Monster Energy Yamaha’s Fabio Quartararo was back in charge at his favoured Jerez Circuit after setting a 1’37.071 in MotoGP FP2.
A stunning late push from Enea Bastianini promoted the Gresini racer to second as he headed a trio of Ducati’s, in the form of Pecco Bagnaia and Jorge Martin, in the top four.
The afternoon action fired up with Bagnaia matching the morning’s fastest lap on his third effort of the final session. Repsol Honda locking out the top three as Marc Marquez and Pol Espargaro circulated just a couple of tenths adrift with the less experienced Honda rider bettering next time around, while his brother trailed on the Aprilia in fourth.
Quartararo hit the front with the first 1’37 of the weekend moments later as Martin claimed third on the Pramac Desmosedici. The Espargaro brothers continuing to squabble on the edge of the top five with Suzuki’s Joan Mir and Marquez running almost identical pace in the battle for sixth.
Aprilia’s impressive showing continued as Maverick Viñales arrived just a tenth and a half behind his team captain. The Repsol duo having words as Marquez looked to be cruising on line with the pair disrupting a frustrated Remy Gardner on a personal best lap.
Bastianini and Marco Bezzecchi rounded out the top ten as the opening quarter of an hour came to a conclusion, with the Italian just adrift of the promotion zone in the combined times. KTM’s Miguel Oliveira heading Franky Morbidelli, Johann Zarco and Jack Miller from 11th with last year’s race winner currently 18th overall and seven-tenths off the pace.
Mir then Aleix Espargaro upped the outright target at the halfway stage with a 1’37.878, 0.003s spitting the pair and just 0.089s over Quartararo as the times continued to run increasingly tight. Marquez slid out of turn six, then fell again at nine after hitting a damp patch on his returning lap with a lift back on hand from former teammate Dani Pedrosa who was watching from the service road.
Martin and Viñales made their mark on the top five once again as the action continued. Alex Rins yet to improve on his FP1 time but holding precariously on to promotion from ninth.
The final ten minutes saw the top six riders covered by an intense 0.039s before Takaaki Nakagami hit the front on a fresh soft rear. 1’37.778 the new time to beat as the hot laps prepared and the clock counted down.
The LCR man improved next time around before the Ducati’s of Bagnaia and Martin took charge, Viñales bettering his teammate for fourth with Quartararo arriving in the top three shortly after. Bastianini was the next to strike as the Gresini too demoted the LCR to fifth, Brad Binder launching the KTM to sixth ahead of Pol Espargaro and Rins as Vinales dropped down to ninth.
Quartararo was in the lead as the final minute began. Bastianini retuning to his front running form in second with Bagnaia and Martin taking the flag in third and fourth. Nakagami claimed fifth from the Spanish trio with Miller consolidating the danger zone on his penultimate lap seven-tenths shy of the reigning champion.
Zarco was the first outside of provisional promotion heading into Saturday, Mir, Espargaro and Morbidelli narrowly behind with Oliveira and Alex Marquez completing the top 15.
