San Francisco Frontiers - Binder sets record pace in Catalan MotoGP practice as Marquez lurks

The South African was fastest in 1 minute 38.141 seconds, 1.04s ahead of his KTM team-mate Pedro Acosta.

They were followed home on the Catalan circuit by a pair of local riders, with Alex Marquez third, another 0.035 back on a Gresini Ducati. He was 0.085sec ahead of his brother Marc, the runaway championship leader, on a factory Ducati.

The old lap record, 1:39.664, was set by another Catalan, Aleix Espargaro last year.

Marco Bezzecchi was fifth on an Aprilia and, on the day his team was sold, Enea Bastianini was sixth on a Tech-3 KTM.

That left a quartet of former world champions outside the top 10 and facing a nerve-racking ride in the first qualifying session on Saturday in pursuit of the last two places in Q2, which decides the first four rows on the weekend's grids.

Frenchman Fabio Quartararo on a Yamaha missed out by 0.003sec in 11th. Honda Spaniard Joan Mir was 13th. Reigning world champion Jorge Martin, rediscovering his form on his Aprilia as he returns from injury was 18th. Francesco Bagnaia, the word champion in 2022 and 2023, was a humbling 21st, 1.39.170sec off Binder's pace.

While Marc Marquez has been untouchable for three months with 14 consecutive victories, seven in sprints and seven in Grand Prix, Ducati stablemate Bagnaia's form has plummeted.

- 'Spiral of less confidence' -

"It's difficult to explain and difficult to understand," said Marquez in the pre-race press conferences.

"In MotoGP it's like this. When you lose a bit of confidence with the bike, you start losing half a tenth in the braking zone and there are four or five braking zones and then that becomes two or three tenths at the end of a lap. With this, you go into a spiral of less confidence."

"A lot of things are piling up for him, he's more stiff on the bike and that makes him go slower," said Marquez.

"He hasn't forgotten how to ride a motorbike because there are sessions where he is going very fast."

Asked if there was a Marquez effect, the Spaniard replied: "I can't tell you. I can't tell you because I've always finished above my teammates.

"Many times I've made mistakes in races because my teammate was ahead."

Marquez leads his brother Alex by 175 points in the standings. Even though eight race weekends remain in a season which ends on November 16 in Valencia, Marc seems headed for a seventh world title.

Almost all the other riders are now in a position to look even further ahead, after the weekend opened with a flurry of contract extension announcements that leave only one saddle undecided for next season.

Italian Franco Morbidelli will stay at Ducati satellite VR 46 and compatriot Luca Marini is remaining at Honda.

Australian Jack Miller has signed an extension with Yamaha satellite Pramac where Turkish rider Toprak Razgatlioglu will replace Miguel Oliveira.

Frenchman Johann Zarco has been renewed by Honda satellite LRC, which has not yet made a public decision about its other rider, Thai rookie Somkiat Chantra.

After threatening to leave following a difficult start to the season, Martin said last weekend that he will be staying at Aprilia.

Q.Nelson--SFF