Algarve MotoGP, Portimao - Free Practice (2) Results

Free Practice (2) results from the Algarve MotoGP at Portimao, round 17 of 18 in the 2021 world championship.
Fabio Quartararo, Algarve MotoGP, 5 November 2021
Fabio Quartararo, Algarve MotoGP, 5 November 2021
© Gold and Goose

Fabio Quartararo stays fastest during Friday Practice 2 for the Algarve MotoGP at Portimao.

Seperated by just 0.045s this morning, new world champion Quartararo and nearest rival Francesco Bagnaia soon picked up where they left off for much of the afternoon session, until soft tyres and time attacks in the closing minutes.

Joan Mir and Jack Miller briefly featured in P1 before Quartararo struck back, finishing the day 0.132s clear of Bagnaia's Ducati despite a Turn 13 scare that sent his outside foot in the air.

Miller, Mir, Pol Espargaro, Zarco and Alex Marquez were best of the rest behind Quartararo and Bagnaia, but it was a tough day for home hero Miguel Oliveira, left down in 19th. Andrea Dovizioso was the only rider not to fit a soft rear at the end of the session.

Marc Marquez, winner of the past two MotoGP rounds, is missing the event after still feeling 'unwell' several days after sustaining a 'slight concussion' while training on an off-road bike. Marquez is replaced by test rider Stefan Bradl.

The hard front tyre option has been changed from the disliked asymmetric version selected for April's Portimao round, to a symmetric hard compound.

Home star Oliveira, winner of last November's inaugural Portimao race while using a symmetric hard front, was one of those to struggled badly with the revised tyre allocation in April, when Quartararo dominated the race from Bagnaia and Mir.

Although Quartararo has already wrapped up the 2021 riders' title, with Bagnaia and Mir on course for second and third, Ducati and Yamaha remain locked in a close battle for victory in the teams' and constructors' championships.

Algarve MotoGP, Portimao - Free Practice (2) Results
Pos RiderNatTeamTime/DiffLapMax
1=Fabio QuartararoFRAMonster Yamaha (YZR-M1)1'39.390s20/21331k
2=Francesco BagnaiaITADucati Team (GP21)+0.132s18/18339k
3=Jack MillerAUSDucati Team (GP21)+0.221s19/20341k
4^1Joan MirSPASuzuki Ecstar (GSX-RR)+0.290s18/20335k
5^2Pol EspargaroSPARepsol Honda (RC213V)+0.402s20/20336k
6^7Johann ZarcoFRAPramac Ducati (GP21)+0.499s17/17343k
7^4Alex MarquezSPALCR Honda (RC213V)+0.652s18/18336k
8^2Aleix EspargaroSPAAprilia Gresini (RS-GP)+0.679s18/18341k
9^3Takaaki NakagamiJPNLCR Honda (RC213V)+0.732s19/19339k
10˅6Alex RinsSPASuzuki Ecstar (GSX-RR)+0.786s19/19339k
11^6Jorge MartinSPAPramac Ducati (GP21)*+0.789s18/18340k
12˅3Franco MorbidelliITAMonster Yamaha (YZR-M1)+0.835s16/18328k
13^3Danilo PetrucciITAKTM Tech3 (RC16)+0.841s19/20335k
14˅6Maverick ViñalesSPAAprilia Gresini (RS-GP)+0.894s18/19336k
15˅9Luca MariniITASky VR46 Avintia Ducati (GP19)*+0.933s18/18332k
16^4Enea BastianiniITAAvintia Ducati (GP19)*+1.077s18/18336k
17˅2Brad BinderRSARed Bull KTM (RC16)+1.108s17/18336k
18^3Stefan BradlGERRepsol Honda (RC213V)+1.310s18/19338k
19˅1Miguel OliveiraPORRed Bull KTM (RC16)+1.545s17/18330k
20˅6Iker LecuonaSPAKTM Tech3 (RC16)+1.707s7/18334k
21^1Valentino RossiITAPetronas Yamaha (YZR-M1)+1.784s17/17330k
22˅3Andrea DoviziosoITAPetronas Yamaha (YZR-M1)+1.824s18/20328k

Key:
^X Rider is X positions higher than FP1.
= Rider is same position as FP1.
˅X Rider is X positions lower than FP1.

* Rookie

Official Portimao MotoGP records:
Best lap:
Fabio Quartararo FRA Yamaha 1m 38.862s (2021)
Fastest race lap:
Alex Rins SPA Suzuki 1m 39.450s (2021)

By Peter McLaren

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