MotoGP Mugello: Espargaro denies Ducati in FP2

Aprilia’s Aleix Espargaro continued his commanding presence in MotoGP by topping the FP2 times at Mugello on Friday afternoon.

A 1’45.891 denied the entire Ducati pack with factory Lenovo riders Pecco Bagnaia and Jack Miller heading the Desmosedici offensive.

Espargaro was straight to the top of the times as FP2 fired up on Friday afternoon. The Aprilia rider setting the pace with a 1’47.126, from Mooney VR46’s Marco Bezzecchi and Prima Pramac’s Johann Zarco before he bettered himself then the Frenchman took charge overall with a 1’46.381.

Bagnaia slotted into second, three-tenths adrift of his fellow Desmosedici rider with Suzuki Ecstar’s Alex Rins and Repsol Honda’s Marc Marquez completing the top five. Enea Bastianini joined the Bologna party out front with the Gresini GP21, 0.021s ahead of his fellow Italian with Monster Energy Yamaha’s Fabio Quartararo seventh.

Pol Espargaro took a trip through the gravel as he attempted, and failed, to promote his Honda from 17th as Bagnaia set a personal best out front. The Italian now 0.157s adrift of Zarco as the pair commanded the overall times.

The fastest GP22 of the day slid across turn four and thought the gravel trap with the bike lay stricken on the racing line as the second half counted down. The red flag brought out due to track conditions.

The action resumed with 18 minutes remaining. Suzuki’s 2020 champion Joan Mir currently the first adrift of the Q2 zone, by just 0.077s, with Bezzecchi holding the 1’47.192 gateway time. Maverick Viñales and Takaaki Nakagami the only two riders inside the top ten yet to have improved on their FP1 laps as Rins crashed out on the second GSX-RR thought the first chicane with 12 minutes to go. The track falling quiet once again ahead of