Austin FP2: Zarco vor Miller, Marc Márquez Sechster / MotoGP

The MotoGP Friday’s best time on the “Circuit of The Americas” secured Pramac Ducati driver Johann Zarco. Only Yamaha star Fabio Quartararo prevented a triple lead for the manufacturer from Borgo Panigale.

In the afternoon, the entire field unpacked the hard front tyre, the times fell quickly in FP2: After just five minutes, Ducati factory rider Jack Miller had already beaten his personal best time of the morning with 2:04.121 min, which had brought him 3rd place in FP1. A little later, young Pramac star Jorge Martin put in a rodeo insert in turn 10, he was only able to catch his Ducati GP22 with difficulty.

Miller followed up after ten minutes and set a new target time of 2:03.567 minutes. Qatar winner Enea Bastianini finished second (+ 0.216 sec) on the GP21 in the Gresini colors, also under 2:04 min. After a quarter of an hour, Suzuki ace Joan Mir (+ 0.357) and Ducati factory driver Pecco Bagnaia ( + 0.423) this mark.

In memory of: Alex Rins’ (Suzuki) best FP1 time was 2:04.007. Bagnaia’s pole time in October last year was 2:02.781 minutes before the re-asphalting between turns 2 and 10 and 12 and 16. However, all official records around the 5.513 km long COTA belong to the seven-time Austin winner Marc Marquez. The Repsol Honda star’s all-time lap record since 2015 is 2:02.135 min. His lap record from the 2014 race is 2:03.575 min.

After almost 20 minutes, the Aprilia pilots were on the rise: World Championship leader Aleix Espargaró briefly moved up to 3rd place, but was then pushed back by one place by his teammate Maverick Viñales. As the new second, Viñales came within 0.140 seconds of the Miller standard time. Last year’s nightmare weekend in Texas (five falls by Aleix Espargaró) was apparently forgotten for the manufacturer from Noale after the maiden victory in Argentina.

Rins unpacked a fresh soft rear tire halfway through the 45-minute FP2 and burned a 2:03.030 into the partially resurfaced COTA. With fifteen minutes left on the clock, Bagnaia (still on medium rear tyres) moved 0.491 seconds behind to second intermediate place.

Only in the final five minutes did the hunt for times begin, Joan Mir provided a brief Suzuki double lead. Two minutes before the end, however, Miller took the lead again in 2:02.789 min. Marc Márquez, who served as a reference for the Australian, was 0.252 seconds behind in third place.

But it didn’t stop there: Johann set a new best time of 2:02.542 min and Yamaha star Fabio Quartararo prevented a triple lead for Ducati in the last attempt after Bastianini had also improved.

Darryn Binder crashed in turn 11 in the finish.

MotoGP, Austin combined times post FP2 (April 8):

1. Zarco, Ducati, 2: 02.542 min
2. Miller, Ducati, + 0,247 sec
3. Quartararo, Yamaha, + 0.295
4. Bastianini, Ducati, + 0.342
5. Rins, Suzuki, + 0,488
6. Marc Marquez, Honda, +0.499
7. Vinales, Aprilia, +0.543
8. Mir, Suzuki, +0.601
9. Bagnaia, Ducati, + 0.645
10. Martin, Ducati, +0,813
11. Aleix Espargaró, Aprilia, + 0.828
12. Pol Espargaro, Honda, +0.896
13. Brad Binder, KTM, + 0.996
14. Marini, Ducati, + 1.020
15. Dovizioso, Yamaha, + 1,164
16. Alex Marquez, Honda, +1,253
17. Nakagami, Honda, +1,532
18. Di Giannantonio, Ducati, + 1.825
19. Bezzecchi, Ducati, + 1,921
20. Gardner, KTM, + 1,993
21. Morbidelli, Yamaha, + 2,122
22. Darryn Binder, Yamaha, + 2,137
23. Raúl Fernández, KTM, + 2,228
24. Oliveira, KTM, + 2,800

MotoGP result, Austin, FP1:

1. Rins, Suzuki, 2:04,007 min
2. Viñales, Aprilia, + 0,008 sec
3. Miller, Ducati, + 0,430
4. Quartararo, Yamaha, + 0.443
5. Marc Marquez, Honda, +0.462
6. Pol Espargaro, Honda, +0.574
7. Bastianini, Ducati, + 0.587
8. Aleix Espargaró, Aprilia, + 0.679
9. Nakagami, Honda, + 0,737
10. Zarco, Ducati, + 0.886
11. Mir, Suzuki, +0.893
12. Brad Binder, KTM, + 0.976
13. Bagnaia, Ducati, + 0.996
14. Martin, Ducati, + 1,043
15. Alex Marquez, Honda, +1,139
16. Marini, Ducati, + 1,170
17. Morbidelli, Yamaha, + 1,280
18. Dovizioso, Yamaha, + 1,317
19. Raúl Fernández, KTM, + 1,319
20. Bezzecchi, Ducati, + 1,379
21. Gardner, KTM, + 1,665
22. Darryn Binder, Yamaha, + 2,191
23. Oliveira, KTM, + 2,438
24. By Giannantonio, Ducati, + 2,490