2024 Indonesian MotoGP: Enea Bastianini smashes lap record in tight Practice
Emilia Romagna GP winner on top form at Mandalika
Ducati’s Enea Bastianini topped a tight second practice at the MotoGP Indonesian Grand Prix with a new lap record ahead of championship leader Jorge Martin.
Having ended last weekend’s Emilia Romagna GP with his second grand prix victory of the season, Bastianini has kept himself in the championship picture coming to Mandalika.
And on a sweltering Friday in Indonesia, Bastianini led the way with a new lap record of 1m29.630s to lead points leader Martin (Pramac Ducati) by just 0.040s.
Franco Morbidelli - who topped FP1 - was third on the sister Pramac Ducati, while last year’s Indonesian GP winner Francesco Bagnaia salvaged a place in Q2 in fourth.
After the first 15 minutes of running in the hour-long second practice at Mandalika, Morbidelli carried on his morning form and led the way with a 1m30.673s.
Moments later, however, Marc Marquez - who suffered a big front end scare at Turn 10 in the opening minutes - took over top spot on his Gresini Ducati with a 1m30.590s.
This was quickly beaten by Tech3 GASGAS rookie Pedro Acosta, who brushed off a crash at Turn 1 early on to post a 1m30.411s.
Acosta’s lap stood as the benchmark until the final 15 minutes, when championship leader Martin began lighting up the timing screens on a fresh soft rear tyre.
The Pramac rider took over top spot with a 1m30.317s, before following it up with a new lap record of 1m29.670s.
Laying down the gauntlet, it would be Bastianini who picked it up as he fired in a 1m29.630s having nailed the final sector of that lap with just under 10 minutes to go to take over top spot.
That lap would go unchallenged as the chequered flag brought the session to a close, with Martin 0.040s adrift and Morbidelli 0.079s back of Bastianini.
Bagnaia was as low as 17th prior to his time attacks in second practice, with his first efforts only good enough to get him just into the top 10.
But a big lap of 1m29.712s at the end of the session boosted the world champion up to fourth and safely into Q2, with VR46 Ducati’s Marco Bezzecchi trailing him in fifth.
Fabio Quartararo notches up his third successive Q2 appearance for Yamaha in sixth, with Marc Marquez seventh ahead of Acosta, Fabio Di Giannantonio - who crashed his VR46 Ducati at Turn 16 right at the end of the session - and Aprilia’s Maverick Vinales completing the top 10.
Johann Zarco was just 0.086s away from a place in Q2 on his LCR Honda, while two crashes for Aleix Espargaro left the Aprilia rider in Q1 down in 15th.
No other KTM rider made it into Q2 alongside Acosta, with Brad Binder suffering a late crash, while a tumble for Alex Marquez (Gresini Ducati) left him last.
