Ducati power dominated a wet afternoon at Misano World Circuit Marco Simoncelli as Johann Zarco topped the times with a 1’42.456.
Aragón winner Pecco Bagnaia held off teammate Jack Miller in the closing stages before the Pramac rider arrived with Joan Mir completing the top four.
The afternoon practice began as the morning had finished, wet. A heavy shower hitting just as FP2 prepared and soaking the track but with the sun attempting to shine almost immediately, the riders headed out with the smallest of delays.
Iker Lecuona led the way as the soggy session unfolded. Fellow KTM Miguel Oliveira running second from Bagnaia and a pair of Suzuki’s with the second Tech3 in sixth before the Portuguese rider took charge overall.
Enea Bastianini became the first to succumb to the tricky conditions at turn one, Valentino Rossi running on at turn six as the KTM trio locked out the top three with 10 minutes complete.
Marc Marquez challenged for contention in the wet conditions as Lecuona returned to his dominant position, the pair swapping places over the next laps with 1’46.016 the leading pace.
The Ducati duo were in charge with half an hour to go, Miller heading Bagnaia with a 1’44.814 before the group advanced. Zarco sat second from Marquez and the KTM’s with Alex Rins in sixth as Danilo Petrucci led Alex Marquez and Pol Espargaro on the edge of the top 10.
A strong showing in the wet found the new Petronas pairing of Valentino Rossi and Andrea Dovizioso in 11th and 13th respectively with Mir, and then Fabio Quartararo, between them. Espargaro improving to sit seventh with 25 to go, while his elder brother circulated at the back of the field in 21st. The second Aprilia, however, was starting to make waves as Maverick Viñales promoted himself to 12th at the halfway stage.
Back at the front and it was the Pramac of Zarco batting the factory Ducatis for FP2 honours, with 1’43.0 pace. The Repsol Hondas running fourth and sixth with Oliveira sandwiched between, in fifth. Aleix Espargaro was the next to find confidence in the drying conditions as the Aprilia advanced, to demote his brother, for sixth. Lecuona, Rins and Rossi competing the top 10 with 20 minutes to go.
The RS-GPs continued to climb as the session wound down, Espargaro finding fourth, seven-tenths off Miller’s now 1’42.885 time and just 0.004s behind the third Ducati as Viñales improved to ninth.
A massive highside put paid to Lecuona’s impressive performance at turn one as the final 10 minutes began. The Spaniard coming down hard on his back but hobbling off the track as the session neared its conclusion.
The Yamaha’s looked to be in trouble if wet weather continued across the San Marino weekend. Rossi sitting as lead M1, in 12th with Franky Morbidelli and Fabio Quartararo circulating 16th and 18th respectively with new recruit Dovizioso in 20th. A late charge finding the championship leader in 14th, but almost two-seconds adrift of the Ducati pace.
A similar situation seemed to be on the cards for Suzuki as Mir and Rins ran in 10th and 13th respectively with Petrucci showing them how it should be done with the Tech3 machine from fourth.
Bagnaia took over from his teammate with three to go, the Italian continuing to improve next time around as he pushed the pace with a 1’42.657 before Pramac’s Zarco arrived two-tenths faster.
Mir sat fourth as the chequered flag flew, denying a late charge from Marquez with Oliveira a satisfying sixth. Petrucci and Lecuona completed the session inside the top nine with Espargaro splitting the pair in eighth.
