Thailand MotoGP, Buriram - Free Practice (4) Results

Free Practice (4) results from the Thailand MotoGP at Buriram, round 17 of 20 in the 2022 world championship.
Johann Zarco, MotoGP, Thailand MotoGP, 1 October
Johann Zarco, MotoGP, Thailand MotoGP, 1 October
Thailand MotoGP, Buriram - Free Practice (4) Results
PosRiderNatTeamTime/DiffLapMax
1Johann ZarcoFRAPramac Ducati (GP22)1'30.830s9/17335k
2Jack MillerAUSDucati Lenovo (GP22)+0.109s7/18334k
3Marco BezzecchiITAMooney VR46 Ducati (GP21)*+0.131s9/16332k
4Brad BinderRSARed Bull KTM (RC16)+0.225s16/16332k
5Jorge MartinSPAPramac Ducati (GP22)+0.225s7/15334k
6Franco MorbidelliITAMonster Yamaha (YZR-M1)+0.272s5/11330k
7Fabio QuartararoFRAMonster Yamaha (YZR-M1)+0.282s10/19330k
8Alex RinsSPASuzuki Ecstar (GSX-RR)+0.386s14/16331k
9Enea BastianiniITAGresini Ducati (GP21)+0.391s7/14335k
10Miguel OliveiraPORRed Bull KTM (RC16)+0.394s11/16330k
11Cal CrutchlowGBRWithU Yamaha RNF (YZR-M1)+0.468s6/15328k
12Marc MarquezSPARepsol Honda (RC213V)+0.471s8/12331k
13Francesco BagnaiaITADucati Lenovo (GP22)+0.486s13/16336k
14Aleix EspargaroSPAAprilia Racing (RS-GP)+0.539s14/14333k
15Luca MariniITAMooney VR46 Ducati (GP22)+0.695s6/16332k
16Maverick ViñalesSPAAprilia Racing (RS-GP)+0.831s5/16333k
17Pol EspargaroSPARepsol Honda (RC213V)+0.912s6/13328k
18Remy GardnerAUSKTM Tech3 (RC16)*+0.959s4/15328k
19Raul FernandezSPAKTM Tech3 (RC16)*+1.056s3/4321k
20Tetsuta NagashimaJPNLCR Honda (RC213V)+1.110s14/16328k
21Fabio Di GiannantonioITAGresini Ducati (GP21)*+1.118s12/16332k
22Alex MarquezSPALCR Honda (RC213V)+1.207s5/13331k
23Danilo PetrucciITASuzuki Ecstar (GSX-RR)+1.330s10/14328k
24Darryn BinderRSAWithU Yamaha RNF (YZR-M1)*+1.340s13/15327k

* Rookie

Official Buriram MotoGP records:
Best lap:
Fabio Quartararo FRA Yamaha 1m 29.719s (2019)
Fastest race lap:
Marc Marquez SPA Honda 1m 30.904s (2019)

Johann Zarco sets the pace in final practice for the 2022 Thailand MotoGP, as Ducati riders filled the top four places at Buriram.

It could arguably be called five, with FP3 leader Jorge Martin tied with KTM's Brad Binder for fourth, with Franco Morbidelli surprising as the top Yamaha in sixth followed by team-mate and world champion Quartararo.

Suzuki's Alex Rins made it four different manufacturers in the top eight.

Yamaha test rider Cal Crutchlow, who injured his right ankle in a huge Friday afternoon highside, ran as high as third in the middle stages of the 30-minute session.

Marc Marquez, fastest in FP1 but pushed outside the top ten this morning, was just behind Crutchlow in twelfth, with Ducati's Francesco Bagnaia 13th but still within half a second of Zarco.

Fellow title contender Aleix Espargaro and especially Aprilia team-mate Maverick Vinales continued to battle grip issues at Buriram, leaving them 14th and 16th.

Vinales was again seen shaking his head and waving his hand in frustration at continuously running wide.

A roughly even split between the medium or soft rear tyres were in use during FP4, as teams and riders prepared for Sunday's race.

Qualifying 1 - for those outside the top ten after third free practice, including Marc Marquez, Aleix Espargaro and Maverick Vinales- will now get underway.

Rain is forecast for later in the afternoon, but will it arrive before or after qualifying?

Remote video URL

Fabio Quartararo takes an extended 18-point world championship lead over Francesco Bagnaia into the final four rounds, after the Italian’s last lap accident at Motegi.

The Japanese Grand Prix was also a race to forget for Aleix Espargaro, who has slipped 25 points from the top after technical issues forced a last-minute bike swap, leaving him 16th.

The last time MotoGP raced at Buriram, in 2019, Marc Marquez - on pole at Motegi last weekend - narrowly held off then rookie Quartararo to wrap up his eighth world title, with Maverick Vinales completing a podium covered by just 1.3s.

MotoGP welcomes back Danilo Petrucci this weekend. Fresh from finishing runner-up in the MotoAmerica Superbike championship, the double premier-class winner (with Ducati) is stepping in at Suzuki for the injured Joan Mir.

Petrucci won’t be the only substitute on track, with HRC test rider Tetsuta Nagashima, who crashed out of a MotoGP race debut last weekend at Motegi, called up in place of injured countryman Takaaki Nakagami at LCR Honda.

Wet weather is forecast throughout the Buriram event.

As with the other end of season ‘flyaways’, absent from the calendar since Covid restrictions in 2019, ten riders have no prior experience of racing in MotoGP at Buriram: Brad Binder, Alex Marquez, Jorge Martin, Enea Bastianini, Luca Marini, plus this year’s rookies Marco Bezzecchi, Fabio di Giannantonio, Darryn Binder, Remy Gardner and Raul Fernandez.

Thailand MotoGP schedule

Friday September 30

3am - Moto3 FP1

3.55am - Moto2 FP1

4.50am - MotoGP FP1

7.15am - Moto3 FP2

8.10am - Moto2 FP2

9.05am - MotoGP FP2

Saturday October 1

3am - Moto3 FP3

3.55am - Moto2 FP3

4.50am - MotoGP FP3

6.35am - Moto3 Q1

7am - Moto3 Q2

7.30am - Moto2 Q1

7.55am - Moto2 Q2

8.25am - MotoGP FP4

9.05am - MotoGP Q1

9.30am - MotoGP Q2

Sunday October 2

4am - Moto3 warm-up

4.20am - Moto2 warm-up

4.40am - MotoGP warm-up

6am - Moto3 race

7.20am - Moto2 race

9am - MotoGP race

Motegi: MotoGP World Championship standings
Pos RiderNatTeamPointsDiff.
1=Fabio QuartararoFRAMonster Yamaha (YZR-M1)219 
2=Francesco BagnaiaITADucati Lenovo (GP22)201(-18)
3=Aleix EspargaroSPAAprilia Racing (RS-GP)194(-25)
4=Enea BastianiniITAGresini Ducati (GP21)170(-49)
5=Jack MillerAUSDucati Lenovo (GP22)159(-60)
6^1Brad BinderRSARed Bull KTM (RC16)148(-71)
7˅1Johann ZarcoFRAPramac Ducati (GP22)138(-81)
8^1Jorge MartinSPAPramac Ducati (GP22)120(-99)
9^1Maverick ViñalesSPAAprilia Racing (RS-GP)113(-106)
10˅2Alex RinsSPASuzuki Ecstar (GSX-RR)108(-111)
11=Miguel OliveiraPORRed Bull KTM (RC16)106(-113)
12=Luca MariniITAMooney VR46 Ducati (GP22)101(-118)
13^1Marco BezzecchiITAMooney VR46 Ducati (GP21)*80(-139)
14˅1Joan MirSPASuzuki Ecstar (GSX-RR)77(-142)
15=Marc MarquezSPARepsol Honda (RC213V)73(-146)
16^1Pol EspargaroSPARepsol Honda (RC213V)47(-172)
17˅1Takaaki NakagamiJPNLCR Honda (RC213V)46(-173)
18=Alex MarquezSPALCR Honda (RC213V)42(-177)
19=Franco MorbidelliITAMonster Yamaha (YZR-M1)28(-191)
20=Fabio di GiannantonioITAGresini Ducati (GP21)*23(-196)
21=Andrea DoviziosoITAWithU Yamaha RNF (YZR-M1)15(-204)
22=Darryn BinderRSAWithU Yamaha RNF (YZR-M1)*10(-209)
23=Remy GardnerAUSKTM Tech3 (RC16)*9(-210)
24=Raul FernandezSPAKTM Tech3 (RC16)*8(-211)
25^1Cal CrutchlowGBRWithU Yamaha RNF (YZR-M1)3(-216)
26˅1Stefan BradlGERRepsol Honda (RC213V)2(-217)

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