After a wet weather afternoon running for the lower classes, the MotoGP field was able to enjoy a dry hour-long second practice session. Bezzecchi led the way with a 1m20.271s and snatched the top spot by 0.040 seconds on his final lap.
The session was hampered by two red flags, with the latter being caused by a crash involving Marc Marquez and Johann Zarco. Marquez lost the front end of his Honda into Turn 1, wiping out Zarco as he was exiting the pitlane. Although both riders walked away unscathed, Marquez faces Q1 in Saturday’s qualifying.
Bagnaia and Espargaro Among Top Performers
Improvements on overall lap times were scarce, with the first significant move coming from RNF Aprilia’s Miguel Oliveira with 25 minutes remaining. He leaped up to third with a 1m20.461s, before the session was briefly red-flagged due to a crash involving LCR Honda’s Takaaki Nakagami. Nakagami was taken to the medical centre for checks, but was cleared of any major injuries.
Jorge Martin went fastest of all with 13 minutes remaining after the session resumed, clocking a 1m20.461s. This was beaten by reigning world champion Francesco Bagnaia on the factory team Ducati with a 1m20.371s with just under nine minutes remaining.
After the red flag for the Marquez/Zarco incident, Aleix Espargaro on the factory Aprilia set the pace with a 1m20.352s as the chequered flag was brought out. However, Bezzecchi ended the day on top with a 1m20.271s, with Martin and Espargaro completing the top three.
Other Notable Performances
Bagnaia was fourth ahead of KTM’s Jack Miller, while Yamaha’s Fabio Quartararo secured a direct Q2 place in sixth. Luca Marini on the sister VR46 Ducati was seventh from the factory Ducati of Enea Bastianini, while Alex Marquez was ninth despite a late crash for the Gresini rider. Zarco completed the top 10 on combined times, denying KTM’s Brad Binder a place in Q2 directly by 0.063s.
Honda was able to get Marc Marquez back on track on his second bike after his scary crash, but he mistimed his final run and took the chequered flag before beginning his last lap. A late crash for Aprilia’s Maverick Vinales left him in 16th, while Raul Fernandez had to go to the medical centre after a terrifying off coming through Turn 11 on his RNF Aprilia saw him slide down the fill.
Despite the red flags and crashes, the second practice session provided an exciting display of skill and determination from the MotoGP field. The top performers, including Bezzecchi, Martin, Bagnaia, and Espargaro, showcased their abilities and set the tone for what is sure to be a thrilling qualifying round.
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