MotoGP Mandalika Test: Marini masters day two

Mooney VR46 Ducati’s Luca Marini claimed Saturday’s fastest MotoGP time at the Mandalika International Street Circuit.

The Italian’s 1’31.289 set on the all-new 2022 Desmosedici GP bettered late offerings from Repsol Honda’s Marc Márquez and Aprilia’s Maverick Viñales by two-tenths, with the next best Bologna rider sitting sixth thanks to Johann Zarco’s Pramac machine.

Brad Binder took charge of the day two times as Saturday’s action got underway. The Red Bull KTM taking the lead with a 1’31.814 on only his 15th lap of the opening hour. The target was steadfast until the final hour with Fabio Quartararo - who had spent the day swapping between two chassis and aero set ups - challenging in the closing 20 minutes before Marini arrived, Márquez and Viñales slotting in between the pair as the clock counted down.

One second covered the top 20 as the second day of testing in Indonesia came to a close, Andrea Dovizioso and Jack Miller rounding out the set with Pecco Bagnaia ten places and six-tenths ahead of his Ducati Lenovo teammate.

Friday hero Pol Espargaro completed the second session in eight overall, just 0.006s behind Gresini’s Enea Bastianini with Jorge Martin heading Bagnaia at the close of the top ten. The early pacemaker sat 11th in the final times but remained top KTM, ahead of Franky Morbidelli and Suzuki’s Alex Rins while Aleix Espargaro and the LCR’s of Takaaki Nakagami and Alex Márquez completed the top 16.

Fabio Di Giannantonio once again claimed the top rookie honours after his illness-hit Sepang showing holding off the second KTM of Miguel Oliveira, with Raul Fernandez leading the final quartet of debutants sitting 21st to 24th.

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