Austin MotoGP: What went on in second Friday practice

Honda MotoGP rider Marc Marquez narrowly led Jack Miller in a dry second practice ahead of the Grand Prix of the Americas at COTA.

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Key moments:

> Leaders split by 0.015s

> Quartararo moves up to third

> Crashes for Oliveira, Lecuona and Espargaro

> Dovizioso looking good for Petronas Yamaha

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Given the slick compounds were entirely absent from FP1 running, the very first round of flying laps in the second session made the first irrelevant in terms of the combined classification.

But the name at the top of the timing sheets remained the same, as Marquez ended his first run half a second clear of the chasing pack, at a track where he has only lost once and only because he’d crashed from a commanding lead.

The time set by Marquez early on was only usurped once the late-session soft-tyre runs begun, these motivated further by the threat of rain for Saturday morning and the possibility FP2 would decide who makes it to Q2 automatically.

But Marquez needed just the one flying lap, coming shortly before the chequered flag flew, to reclaim first place, and was a quarter of a second up on his follow-up attempt before running wide at the sharp Turn 12 after the back straight.

Despite this, he would keep first place, with Ducati man Miller coming just 0.015s short of overtaking Marquez with a last-gasp effort.

Championship leader Fabio Quartararo (Yamaha) completed the top three, around two tenths behind the leaders and around two tenths ahead of Marquez’s Honda team-mate Pol Espargaro in fourth.

That will have caught @polespargaro's attention! 😲@marcmarquez93 with a front row seat of his team-mate's moment! 👀#AmericasGP 🇺🇸 pic.twitter.com/tGjTyAe2hJ

— MotoGP™🏁 (@MotoGP) October 1, 2021

LCR’s Takaaki Nakagami made it three Hondas in the top five, while works Ducati rider Francesco Bagnaia along with Pramac duo Jorge Martin and Johann Zarco completing the top eight.

Alex Rins, the winner last time out at COTA after Marquez had crashed, is currently on course to pick up a Q2 spot in ninth, as is Avintia rookie Enea Bastianini, who in 10th made it five Ducatis in the top 10.

Reigning champion Joan Mir is facing a potential Q1 participation in 13th. Mir, running a slightly-revised livery honouring Suzuki legend Kevin Schwantz this weekend, was just one spot ahead of the ultra-impressive Andrea Dovizioso (Petronas Yamaha).

While just one rider fell in the opening practice, there were three crashes in FP2 – for Miguel Oliveira (KTM), Iker Lecuona (Tech3 KTM) and Aleix Espargaro (Aprilia).

Practice 2 Results