MotoGP Americas GP: Zarco leads Ducati 1-2 from Miller in FP2

The second 45-minute session of the weekend took place under perfect conditions at the Circuit of the Americas, with lap times instantly surmounting the best from FP1.

Ducati’s Jack Miller was the first to break Alex Rins’ benchmark from this morning with a 2m03.567s, having set the early pace with a 2m04.121s.

It wouldn’t be for another 15 minutes that Miller was finally knocked off the top spot, with morning pacesetter Rins returning of the top of the order.

The Suzuki rider produced a 2m03.030s to go fastest of all, with team-mate Joan Mir leaping to second in the closing stages to make it a 1-2 for the Japanese manufacturer.

A late flurry of fast laps led to the order being shuffled around repeatedly, with Miller going top with a 2m02.789s.

This was bettered by Pramac counterpart Zarco with a 2m02.542s, which would go unchallenged through to the chequered flag.

He would lead Miller by a considerable 0.247 seconds, with reigning world champion Fabio Quartararo leaping up to third late on with a 2m02.837s having been pushed back to 12th.

Jack Miller, Ducati Team

Photo by: Gold and Goose / Motorsport Images

Gresini’s Enea Bastianini continued Ducati’s strong afternoon with a run to fourth on his 2021-spec bike, while Rins ended the session fifth.

The returning Marc Marquez was sixth on the factory Honda, 0.499s off the pace, with Maverick Vinales the only Aprilia inside the top 10 currently at COTA in seventh.

The top 10 was completed by the sister Suzuki of Joan Mir, with Francesco Bagnaia on the factory team Ducati leading Pramac’s Jorge Martin – who didn’t run a fresh soft rear tyre at the end of FP2 and instead stayed with the medium - in ninth and 10th.

Argentina race winner Aleix Espargaro is currently in a