MotoGP Mandalika: Quartararo leads Yamaha one-two in FP2

Monster Energy Yamaha locked out FP2 at Mandalika as Fabio Quartararo led Franky Morbidelli by a mere 0.03s in the MotoGP standings.

Pramac Racing was denied its own domination by the M1 pair as Johann Zarco and Jorge Martin settled for third and fourth, just two-tenths adrift with Qatar victor Enea Bastianini completing the top five on the Gresini Ducati.

Friday’s final action saw Jack Miller and Quartararo vie for the top spot before Zarco arrived. Marc Marquez running fourth as KTM’s Miguel Oliveira continued to challenge for the lead in the scorching heat.

A technical issue at turn five saw Quartararo retire his YZR-M1 at the side of the track after ten minutes of running while the KTM/Ducati battle raged on. Takaaki Nakagami trailing fellow HRC man Marquez on the edge of the top five before the Spaniard suffered a moment on the limit at turn seven.

Brad Binder took charge with a 1’33.176 on his sixth lap before his teammate set the first 1’32 of the afternoon. Marquez, Miller and Zarco splitting the KTM’s with a third of the session dispatched and Aleix Espargaro best of the rest in sixth. Martin sat seventh on the second Pramac with Nakagami, Suzuki’s Alex Rins and debut race winner Bastianini rounding out the top ten.

VR46 Academy graduates Morbidelli and Pecco Bagnaia battled on the fringes before the Ducati launched to sixth, alongside Lenovo teammate Miller and Morbidelli shot for fourth. Raul Fernandez running top rookie ahead of Marco Bezzecchi at the edge of the top 15.

Quartararo was back in third at the halfway stage before Bagnaia improved to second, 0.138s adrift of Oliveira’s early pace. 2020 champion Joan Mir seeming to struggle on the Suzuki from 23rd.

Pol Espargaro and Rins fired into action in the