Alex Marquez leads red-flagged second MotoGP practice in Japan
Alex Marquez was fastest in Practice on Friday afternoon at the Japanese Grand Prix
Alex Marquez set a new lap record to lead the second practice session on Friday at the MotoGP Japanese Grand Prix, which was red-flagged early on.
The all-important hour-long Practice, which determines who goes directly through to Q2 in qualifying, was halted with just over 51 minutes left on the clock.
An apparent engine failure for home hero Ai Ogura’s Trackhouse Aprilia left fluid on the circuit at pit exit, which needed to be cleaned up.
When the session restarted, top spot changed hands frequently through to the chequered flag, but it was Alex Marquez who took advantage with a 1m42.811s.
The Gresini Ducati rider was 0.076s clear of Austria winner Pedro Acosta on the leading KTM, while Marc Marquez completed the top three.
Championship leader Jorge Martin just about scraped through to Q2 on his Aprilia in eighth.
Following the brief red flag period, Pedro Acosta took to the top of the timesheets with a 1m43.866s.
Aprilia’s Marco Bezzecchi then edged clear with a 1m43.742s with around 45 minutes remaining, before Marc Marquez took over top spot with a 1m43.623s 15 minutes later.
The first of the serious soft tyre time attacks came with 17 minutes to go, as Fermin Aldeguer fired in a 1m43.586s.
Bezzecchi then moved clear on a 1m43.276s, though this stint at the top of the standings was short-lived, with Marc Marquez going slightly quicker on a 1m43.138s.
Aprilia’s Bezzecchi took another stab at leading the session with just under 12 minutes to go with a 1m43.029s.
But it wouldn’t be enough to fend off Alex Marquez’s late charge to a record 1m42.811s to end the session fastest of all.
Only the top three of Alex Marquez, KTM’s Acosta and Marc Marquez on the factory Ducati broke into the 1m42s bracket.
Bezzecchi was fourth on his 1m43.029s, with Enea Bastianini making a late jump to fifth on the Tech3 KTM ahead of VR46’s Fabio Di Giannantonio.
Fabio Quartararo was seventh on the factory Yamaha from Martin, LCR Honda’s Diogo Moreira - who crashed late on at Turn 5 - and his team-mate Johann Zarco, who also fell in the closing stages.
Aldeguer dropped outside of the top 10 at the chequered flag to 11th, while home hero Ogura could do no better than 15th.
Last year’s Motegi winner Pecco Bagnaia faces Q1 again after ending Friday 16th, while Maverick Vinales was last on his return.
