Valencia MotoGP, Ricardo Tormo - 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.

Official Valencia MotoGP records:
Best lap:
Jorge Lorenzo SPA Yamaha 1m 29.401s (2016)
Fastest race lap:
Francesco Bagnaia ITA Ducati 1m 31.042s (2022)

Luca Marini leads a Ducati top three in Free Practice 2 for the Valencia MotoGP season finale, with Marc Marquez best of the rest for Honda and Fabio Quartararo one place ahead of title leader Francesco Bagnaia in the eighth.

But a top-14 finish would give Bagnaia his first premier-class title on Sunday, even if Quartararo wins the race.

Fastest this morning, Quartararo maintained momentum by remaining at the head of the field until Marini edged 0.039s ahead in the middle stages.

New soft tyres in the closing minutes shook up the order, but Marini fought his way back to the top once again, by 0.105s from Jorge Martin (Pramac), followed by Jack Miller (Ducati) and Repsol Honda's Marquez.

Marquez - second to Quartararo in FP1 but also the first faller of the weekend, at Turn 2 this morning - had lowsided at the much faster Turn 1 this afternoon, but was able to get his bike back to the pits.

The #93 was among four early fallers, possibly due to wind, alongside Franco Morbidelli, Fabio di Giannantonio and Aleix Espargaro. Aprilia rider Espargaro, embroiled in a close fight with Enea Bastianini for third in the world championship, fell at Turn 5.

Cal Crutchlow later joined the list while Bagnaia ran wide on several occasions, including repeatedly at Turn 1, causing the Italian to show a little frustration.

Bagnaia slipped to 21st at one stage, before steadily rising to seventh before joining most of the field in fitting a new soft rear tyre and eventually taking ninth place.

Quartararo, who earlier escaped a close moment while passing Darryn Binder into the final corner, was a fraction ahead of the Ducati rider and just 0.225s from Marini. But the spread of riders ahead underlined the task Quartararo faces to snare a front row in qualifying.

All riders set their best times of the day in the afternoon.

• Valencia MotoGP, Ricardo Tormo - Free Practice (1) Results

MotoGP has its first title showdown since 2017 at Valencia this weekend, with Francesco Bagnaia 23-points clear of reigning champion Fabio Quartararo.

Bagnaia will be crowned Ducati’s first MotoGP champion since Casey Stoner in 2007, and Italy’s first since mentor Valentino Rossi in 2009, unless Quartararo wins the Valencia race and Bagnaia then fails to finish in the top 14.

The fight for third is much hotter contest with Aleix Espargaro and Enea Bastianini separated by just one point and Jack Miller also in mathematical contention (-23 points).

Aprilia holds a 5-point advantage over Yamaha for second place behind Ducati in the constructors’ standings, with Aprilia 28-points clear of Red Bull KTM for runner-up in the teams’ championship.

Valencia will be the final race for Suzuki, world champions with Joan Mir in 2020, which is leaving MotoGP.

Rookies Remy Gardner and Darryn Binder will be making their last MotoGP appearances before switching to WorldSBK and Moto2 respectively next season, when Cal Crutchlow will revert to Yamaha testing duties and RNF joins forces with Aprilia.

An official post-race test will be held at Valencia on Tuesday, when nine riders (including rookie Augusto Fernandez) will make their debut with new teams for 2023.

Valencian MotoGP full schedule (UK time)

Friday November 4

8am - Moto3 FP1

8.55am - MotoGP FP1

9.55am - Moto2 FP1

12.15pm - Moto3 FP2

13.10pm - MotoGP FP2

14.10pm - Moto2 FP2

Saturday November 5

8am - Moto3 FP3

8.55am - MotoGP FP3

9.55am - Moto2 FP3

11.35am - Moto3 Q1

12pm - Moto3 Q2

12.30pm - MotoGP FP4

13.10pm - MotoGP Q1

13.35pm - MotoGP Q2

14.10pm - Moto2 Q1

14.35pm - Moto2 Q2

Sunday November 6

8am - Moto3 warm-up

8.20am - Moto2 warm-up

8.40am - MotoGP warm-up

10am - Moto3 race

11.20am - Moto2 race

13.00pm - MotoGP race