British MotoGP, Silverstone - Free Practice (2) Results

Free Practice (2) results from the British MotoGP at Silverstone, round 12 of the 2021 world championship.
Fabio Quartararo, British MotoGP, 27 August 2021
Fabio Quartararo, British MotoGP, 27 August 2021
© Gold and Goose

MotoGP title leader Fabio Quartararo fights back from a nasty highside to lead Friday practice for the 2021 British MotoGP at Silverstone.

After a huge 270km/h lowside for Marc Marquez in FP1, Quartararo was left limping from a much slower but more painful accident in the early stages of FP2.

Quartararo's M1 was flicked into a highside on entry to the Vale (turn 8) chicance. While the Frenchamn fell off the lowisde of the bike, his left foot was struck by the bucking Yamaha, leaving him in visible pain as the came to a rest at the side of the track.

Failing to walk away under his own strength, Quartararo was assisted by marshals before a scooter ride back to the pits where he continued to limp visibly, but was bravely back on track with 24mins still to go and went fastest soon after!

Quartararo then returned to the top by half-a-second  in the closing minutes, ahead of the Ducatis of Jack Miller and Jorge Martin. Pol Espargaro enjoyed his best Friday of the season with fourth, but angered his brother Aleix when he held the Aprilia rider up at the end of the session.

Alex Marquez, having fallen this morning, came close to replicating brother Marc's FP1 accident as he heavily damaged his LCR Honda through the highspeed Maggotts/Becketts section this afternoon. Alex was again unharmed.

With Maverick Vinales splitting from Yamaha after Austria, test rider Cal Crutchlow has been moved from Petronas Yamaha to the Monster Yamaha team at Silverstone.

As a result of Crutchlow's move, SRT has called-up Moto2 rider Jake Dixon to make a MotoGP debut in front of his home fans this weekend, riding in place of the injured Franco Morbidelli on the team's 2019-based A-Spec bike.

Dixon improved from a 2m 3.939s (+2.998s) this morning to a 2m 2.601s (+3.284s) this afternoon, remaining 21st.

Aprilia's Lorenzo Savadori is returning to action after missing the second Austrian round due to an ankle injury during a fiery accident with Dani Pedrosa in the first race, but struggled in both Friday sessions.

All riders set their best times of the day in FP2.

This weekend's event marks MotoGP's first visit to Silverstone since before the Covid pandemic, in 2019.

British MotoGP, Silverstone - Free Practice (2) Results
Pos RiderNatTeamTime/DiffLapMax
1^2Fabio QuartararoFRAMonster Yamaha (YZR-M1)1'59.317s11/12329k
2^3Jack MillerAUSDucati Team (GP21)+0.512s15/15335k
3^10Jorge MartinSPAPramac Ducati (GP21)*+0.622s15/15334k
4=Pol EspargaroSPARepsol Honda (RC213V)+0.718s16/17335k
5˅4Marc MarquezSPARepsol Honda (RC213V)+0.734s15/15331k
6^2Francesco BagnaiaITADucati Team (GP21)+0.785s16/16334k
7˅5Aleix EspargaroSPAAprilia Gresini (RS-GP)+0.902s15/16335k
8^6Brad BinderRSARed Bull KTM (RC16)+0.998s15/15330k
9˅2Alex RinsSPASuzuki Ecstar (GSX-RR)+1.075s16/16329k
10^6Valentino RossiITAPetronas Yamaha (YZR-M1)+1.083s15/15328k
11^6Iker LecuonaSPAKTM Tech3 (RC16)+1.096s15/15328k
12^6Enea BastianiniITAAvintia Ducati (GP19)*+1.231s14/14330k
13^2Joan MirSPASuzuki Ecstar (GSX-RR)+1.408s15/16330k
14˅5Johann ZarcoFRAPramac Ducati (GP21)+1.493s3/14335k
15˅9Takaaki NakagamiJPNLCR Honda (RC213V)+1.553s13/15328k
16˅4Cal CrutchlowGBRMonster Yamaha (YZR-M1)+1.565s16/16330k
17^3Luca MariniITASky VR46 Avintia Ducati (GP19)*+1.741s15/15328k
18˅7Danilo PetrucciITAKTM Tech3 (RC16)+2.088s17/17330k
19=Miguel OliveiraPORRed Bull KTM (RC16)+2.095s15/16331k
20˅10Alex MarquezSPALCR Honda (RC213V)+2.179s15/15330k
21=Jake DixonGBRPetronas Yamaha (YZR-M1)+3.284s15/16324k
22=Lorenzo SavadoriITAAprilia Gresini (RS-GP)*+5.821s2/7322k

* Rookie

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

Official Silverstone MotoGP records:
Best lap:
Marc Marquez SPA Honda 1m 58.168s (2019)
Fastest race lap:
Marc Marquez SPA Honda 1m 59.936s(2019)

By Peter McLaren

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