Unlike yesterday, blue skies were covering the Circuit de Barcelona-Catalunya today. Free Practice 2 had clear skies, but the temperatures were still low as the riders headed onto the track, Ahead of qualifying, the riders had 30 minutes to fine tune their machinery. After setting the fastest lap early on, no one could better Joan Mir and Honda HRC Castrol’s lap time.
Yellow To Start
Just minutes into the session, Johann Zarco was the culprit of the first yellow flag. Sliding into Turn 14, the fast crash caused the local caution to come out in Sector 4. Marshals helped him out of the gravel, and the LCR Honda rider headed back to pit lane.
With most riders straight out and setting laps, this early yellow held many back. Laps were being deleted, but the riders continued to go around the track. This allowed them to feel out the grip levels and settle in.
Adjusting To The Track
With a track temperature of 15 degrees, the grip was lower at the start of the session. Consequently, riders were initially tiptoeing around the track, trying to find the grip and rubber it in. At the start of the session, lap times were slower, with most riders in the 1:40’s. This is around two seconds slower compared to yesterday.
Whilst the LCR Honda rider Zarco saw an early crash, the Honda teams were seeing early pace. Honda HRC Castrol’s Joan Mir was the first rider to dip under 1:40, setting a lap of 1:39.425. Nearing the halfway point of the session, Diogo Moreira was one of six who had a 1:39 lap time.
As the grip began to improve, so did the lap times. Leader of yesterday’s practice, Pedro Acosta, soon joined Mir. He went P2, two tenths behind Mir. And, after his two crashes yesterday, Jorge Martín joined the top three.
Honda and Mir Lead but KTM Shows Pace
Trying to fine tune the bikes and find the best grip, riders across the grid opted for a range of tyres. Whilst most opted for a medium front and soft rear, some branched out. Mir, in first, opted for medium tyres for both front and rear, potentially testing for the race instead of qualifying.
Once again, the KTM-powered bikes were showing pace. Acosta, and Enea Bastianini were in the top ten, with Brad Binder just shy of being in. The trio were consistently setting the fastest sector one, suggesting that their starts could be good this weekend. After coming back from surgery, Maverick Viñales was sat in P16 and within a second of Mir’s time.
Honda HRC Castrol and Mir maintained the lead until the chequered flag fell. He was the lone Honda in the top ten, but it was still a hint of what the manufacturer could do in the coming sessions. In contrast, his teammate Luca Marini was the slowest, down in P17. Zarco was able to return to track, going P15 whereas rookie Moreira was the faster of the LCR Honda‘s in P12.
Free Practice 2 Top Ten
Just before the session ended, Fabio Di Giannantonio shot up the leaderboard to, once again, be the quickest Ducati rider. Martín was the fastest Aprilia rider, whilst his Aprilia Racing teammate and championship leader Marco Bezzecchi failed to make the cut.
- Joan Mir (Honda HRC Castrol) – 1:39.42.
- Pedro Acosta (Red Bull KTM Factory Racing) – 1:39.64.
- Fabio Di Giannantonio (Pertamina Enduro VR46 Racing Team) – 1:39.65.
- Jorge Martín (Aprilia Racing) – 1:39.65.
- Fabio Quartararo (Monster Energy Yamaha MotoGP Team) – 1:39.75.
- Franco Morbidelli (Pertamina Enduro VR46 Racing Team) – 1:39.80.
- Álex Márquez (BK8 Gresini Racing MotoGP) – 1:39.81.
- Raúl Fernández (Trackhouse MotoGP Team) – 1:39.84.
- Francesco Bagnaia (Ducati Lenovo Team) – 1:39.89.
- Enea Bastianini – (Red Bull KTM Tech3) – 1:39.96.
Now, it’s time for qualifying. With many in Q1 showing pace in FP2, who can make it through to Q2? Grip levels will continue to improve as qualifying progresses, so pole can be taken by anyone.