Valencia MotoGP, Circuit Ricardo Tormo - Free Practice (2) Results

Free Practice (2) results from the Valencia MotoGP at the Ricardo Tormo circuit, the 18th and final round of the 2021 world championship.
Jack Miller, Valencia MotoGP, 12 November 2021
Jack Miller, Valencia MotoGP, 12 November 2021
© Gold and Goose

Jack Miller edges out Pol Espargaro to lead Friday practice for the 2021 Valencia MotoGP season finale.

After a wet morning session, led by Iker Lecuona, the premier-class completed their first slick tyre laps of the weekend in FP2.

Franco Morbidelli, yet to finish higher than 14th since his comeback from knee surgery, was setting the pace heading into the frantic final minutes when Jack Miller, Francesco Bagnaia and then Espargaro took over at the top.

But Miller struck back in the final minute, while Espargaro fell from his Repsol Honda into Turn 6, possibly having been distracted by passing Miller.

New world champion Fabio Quartararo also fell, at Turn 2 early in the session, before anoter scare in the closing stages, leaving him a frustrated eleventh.

Valentino Rossi's legendary MotoGP career reaches its conclusion this weekend as the nine-time world champion bows out of the sport after 26 years in grand prix racing. 

It's also the last grand prix for Danilo Petrucci (switching to the Dakar) and Lecuona (moving to WorldSBK). Petrucci suffered a hard highside this morning but was back on track this afternoon.

Marc Marquez will finish the season where he started it, on the sidelines, missing his second event in a row due to vision problems triggered by a training accident. The Repsol Honda star won't be back on a MotoGP bike until 2022.

While the riders' (Fabio Quartararo) and constructors' (Ducati) world championship have already been decided, Ducati Lenovo holds a 28-point lead (maximum of 45 points still available) over Monster Yamaha for the teams' title…

Valencia MotoGP, Circuit Ricardo Tormo - Free Practice (2) Results
PosRiderNatTeamTime/DiffLapMax
1Jack MillerAUSDucati Team (GP21)1'30.927s19/20329k
2Pol EspargaroSPARepsol Honda (RC213V)+0.012s19/19331k
3Francesco BagnaiaITADucati Team (GP21)+0.068s19/20331k
4Alex RinsSPASuzuki Ecstar (GSX-RR)+0.409s19/19327k
5Jorge MartinSPAPramac Ducati (GP21)*+0.469s17/17329k
6Takaaki NakagamiJPNLCR Honda (RC213V)+0.500s20/20331k
7Joan MirSPASuzuki Ecstar (GSX-RR)+0.586s19/20327k
8Brad BinderRSARed Bull KTM (RC16)+0.594s20/20327k
9Andrea DoviziosoITAPetronas Yamaha (YZR-M1)+0.670s19/22324k
10Johann ZarcoFRAPramac Ducati (GP21)+0.676s20/21332k
11Fabio QuartararoFRAMonster Yamaha (YZR-M1)+0.781s16/17323k
12Aleix EspargaroSPAAprilia Gresini (RS-GP)+0.893s20/21326k
13Franco MorbidelliITAMonster Yamaha (YZR-M1)+0.905s11/20321k
14Alex MarquezSPALCR Honda (RC213V)+0.925s20/20327k
15Danilo PetrucciITAKTM Tech3 (RC16)+1.156s19/21321k
16Iker LecuonaSPAKTM Tech3 (RC16)+1.171s17/18331k
17Miguel OliveiraPORRed Bull KTM (RC16)+1.281s19/21329k
18Maverick ViñalesSPAAprilia Gresini (RS-GP)+1.287s14/16324k
19Enea BastianiniITAAvintia Ducati (GP19)*+1.292s14/14326k
20Luca MariniITASky VR46 Avintia Ducati (GP19)*+1.302s18/19320k
21Valentino RossiITAPetronas Yamaha (YZR-M1)+1.358s17/19324k

* Rookie
Official Valencia MotoGP records:
Best lap:
Marc Marquez SPA Honda 1m 31.116s (2019)
Fastest race lap:
Jorge Lorenzo SPA Yamaha 1m 29.401s (2016)

By Peter McLaren

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