Espargaro fastest in MotoGP warm-up, Marquez crashes again

Aleix Espargaro tops his first MotoGP warm-up session of the season, while Repsol Honda rider Marc Marquez suffered his second fall of the weekend.
Aleix Espargaro, British MotoGP, 27 August 2021
Aleix Espargaro, British MotoGP, 27 August 2021
© Gold and Goose

Aleix Espargaro heads into today’s British MotoGP fastest in morning warm-up, while Marc Marquez crashed for the second time this weekend. 

Pole sitter for today’s race, Pol Espargaro set the pace early on with a 2:01.649s - one place ahead of brother Aleix. 

The Aprilia man then consolidated what’s been an impressive weekend thus far by going top. 

However, the man with the best race pace based off FP4, Fabio Quartararo set the first sub 2m 01s lap of the session to lead the way.

Enea Bastianini became the first crasher of the session after suffering another fall at the tricky turn 12. 

With six minutes remaining, Takaaki Nakagami then produced a stunning lap to go over two tenths quicker than Quartararo - not the type of pace we’ve seen from the Japanese rider so far this weekend. 

Fellow Honda rider Marc Marquez then suffered his second crash of the weekend - this time at turn eight. 

Aleix Espargaro then jumped back to the top of the standings, while Iker Lecuona moved up to fourth. 

With less than five minutes to go Jake Dixon suffered a fall in sector four which is also his second of the weekend.

Espargaro held onto top spot, while Nakagami and Pol Espargaro rounded out the top three. 

Fourth was the top Ducati of Jorge Martin who starts today’s race from the same position. 

Fifth was Lecuona - his best MotoGP warm-up session of the season. Sixth was championship leader Quartararo who starts third for the race. 

It was a better beginning to race day for Suzuki riders Joan Mir and Alex Rins as they claimed seventh and eighth, while Jack Miller and Marquez rounded out the top ten. 

Francesco Bagnaia was only 17th for the factory Ducati team, while fourth in the championship Johann Zarco was 15th in what’s been a difficult weekend for the French rider so far.

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