MotoGP Silverstone: Quartararo back in charge for FP2

MotoGP Champion and current leader Fabio Quartararo ended Friday practice in control at Silverstone with a 1’58.946.

The Monster Energy Yamaha completed the opening day of BritishGP action a tenth and a half ahead off Suzuki Ecstar’s Joan Mir with Aprilia’s Maverick Viñales completing the top three just 0.023s adrift.

The afternoon action saw Red Bull KTM’s Miguel Oliveira lead the way in the initial times with a 2’00.863 from morning hero Johann Zarco and Mooney VR46’s Luca Marini on identical times. Rookies Darryn Binder and Remy Gardner sat fourth and fifth before the WithU Yamaha took a tumble next time round.

Aprilia locked out the times on lap three as Viñales headed Aleix Espargaro, Quartararo slotting in to the top three until Marco Bezzecchi took charge on the second VR46 machine.

A quick shuffle of the standings found the Italian dropped to seventh as the pace picked up. Aprilia back in control, thanks to a 1’59.681, but with the order reversed and Viñales running wide at turn one as the session continued.

Suzuki Ecstar’s Alex Rins was up to third after ten minutes on track until Quartararo demoted him with his fifth attempt. LCR’s Takaaki Nakagami and Jorge Martin narrowly behind with Brad Binder splitting the Prima Pramac riders from seventh as Zarco, Bezzecchi and Oliveira completed the top ten.

A lacklustre start to FP2 found Ducati Lenovo’s Jack Miller and Pecco Bagnaia running 15th and 21st respectively. Gresini’s Enea Bastianini and Suzuki’s Joan Mir just ahead of the Australian with Repsol Honda’s Pol Espargaro almost two-tenths behind.

20 minutes to go and Rins arrived with a 1’59.351 before bettering himself again next time around, Oliveira finding fourth four-tenths adrift off the outright benchmark