MotoGP Austin: Zarco fastest in FP2, Marquez sixth

Ducati power locked out the top two on Friday at the Circuit of the Americas as Pramac Racing’s Johann Zarco set the overall pace.

Factory Lenovo rider Jack Miller sat second ahead of 2021 MotoGP Champion Fabio Quartararo as the first day of action drew to a close with Repsol Honda’s Marc Marquez returning to the fray in sixth.

45℃ track temperatures greeted the premier class as the afternoon practice got underway. Miller heading the initial times with Alex Rins and Alex Marquez battling a gaggle of Ducati’s for best of the rest with Enea Bastianini winning out on the Suzuki on lap three.

Monster Energy’s Quartararo joined the fight in fourth before Andrea Dovizioso arrived to second in the session and fifth overall on the WithU RNF M1. The Gresini and factory Yamaha demoting him to fourth next time around.

Aprilia’s Aleix Espargaro and Pramac’s Jorge Martin were the next to strike as Argentina’s shining stars claimed third and fourth until the defending champion split the duo with his fifth effort. Miller refined the target with a 2’03.567 while the top eight were covered by just half a second as Joan Mir, Pecco Bagnaia, Marc Marquez and Maverick Viñales matched the front running pace.

The RS-GP continued to impress as Viñales shot for second with his ninth effort, just a tenth down on the Australian’s benchmark, with his teammate two places back. Bastianini retuning to his season-opening prowess in second before Rins harnessed his morning form and returned to the top with a 2’03.030.

Dovizioso continued to harness his top ten fight as the final third began, the Italian running nine-tenths adrift of the Suzuki’s target and on the edge of the provisional promotion zone with Marquez, Martin and Pol Espargaro behind.

Bagn