Francesco Bagnaia of Ducati led the way in the second practice session for the MotoGP Emilia Romagna Grand Prix. But the session was rather chaotic, as several riders crashed. Current championship leader Jorge Martin crashed in the final laps but recovered and finished second. Marc Marquez ended the race in third place.
Bagnaia Wins
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After taking the pole position at the San Marino GP at Misano two weeks ago and setting a record on the track, Bagnaia reaffirmed himself in the GP of Emilia Romagna. He displayed excellent form by clocking a 1m30.286 per lap time, surpassing the previous record.
This time was enough to lead Pramac Racing’s Jorge Martin by 0. 198 seconds. However, it should be noted that Martin’s session was cut short by a crash at Turn 8. Like others, Martin did not sustain a serious injury while crashing. He earned Q2 qualifying, which is very important for moving towards his championship dream.
It was a particularly dangerous time for the riders when seven crashed during the second practice on the Misano track. The spin was caused by Martin’s crash at Turn 8 when the checkered flag was about to appear, but it was not the only accident. Right after this Martin crashed, VR46 Ducati rider Fabio Di Giannantonio crashed hard at turn nine, skidding across the gravel ramp.
Driver Di Giannantonio has complained of a shoulder injury he suffered in the previous race, which makes him doubt his ability to compete in the other races this weekend. He completed the session on the 13th and must go through Q1 to continue racing this weekend.
Marquez and Bastianini Show Strong Form
Marc Marquez finished 3rd in his Gresini Ducati, for which he set his best lap time using the backup bike. This was because he had some issues with his primary in the session. Enea Bastianini fought brilliantly to finish fourth in the race, though a spill affected his flow in the last part. Cycling to his second successive Q2, Fabio Quartararo finished fifth on his Yamaha. This marks a promising return to form for the former champion, who has faced difficulties throughout the season.
Earlier in the session, Jorge Martin briefly topped the timing chart with a best lap 1m30. 5s lap. However, it was deleted this time after he managed to set it in the yellow flag zone due to Augusto Fernandez’s accident at Turn 5. Nonetheless, Martin held his ground until his fall prolonged the session interruption.
Midfield Battles Heat Up Behind Bagnaia
Bagnaia made it to the top, but following the top five, Franco Morbidelli of Pramac came in at the 6th position. Meanwhile, Marco Bezzecchi of VR46 Ducati came in 7th. Aprilia had two representatives in Q1 as Maverick Viñales scored eighth place. KTM’s Pedro Acosta crashed at the beginning of the race but managed to qualify for Q2 in ninth position. Aleix Espargaro also made it into the top ten for Aprilia.
It was a disastrous session for the KTM team since all their riders had a spill. Jack Miller crashed early in the race and was placed 11th, while a similar misfortune befell Brad Binder at the final lap, leaving him in the 15th spot in Q1. Alex Marquez also crashed and finished 14th. Technicalities also affected Miguel Oliveira (Trackhouse), who finished 16th.
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