Thailand MotoGP, Buriram - Free Practice (2) Results

Key:
^X Rider is X positions higher than FP1.
= Rider is same position as FP1.
˅X Rider is X positions lower than FP1.

* Rookie

Official Buriram MotoGP records:
Best lap:
Fabio Quartararo FRA Yamaha 1m 29.719s (2019)
Fastest race lap:
Marc Marquez SPA Honda 1m 30.904s (2019)

Johann Zarco moves to the top of the Friday practice times at the Thailand MotoGP after a cloudy, but dry, FP2 at Buriram.

Zarco led four Ducatis at the head of the timesheets in the afternoon, although Marc Marquez's morning time put him fourth on the combined classification, while Aprilia title contender Aleix Espargaro is currently facing a Qualifying 1 appearance.

An impressive 11th this morning, Cal Crutchlow's afternoon ended with a vicious highside on the exit of Turn 7 in the final minutes, leaving the Englishman limping as he walked slowly away.

• 21 rounds: Provisional 2023 MotoGP calendar revealed
• 2022 Thailand MotoGP, Buriram - Free Practice (1) Results

After two days of rain, conditions miraculously improved just in time for slicks to be used throughout MotoGP FP1, when double Buriram winner Marc Marquez was fastest with a 1m 30.523s after the inevitable (given the unpredictable weather) late soft-tyre showdown.

A further shower then passed over the track at lunchtime, but with the asphalt dry again by the time MotoGP FP2 began, when Marquez picked up where he left off at the top of the timesheets - this time on used medium front-soft rear rubber.

Rookie Marco Bezzecchi was Marquez's closest rival in the opening part of FP2, before a fall interrupted his rhythm, while reigning world champion Fabio Quartararo, fast on new and used tyres on his way to second this morning, was visibly annoyed at being followed by Luca Marini. 

The Italian, fourth this morning for VR46 Ducati, declined the Frenchman's 'offer' to pass, remaining behind the Yamaha for several laps before the pair swapped positions. By the time they pitted, together, with Quartararo re-passing Marini as they pulled off track, the #20's nearest title rival Bagnaia was leading the session. Quartararo was later followed out of the pits by another Ducati rider, Fabio di Giannantonio.

Meanwhile Bagnaia, now 18 points from Quartararo after the last-lap Motegi DNF, kept control of the session until fellow Ducati rider Johann Zarco took over at the midway stage. Suzuki's Alex Rins made it a third different manufacturer to feature at the top this afternoon (but still 0.5s off Marquez's FP1 time).

Time attacks began inside the final ten minutes of FP2, with Jorge Martin promptly firing in the best lap of the day.

Johann Zarco briefly made it a Pramac one-two, before Bagnaia put the red-factory team machine 0.172s clear - towing fellow title contender Aleix Espargaro to 13th in the process, the Aprilia rider having been a lowly 16th this morning and for much of the afternoon.

Zarco then fought back to top the session, while some riders lost their lap due to the yellow flags for Crutchlow's incident.

22nd and +2.183s during his first track session on the Suzuki GSX-RR, Danilo Petrucci was another of the riders not to improve in the afternoon, leaving him 24th and last.

Rookie di Giannantonio and Darryn Binder, who made big lap time progress this afternoon, both walked away from falls in FP2.

Rain showers are also forecast for Saturday.

Fabio Quartararo takes an extended 18-point world championship lead over Francesco Bagnaia into the final four rounds, after the Italian’s last lap accident at Motegi.

The Japanese Grand Prix was also a race to forget for Aleix Espargaro, who has slipped 25 points from the top after technical issues forced a last-minute bike swap, leaving him 16th.

The last time MotoGP raced at Buriram, in 2019, Marc Marquez - on pole at Motegi last weekend - narrowly held off then rookie Quartararo to wrap up his eighth world title, with Maverick Vinales completing a podium covered by just 1.3s.

MotoGP welcomes back Danilo Petrucci this weekend. Fresh from finishing runner-up in the MotoAmerica Superbike championship, the double premier-class winner (with Ducati) is stepping in at Suzuki for the injured Joan Mir.

Petrucci won’t be the only substitute on track, with HRC test rider Tetsuta Nagashima, who crashed out of a MotoGP race debut last weekend at Motegi, called up in place of injured countryman Takaaki Nakagami at LCR Honda.

Wet weather is forecast throughout the Buriram event.

As with the other end of season ‘flyaways’, absent from the calendar since Covid restrictions in 2019, ten riders have no prior experience of racing in MotoGP at Buriram: Brad Binder, Alex Marquez, Jorge Martin, Enea Bastianini, Luca Marini, plus this year’s rookies Marco Bezzecchi, Fabio di Giannantonio, Darryn Binder, Remy Gardner and Raul Fernandez.

Thailand MotoGP schedule

 

 

Friday September 30

3am - Moto3 FP1

3.55am - Moto2 FP1

4.50am - MotoGP FP1

7.15am - Moto3 FP2

8.10am - Moto2 FP2

9.05am - MotoGP FP2

Saturday October 1

3am - Moto3 FP3

3.55am - Moto2 FP3

4.50am - MotoGP FP3

6.35am - Moto3 Q1

7am - Moto3 Q2

7.30am - Moto2 Q1

7.55am - Moto2 Q2

8.25am - MotoGP FP4

9.05am - MotoGP Q1

9.30am - MotoGP Q2

Sunday October 2

4am - Moto3 warm-up

4.20am - Moto2 warm-up

4.40am - MotoGP warm-up

6am - Moto3 race

7.20am - Moto2 race

9am - MotoGP race