It was a historic day for motorsport enthusiasts in India as the first ever MotoGP Bharat m kickstarted to a roaring start at the Buddh International Circuit in Greater Noida, Uttar Pradesh. Racers from all three classes - Moto 3, Moto 2, and MotoGP - made the most of the free practice before heading into the main race on Sunday. Here’s a recap of all the action from Day 1 of the MotoGP Bharat 2023.
MotoGP
The practice session concluded with Mooney VR46 Racing Team’s Luca Marini taking the top spot with a time of 1:44:782. Primac Ducati’s Jorge Martin came second with a time of 1:44:790. He was in excellent form throughout the day and was leading the timesheet for the most part until Luca Marini surged past him in the final practice session.
Aprilia Racing’s Aleix Espargaro came third with a time of 1:44:833. Six-time World Champion Marc Marquez from Repsol Honda finished in fourth place with a 1:45:117 time. Mooney VR46 Racing Team’s Marco Bezzecchi finished in P5, while Aprilia’s Maverick Vinales came sixth. Ducati Lenovo Team’s Pecco Bagnaia and Monster Energy Yamaha’s Fabio Quartararo finished in P7 and P8 respectively, while Primac Ducati’s Johann Zarco and Repsol Honda’s Joan Mir finished in P9 and P10, respectively.
Moto 2
In the Moto 2 class, Tony Arbolino of Elf Marc VDS Racing Team topped the timesheets on Day 1 of the MotoGP Bharat with a time of 1:52.105. He was followed by Pedro Acosta of the Red Bull KTM Ajo team, whose flying lap fell short by just 0.065s from Arbolino's time as he finished in 2nd place. IDEMITSU Honda Team Asia’s Ai Ogura ended the day with a P3 finish.
Celestino Vietti of Fantic Racing took 4th place, while IDEMITSU Honda Team Asia’s Somkiat Chantra finished at P5. Manuel Gonzalez of Correos Prepago Yamaha VR46 Mastercamp slotted in at P6.
Moto 3
The Moto 3 class saw a lot of action from various racers as they vied for a top-10 finish. Dutch rookie Collin Veijer of Liqui Moly Husqvarna Intact GP displayed a masterclass in practice 2 to take the top spot with a time of 1:59:566. Leopard Racing’s Jaume Masia was the only other rider in the Moto 2 class to breach the sub-2 minute mark with a time of 1:59:752. Stefano Nepa of Angeluss MTA Team rounded off the P3 position.
The qualifiers for the main race will begin on day 2 of the race weekend. Stay tuned to BikeWale for all the latest updates on MotoGP Bharat 2023.
