Fabio Quartararo fights off Suzuki, Aprilia and Ducati challenge to top FP2
Before starting his flying lap of the session, the current MotoGP series leader appeared quite uncomfortable as he was repeatedly shaking out his left shoulder.
Unclear whether it was a case of wearing new leathers or the reigning MotoGP champion feeling some discomfort, Quartararo was still able to set competitive laps.
There was an early crash for Darryn Binder as the South African lost the front-end of his RNF Yamaha on the entry to turn seven.
Showing early pace, Marco Bezzecchi and Miguel Oliveira set low 2m0s laps in order to move into the top ten on combined times.
With speed to burn, Aprilia started FP2 on fire as Aleix Espargaro went underneath Zarco’s fastest time from FP1.
A lap time of 1:59.681s was clocked by the Spaniard before team-mate Maverick Vinales made it an Aprilia 1-2 by going less than tenth off Espargaro.
Touring on the racing line, Raul Fernandez felt the wrath of Jack Miller after the Ducati rider was blocked by the Tech 3 man heading into turn eight.
As Miller turned around to gesture towards the MotoGP rookie, Vinales was also close by as he too was affected.
Fighting for his MotoGP future like fellow Honda rider Pol Espargaro, Takaaki Nakagami’s impressive day-one at the British Grand Prix was seemingly continuing in FP2.
The top Honda by nearly half a second over Alex Marquez, Nakagami was consistently lapping inside the top seven fastest riders.
With just under 20 minutes remaining Alex Rins became the first rider to begin the time attack runs.
With a new soft front and rear tyre fitted, Rins jumped to the top of the leaderboard by over four tenths from Espargaro, while Miller crashed at turn seven.
Having just moved up to third on combined times, Miller lost the front of his Ducati at turn seven.
Slowly dropping down the top ten, Quartararo was allocating significant time to practicing his Long Lap penalty, which he was beginning to do very effectively.
Moments before Joan Mir made it a Suzuki 1-2 by going second quickest, Bastianini’s Gresini Ducati debuted new wings on the rear of his machine that looked like the back of a Stegosaurus, yes that’s right we’re referencing Dinosaurs and MotoGP in the same sentence.
Not to be outdone by the Inline-four Suzuki machines, Quartararo took his M1 Yamaha to the top of the leaderboard with a first sub 1m 59s lap of the weekend.
