ducati struggles

About this article
Series | MotoGP |
Event | Aragon GP |
Drivers | Maverick Viñales |
Teams | Yamaha Factory Racing |
Author | Lewis Duncan |
Aragon MotoGP: Vinales tops delayed FP1, Quartararo crashes
Trending
Repsol Honda Team - Pol Espargaró Q&A
Repsol Honda Team - Marc Marquez Q&A
Why Alex Marquez doesn't care about 'shutting up' MotoGP critics
Alex Marquez's form was one of MotoGP 2020's biggest surprises and, by firmly stepping out of his six-time world champion brother Marc's shadow, he proved a few people wrong. Not that he cares about this, as he tells Lewis Duncan
How Yamaha's new MotoGP era can unchain Vinales
After the electrifying start to his Yamaha MotoGP career in 2017, Maverick Vinales has struggled for consistency. Many anticipate that the arrival of Fabio Quartararo could spell disaster, but the departure of Valentino Rossi could be just the impetus he needs.
Does KTM really need 'super engine' for MotoGP title challenge?
Fears from rival MotoGP manufacturers that KTM would build a 'super engine' for 2021 have ultimately come to nothing with the revealation that the RC16 hasn't been radically changed over the winter. But does it really need that to win the title?
How Ducati's latest Aussie union can return it to MotoGP glory
Australians on Ducatis is an iconic partnership, the marque's last one yielding its sole MotoGP crown to date. But its latest Aussie union with the often underestimated Jack Miller can end this drought.
The "balls out" battle between MotoGP's true greats
Senna vs Prost is regularly cited as motorsport's greatest rivalry. But it can easily be argued Rainey vs Schwantz can stake that claim. That rivalry was in full swing during the 1991 500cc season, remembered fondly by both stars 30 years on...
The "warrior" MotoGP rookie KTM was right to back
The 2020 MotoGP campaign featured a standout pair of rookies, but one flew under the radar as he adjusted to a shock step-up armed with very little racing experience. However as his veteran team boss explains, the faith shown in him was not misplaced
Why Suzuki's Brivio replacement must come from within
With its charismatic leader Davide Brivio leaving for Formula 1, the Suzuki MotoGP squad he turned into a world championship-winning force in 2020 has a major recruitment headache that it needs to resolve carefully.
Why Alpine's latest signing could be its best hope of F1 glory
The return of Fernando Alonso to the renamed Alpine team is a sure sign of the team's ambition. But its latest appointment from MotoGP could be an even bigger coup as it seeks to end a barren run stretching back to Alonso's 2006 world title