Friday’s second MotoGP free practice session at the Red Bull Ring  was hindered by rain and although the forecasted deluge never materialised, the damp circuit meant no one was able to improve upon their morning times.

 
Indeed, with an air and track temperature of 23 and 40 degrees respectively, it was only from turns three to four, and to a lesser extent the final corner, where the circuit was damp with everywhere else dry.
 
It was only with five minutes to go that the majority of riders took to the track and it was Pramac Ducati’s Jack Miller who ended the session on top after lapping at 1’26.475s. more than two seconds slower than Pol Esparagro's quickest time from FP1, but just under a second clear of the Tech 3 KTM of Iker Lecuona with team-mate Miguel Oliveira in third.
 
Many riders remained in their garages, certainly for the first half of the 45-minute session, but Ecstar Suzuki’s Joan Mir was the first to venture out on track followed by Oliveira and Alex Marquez although the KTM of Oliveira was back in pit lane after just one exploratory lap.
 
The Portuguese rider went back out soon afterwards though and was the first to set a time although his lap of 1’39.484s was indicative of the conditions and more than 15s adrift of Espargaro’s quickest time from earlier in the day.
 
With twenty minutes to go, Aleix Espargaro became only the second rider to record a time, 1’40.346s and perhaps the TV pictures of Alex Rins sitting in his garage eating his lunch summed things up!
 
However, with ten minutes to go, conditions did improve with the Ducati of Johann Zarco going quickest after a lap of 1’34.271s, more and more riders leaving their garages for the closing stages of the session.
 
Valentino Rossi slotted into third, briefly, with five minutes to go, the Italian using a medium front and soft rear but times were tumbling all the time with Miller now on top after lapping at 1’30.838s.
 
The Australian continually lapped quicker in the dying moments to remain on top as the two KTM’s of Lecuona and Oliveira went second and third on their final laps. Rins and Zarco completed the top five with neither Pol Esparagoro and Brad Binder registering a time, Czech GP winner Binder not even bothering to leave the Red Bull KTM garage.