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Barcelona MotoGP: Marc Marquez fastest again in second practice

Honda's Marc Marquez beat Jorge Lorenzo to stay on top of Friday practice for the MotoGP Catalunya Grand Prix, as championship leader Maverick Vinales finished a lowly 16th

While the morning session was hampered by a drying Barcelona circuit, the riders faced no such hurdles in the afternoon.

Marquez led the way in first practice and displaced Ducati's Andrea Dovizioso at the top with a 1m45.159s to lead the way for the bulk of the 45 minutes by 0.026 seconds.

Alvaro Bautista was the first rider to crash in the session - at the new Turn 14 chicane with 15 minutes to go - falling again as he tried to get his Aspar Ducati going.

Bautista regrouped on his second bike and became the first rider to make a big move on a soft rear tyre, jumping from 13th to third with seven minutes remaining.

The next time around, he pipped Marquez with a 1m45.116s lap, as Dani Pedrosa jumped up to second in a lead quartet covered by just 0.069s.

Pedrosa also went faster on his subsequent flying lap, setting the new fastest time of the day - a 1m45.098s - with three minutes to go.

Lorenzo then leapt to the top, and by nearly four tenths, with a 1m44.700s, before Marquez reasserted his authority.

The reigning world champion banked a 1m44.478s and then a 1m44.295s at the chequered flag to finish 0.405s clear of Lorenzo.

Tech3 Yamaha's Jonas Folger was third, ahead of Dovizioso and fellow Mugello podium finisher Danilo Petrucci, Marc VDS Honda's Tito Rabat, Johann Zarco and Pedrosa.

Bautista eventually finished ninth, not improving with his last laps, just ahead of Valentino Rossi.

It was a tough afternoon for Yamaha, the only leading team to miss last month's pre-event test at the reconfigured Barcelona layout, with Vinales finishing 16th, 1.515s off the pace.

Avintia Ducati pair Hector Barbera and Loris Baz both had falls in the final third of the session, Barbera finishing 11th and Baz 15th.

Cal Crutchlow was the other rider who crashed - at Turn 5 starting his final run - and the LCR Honda rider wound up 19th, but within 1.672s of the top in a tight session.

PRACTICE TWO TIMES:

Pos Rider Team Time Gap Laps
1 Marc Marquez Honda 1m44.478s - 20
2 Jorge Lorenzo Ducati 1m44.700s 0.222s 19
3 Jonas Folger Tech3 Yamaha 1m44.839s 0.361s 18
4 Andrea Dovizioso Ducati 1m44.883s 0.405s 16
5 Danilo Petrucci Pramac Ducati 1m44.890s 0.412s 18
6 Johann Zarco Tech3 Yamaha 1m45.063s 0.585s 17
7 Dani Pedrosa Honda 1m45.098s 0.620s 18
8 Alvaro Bautista Aspar Ducati 1m45.116s 0.638s 20
9 Valentino Rossi Yamaha 1m45.118s 0.640s 17
10 Hector Barbera Avintia Ducati 1m45.311s 0.833s 15
11 Scott Redding Pramac Ducati 1m45.375s 0.897s 17
12 Andrea Iannone Suzuki 1m45.465s 0.987s 18
13 Aleix Espargaro Aprilia 1m45.554s 1.076s 15
14 Loris Baz Avintia Ducati 1m45.755s 1.277s 17
15 Sam Lowes Aprilia 1m45.760s 1.282s 16
16 Maverick Vinales Yamaha 1m45.810s 1.332s 17
17 Jack Miller MVDS Honda 1m45.868s 1.390s 18
18 Karel Abraham Aspar Ducati 1m45.932s 1.454s 20
19 Cal Crutchlow LCR Honda 1m45.967s 1.489s 14
20 Tito Rabat MVDS Honda 1m46.229s 1.751s 17
21 Pol Espargaro KTM 1m46.946s 2.468s 15
22 Sylvain Guintoli Suzuki 1m47.002s 2.524s 19
23 Bradley Smith KTM 1m47.892s 3.414s 18


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