Fabio Quartararo bounces back with new lap record in Mandalika FP2

After struggling in FP1, MotoGP world champion Fabio Quartararo set a new lap record to lead a factory Yamaha 1-2 in Mandalika.

Robert Jones

18 Mar 2022

Fabio Quartararo, Indonesian MotoGP, 18 March 2022
© Gold and Goose

With track conditions bone dry for the start of Mandalika MotoGP FP2, lap times proved that as Johann Zarco and Miguel Oliveira immediately went quicker than the top time from FP1.

Oliveira was the first rider to go underneath Espargaro’s morning time of 1:34.499s, before Zarco set a 1:33.310s to go fastest.

However, the French rider wasn’t top for long as LCR Honda’s Takaaki Nakagami shot to the top of the leaderboard.

While lap times were hotting up nicely, MotoGP world champion Fabio Quartararo stopped on the exit of turn two with an apparent technical problem.

Moments later Marc Marquez produced a brilliant save at turn seven after nearly losing the rear of his RC213V Repsol Honda, something he was unable to do later in the session…

Never one to be fazed by a near fall, Marquez quickly reset himself to join Oliveira as the first riders to set a sub 1m 33s lap this weekend.

After a slow start to FP1, pre-season title favourite Francesco Bagnaia had a similar start to FP2 as he remained outside the top ten.

But that all changed with half the session remaining as Bagnaia went sixth fastest, before moving into P2 behind Oliveira.

Before FP2’s traditional onslaught of time attacks, the top 20 were covered by 0.9 seconds, while Joan Mir was surprisingly last aboard his GSX-RR machine.

The Suzuki rider, who was one of the first to attempt a qualifying simulation, suffered a trip through the gravel after misjudging his speed on entry to the final corners.

Quartararo had no such problems as the Monster Energy Yamaha rider went quickest overall.

After returning to pit lane following his near miss, Mir shot up the leaderboard with fourth at the start of his final run. However, it wasn’t enough for the Spaniard as he ultimately dropped to 20th.

A rider who found just as much time was Jorge Martin as he went from P11 to first with a time of 1:31.904s.

The pole sitter from Qatar was then bettered by team-mate Zarco as the pair eventually finished 3-4.

While the Pramac Ducati riders were showing impressive pace, championship leader Enea Bastianini crashed at turn 13.

The Gresini Ducati rider’s fall didn’t cost the Italian a top ten finish after claiming P5 - the same could not be said about M. Marquez.

The eight-time world champion crashed at turn 11 in what was a nasty fall for the Honda man.

Not something we expected to say given their FP1 performance, but both Marquez and P. Espargaro will need to improve during FP3 after finishing outside the top.