MotoGP Germany: Bagnaia blasts FP2 as Ducati dominates at ‘The Ring’

Ducati Lenovo’s Pecco Bagnaia bagged the fastest ever MotoGP lap at the Sachsenring on Friday with a 1’20.018.

The Italian headed an impressive showing by the Borgo Panigale factory with five of the top six on Ducati machinery as Mooney VR46’s Luca Marini and Jack Miller completed the fastest three.

With track temperatures 15℃ higher for the afternoon action, Aprilia headed the initial times as the pack fired up. Maverick Viñales led Aleix Espargaro with a 1’22.2 before KTM’s Miguel Oliveira hit the first 1’21 of FP2 followed by a flurry of riders, with only the Pramac’s of Jorge Martin and Johan Zarco bettering the Portuguese man.

Oliveira struck back next time around to regain control with a 1’21.166 before the purple bikes were back, this time the Frenchman leading his younger cohort. Espargaro setting the first 1’20 of the weekend with his fourth attempt to reign the times overall.

Ten minutes dispatched and all but seven riders had already improved on their FP1 pace. Fabio Quartararo on the edge of promotion and narrowly behind his Monster Energy teammate Franky Morbidelli before the pair switched positions, with Suzuki Ecstar’s Joan Mir the first adrift in 11th.

Bagnaia slotted the Ducati into second with a 1’20.843, his soon-to-depart colleague Miller circulating sixth as Quartararo improved to seventh. Mooney’s Marini held eighth with Gresini rookie Fabio di Giannantonio continuing to gel with his GP21 from ninth.

Enea Bastianini was having a more challenging weekend on the second Gresini, running 16th in the combined times and through the gravel at turn one after 15 minutes on track.

Viñales pushed the RS-GP to third at the halfway stage, less than three-tenths off his teammate’s target and on the bubble of