Crutchlow leads second Sepang practice, Bagnaia at risk of Q1

RNF Yamaha rider Cal Crutchlow made the most of slick tyres on a drying track to end the second Friday MotoGP session at Sepang on top.

---

Key moments:

> Top four all on slicks

> Bagnaia second but could face Q1

> Quartararo in combined top 10

---

Sepang’s trademark deluge arrived through the second Moto2 practice, forcing it to be red-flagged for over an hour and duly pushing back the MotoGP session.

Weather update 🌧️☂️#MalaysianGP 🇲🇾 pic.twitter.com/CuXwE8RDdt

— MotoGP™🏁 (@MotoGP) October 21, 2022

And while the spray being kicked up by bikes looked minimal at the start of FP2, the initial laptimes were 15 seconds off FP1 pace – and they didn’t pick up massively until the very final minutes of the session.

That was when several riders took a punt on slick rubber, with VR46 Ducati rider Marco Bezzecchi the pioneer but LCR Honda’s Alex Marquez being the first to overhaul the wet-tyre laptimes.

Marquez was shuffled back but then took the lead again once the chequered flag flew, only to be overhauled by Crutchlow, a second clear but still six seconds off FP1 pace.

Championship leader Pecco Bagnaia slotted in between Crutchlow and Marquez moments later, but could yet come to rue his decision not to run fresh tyres late in FP1.

His main rival Fabio Quartararo had done the same but held on to a top 10 spot, whereas Bagnaia is currently on course to miss out on an automatic Q2 place by 0.003s and will be at the mercy of Sepang’s famously fickle weather on Saturday morning.

Factory team-mate Jack Miller finished FP2 in fourth but is in the same position as Bagnaia, as are the riders who completed the top seven in the session – Johann Zarco (Pramac Ducati), Maverick Vinales (Aprilia) and under-fire Yamaha rider Franco Morbidelli, who spent a good part of the session out front.

Vinales’ title-contending team-mate Aleix Espargaro put 11 laps on the board after being limited to five in the opening session, but was only 21st.

A smokey practice start from @GardnerRemy! 😮💨#MalaysianGP 🇲🇾 pic.twitter.com/gYkWCckRYp

— MotoGP™🏁 (@MotoGP) October 21, 2022

It was a relatively incident-free practice session, with Remy Gardner’s messy practice start and subsequent ride to the pits with a smoking rear tyre looking the only significant complication.

A grid penalty was announced in the lead-up to FP2 for Pol Espargaro, after the Honda rider rejoined the track unsafely right in front of Zarco during opening practice.

Currently on course for Q2: B. Binder, Rins, M. Marquez, Bastianini, Mir, Martin, Quartararo, Di Giannantonio, Marini, Bezzecchi

Practice 2 Results