Sign up for free

  • Get quick access to your favorite articles

  • Manage alerts on breaking news and favorite drivers

  • Make your voice heard with article commenting.

Edition

Global Global
Practice report
MotoGP Americas GP

MotoGP Americas GP: Zarco leads FP2 from Miller and Quartararo

Pramac’s Johann Zarco led a Ducati 1-2 ahead of Jack Miller in the second practice session for the MotoGP Americas Grand Prix.

Johann Zarco, Pramac Racing

The second 45-minute session of the weekend took place in perfect conditions at the Circuit of the Americas, with lap times instantly surmounting the best from FP1. 

Ducati’s Jack Miller was the first to break Alex Rins’ benchmark from this morning with a 2m03.567s, having set the early pace with a 2m04.121s. It wouldn’t be beaten for another 15 minutes until Miller was finally knocked off top spot, with morning pacesetter Rins returning of the top of the order. 

The Suzuki rider produced a 2m03.030s to go fastest of all, with teammate Joan Mir leaping to second in the closing stages to make it a 1-2 for the Japanese manufacturer. 

A late flurry of fast laps led to the order being shuffled around repeatedly, with Miller going top with a 2m02.789s. This was bettered by Pramac counterpart Zarco with a 2m02.542s, which would go unchallenged through to the chequered flag. 

He would lead Miller by a considerably 0.247 seconds, with reigning world champion Fabio Quartararo leaping up to third late on with a 2m02.837s having been pushed back to 12th. 

Gresini’s Enea Bastianini continued Ducati’s strong afternoon with a run to fourth on his 2021-spec bike, while Rins ended the session fifth. 

Marc Marquez, Repsol Honda Team

Marc Marquez, Repsol Honda Team

Photo by: Gold and Goose / Motorsport Images

The returning Marc Marquez was sixth on the factory Honda, 0.499s off the pace, with Maverick Vinales the only Aprilia inside the top 10 currently at COTA in seventh. 

The top 10 was completed by the sister Suzuki of Joan Mir, with Francesco Bagnaia on the factory team Ducati leading Pramac’s Jorge Martin – who didn’t run a fresh soft rear tyre at the end of FP2 and instead stayed with the medium – in ninth and 10th.  

Argentina race winner Aleix Espargaro is currently in a provisional Q1 spot in 11th having missed the top 10 by 0.015s on his Aprilia – though conditions should allow for combined timesheet improvements in FP3 on Saturday morning 

He was 0.068s clear of his brother Pol Espargaro on the other factory Honda, while KTM continued to have a low-key day with Brad Binder as its leading runner in 13th – almost a second off the pace.  Teammate Miguel Oliveira was 2.8s adrift in last on the timesheets behind Tech3 rookie Raul Fernandez. 

RNF Racing’s Darryn Binder was the only faller in FP2, the South African sliding off his Yamaha at Turn 11 at the end of the session. He was 22nd in the end behind factory Yamaha counterpart Franco Morbidelli. 

The 2022 MotoGP Americas GP continues on Saturday at 9:55pm local time with FP3.

Read Also:

Grand Prix of the Americas MotoGP FP2 times: 

Cla Rider Bike Laps Time Gap Interval km/h
1 France Johann Zarco Ducati 16 2'02.542     161.959
2 Australia Jack Miller Ducati 15 2'02.789 0.247 0.247 161.633
3 France Fabio Quartararo Yamaha 16 2'02.837 0.295 0.048 161.570
4 Italy Enea Bastianini Ducati 15 2'02.884 0.342 0.047 161.508
5 Spain Alex Rins Suzuki 19 2'03.030 0.488 0.146 161.316
6 Spain Marc Marquez Honda 17 2'03.041 0.499 0.011 161.302
7 Spain Maverick Viñales Aprilia 17 2'03.085 0.543 0.044 161.244
8 Spain Joan Mir Suzuki 17 2'03.143 0.601 0.058 161.168
9 Italy Francesco Bagnaia Ducati 16 2'03.187 0.645 0.044 161.111
10 Spain Jorge Martin Ducati 16 2'03.355 0.813 0.168 160.891
11 Spain Aleix Espargaro Aprilia 16 2'03.370 0.828 0.015 160.872
12 Spain Pol Espargaro Honda 17 2'03.438 0.896 0.068 160.783
13 South Africa Brad Binder KTM 16 2'03.538 0.996 0.100 160.653
14 Italy Luca Marini Ducati 16 2'03.562 1.020 0.024 160.622
15 Italy Andrea Dovizioso Yamaha 16 2'03.706 1.164 0.144 160.435
16 Spain Alex Marquez Honda 14 2'03.795 1.253 0.089 160.319
17 Japan Takaaki Nakagami Honda 17 2'04.074 1.532 0.279 159.959
18 Italy Fabio Di Giannantonio Ducati 12 2'04.367 1.825 0.293 159.582
19 Italy Marco Bezzecchi Ducati 14 2'04.463 1.921 0.096 159.459
20 Australia Remy Gardner KTM 15 2'04.535 1.993 0.072 159.367
21 Italy Franco Morbidelli Yamaha 15 2'04.664 2.122 0.129 159.202
22 South Africa Darryn Binder Yamaha 16 2'04.679 2.137 0.015 159.183
23 Spain Raúl Fernández KTM 15 2'04.770 2.228 0.091 159.067
24 Portugal Miguel Oliveira KTM 15 2'05.342 2.800 0.572 158.341

Be part of Motorsport community

Join the conversation
Previous article Americas MotoGP: Rins tops FP1 at COTA, Marc Marquez returns
Next article Quartararo manager in talks with rival MotoGP marques for 2023

Top Comments

Sign up for free

  • Get quick access to your favorite articles

  • Manage alerts on breaking news and favorite drivers

  • Make your voice heard with article commenting.

Edition

Global Global