MotoGP Silverstone: Zarco recovers to take FP1

Prima Pramac’s Johann Zarco recovered from an early high speed crash to command the opening MotoGP session at Silverstone on Friday morning.

The Frenchman’s 1’59.893 pace was only rivalled by Ducati Lenovo’s Pecco Bagnaia in the frantic closing stages of FP1 after the pair had both hit the deck in the opening action.

Friday practice fired up with the news that WithU Yamaha’s Andrea Dovizioso is bowing out of his illustrious career mid-way through the second half of 2022. Misano providing the Italian’s swansong with Brit Cal Crutchlow taking up the mantle for the final six races. Fellow Yamaha rider Fabio Quartararo facing a long lap penalty in the opening three laps of Sunday’s race as he rolled out and took charge of the 45-minute practice on the Monster Energy M1.

The initial shuffle found Suzuki Ecstar’s Alex Rins in charge on 2’02.252 pace from the Ducati Lenovos of Jack Miller and Bagnaia. Zarco trailing the factory team by a mere 0.016s as the championship leader tried out the penalty loop.

Aprilia arrived after ten minutes of action as Maverick VIñales headed Aleix Espargaro in third and fourth, with Miller and Zarco advanced the pace to 2’01. Bagnaia crashing out early at Maggots as Suzuki’s Rins returned to the top with the first 2’00 of the day. ‘Miller taxis’ back in demand as Quartararo suffered a technical on the Wellington straight with the Australian assisting his return to pitlane.

LCR Honda’s Takaaki Nakagami sat second after quarter of an hour on track, Espargaro and Mooney VR46’s Marco Bezzecchi bettering a pair of Pramacs in the top six as Jorge Martin bettered his teammate by the finest of margins and a quarter of a second covered the leading pack.

2016 victor Viñales was in charge at the halfway