Aprilia’s Espargaro storms to pole with lap record

The Aprilia rider produced a new lap record of Circuit de Catalunya-Barcelona earlier in the day in third free practice, and duly repeated the feat with a 1m38.742s with his penultimate lap in qualifying.

But the home hero was made to sweat over top spot with Ducati’s Bagnaia on a charge with his final flying effort, while Espargaro ran on at Turn 10 on his final lap, but the Italian…