Styrian MotoGP: Savadori leads wet second practice from Zarco

Light rain ahead of the second session ensured Takaaki Nakagami’s 1m23.805s from FP1 as the best time of Friday, as FP2 was mostly run on a wet track.

MotoGP’s wet weather specialist Danilo Petrucci was the first out on track to test the conditions on his Tech3 KTM, followed by team-mate Iker Lecuona.

Lecuona set the initial benchmark with a 1m37.716s, but immediately crashed at Turn 1 – though suffered no damage and carried on.

Petrucci deposed Lecuona soon after with a 1m36.188s, before the latter returned to top spot with a 1m35.611s, which he improved to a 1m34.319s two laps later.

With just over 15 minutes of the 45-minute session gone, Marquez shot to the top of the order with a 1m33.334s, bettering this to a 1m33.206s on his following tour.

At mid-distance, Marquez edged further clear of the field with a 1m32.841s which went unchallenged until the closing eight minutes of the session when the track began to dry out.

Pramac’s Zarco was the first to better Marquez’s time with a 1m32.807s, before factory Ducati counterpart Francesco Bagnaia went quicker with a 1m32.310s.

Aprilia’s Savadori then took over top spot with a 1m31.304s, while Jack Miller on the other factory team Ducati was the first to venture out on slick tyres.

Miller’s adventure ultimately came to nothing substantial, the Australian 14th at the chequered flag.

Jack Miller, Ducati Team

Photo by: Gold and Goose / Motorsport Images

Savadori held onto top spot, 0.154s clear of Zarco, while world champion Joan Mir completed the top three on his Suzuki.

Bagnaia was a further 0.616s behind Mir ahead of the sister Aprilia of Aleix Espargaro, while Alex Rins was sixth on the Suzuki.

Alex Marquez leaped up to seventh with his final effort on the LCR Honda, heading Lecuona, Maverick Vinales on the only Yamaha in the top 10 in FP2 and Marc Marquez on the factory Honda.

Championship leader Fabio Quartararo was 2.1s off the pace in 15th in a typically difficult session for Yamaha riders in drying conditions, with Petronas SRT stand-in Cal Crutchlow 20th and the retiring Valentino Rossi on the sister SRT M1 22nd.

Petrucci was shuffled back to 18th after his early run at the sharp-end, while factory KTM rider Miguel Oliveira only completed an out-lap in FP2 due to pain in his wrist from his FP1 crash.

MotoGP Styrian Grand Prix - FP2 results

Cla	Rider		Bike	Laps	Time	Gap
1	Lorenzo Savadori		Aprilia	19	1'31.304
2	Johann Zarco		Ducati	21	1'31.458	0.154
3	Joan Mir		Suzuki	18	1'31.566	0.262
4	Francesco Bagnaia		Ducati	21	1'32.182	0.878
5	Aleix Espargaro		Aprilia	12	1'32.231	0.927
6	Alex Rins		Suzuki	18	1'32.311	1.007
7	Alex Marquez		Honda	16	1'32.445	1.141
8	Iker Lecuona		KTM	20	1'32.543	1.239
9	Maverick Viñales		Yamaha	13	1'32.685	1.381
10	Marc Marquez		Honda	14	1'32.841	1.537
11	Enea Bastianini		Ducati	21	1'33.024	1.720
12	Luca Marini		Ducati	18	1'33.152	1.848
13	Pol Espargaro		Honda	16	1'33.415	2.111
14	Jack Miller		Ducati	14	1'33.453	2.149
15	Fabio Quartararo		Yamaha	18	1'33.498	2.194
16	Brad Binder		KTM	19	1'33.589	2.285
17	Takaaki Nakagami		Honda	15	1'33.658	2.354
18	Danilo Petrucci		KTM	15	1'33.684	2.380
19	Jorge Martin		Ducati	20	1'33.906	2.602
20	Cal Crutchlow		Yamaha	19	1'33.954	2.650
21	Dani Pedrosa		KTM	17	1'33.954	2.650
22	Valentino Rossi		Yamaha	20	1'34.582	3.278
23	Miguel Oliveira		KTM	1
View full results