Monster Energy Yamaha locked out FP2 at Mandalika as Fabio Quartararo led Franky Morbidelli by a mere 0.03s in the MotoGP standings.
Pramac Racing was denied its own domination by the M1 pair as Johann Zarco and Jorge Martin settled for third and fourth, just two-tenths adrift with Qatar victor Enea Bastianini completing the top five on the Gresini Ducati.
Friday’s final action saw Jack Miller and Quartararo vie for the top spot before Zarco arrived. Marc Marquez running fourth as KTM’s Miguel Oliveira continued to challenge for the lead in the scorching heat.
A technical issue at turn five saw Quartararo retire his YZR-M1 at the side of the track after ten minutes of running while the KTM/Ducati battle raged on. Takaaki Nakagami trailing fellow HRC man Marquez on the edge of the top five before the Spaniard suffered a moment on the limit at turn seven.
Brad Binder took charge with a 1’33.176 on his sixth lap before his teammate set the first 1’32 of the afternoon. Marquez, Miller and Zarco splitting the KTM’s with a third of the session dispatched and Aleix Espargaro best of the rest in sixth. Martin sat seventh on the second Pramac with Nakagami, Suzuki’s Alex Rins and debut race winner Bastianini rounding out the top ten.
VR46 Academy graduates Morbidelli and Pecco Bagnaia battled on the fringes before the Ducati launched to sixth, alongside Lenovo teammate Miller and Morbidelli shot for fourth. Raul Fernandez running top rookie ahead of Marco Bezzecchi at the edge of the top 15.
Quartararo was back in third at the halfway stage before Bagnaia improved to second, 0.138s adrift of Oliveira’s early pace. 2020 champion Joan Mir seeming to struggle on the Suzuki from 23rd.
Pol Espargaro and Rins fired into action in the second half after a steady start, the Repsol Honda rising to sixth narrowly behind the Suzuki before Bastianini relegated the pair on his way to fifth next time around.
Darryn Binder outperformed his WithU Yamaha teammate as the South African sat 19th in the FP2 times. Andrea Dovizioso running 23rd with Mir still for company at the back of the pack, 1.5s off, in the final third.
The reigning World Champion set the pace on his 13th effort with a 1’32.570, Tech3 KTM’s Remy Gardner setting impressive red and personal best sectors on his way to eighth despite still recovering from a broken wrist at the start of his rookie season.
The rookie sensations were not done there however, as Bezzecchi stormed to third with a 1’32.8 and five minutes on the clock. Martin upped the pace with the first 1’31 of the day as the soft tyre laps began to register. The Pramac rider was challenged by Miller, Binder and Morbidelli but held out overall, Bastianini now second, just 0.017s behind, until teammate Zarco arrived.
Monster Energy sat one-two with two minutes to go as Quartararo mastered Morbidelli by 0.03s from the Pramac pair. Bastianini unable to improve as he slid out of the final sector on his hot lap with Marquez suffering the same fate at turn 11, seconds later.
Miller sat sixth as the chequered flag came out with Lenovo teammate Bagnaia down in 21st having been caught out by yellow flags on his flying effort. Repsol Honda running opposing fortunes to FP1 as Pol Espargaro and Marquez completed the day 19th and 22nd respectively, with Mir in the back-marker mix from 20th.
A late charge promoted Dovizioso up to 11th and just adrift of the promotion zone as the session concluded. Rins claiming the final provisional Q2 position behind the KTM’s of Binder and Oliveira with Espargaro consolidating seventh on the leading Aprilia RS-GP. Viñales ended day one 13th overall ahead of rookies Fabio Di Giannantonio and Bezzecchi with Nakagami narrowly in front for 12th. Just a second covered the top-18 down to Fernandez and Gardner.
