LIVE MotoGP Austria 2 FP2: Pol Espargaró tames the bull

Article updated continuously until 14:55 a.m.

After a start to the season so atypical that a cat wouldn't find her kittens there, the first MotoGP session of the Styrian Grand Prix on the Red Bull Ring continued at the same hectic pace, bringing its share of important news. On the manufacturers side, Yamaha withdrew its exceptional request to open its engines without suffering penalties, while conversely, on the pilot side, Johann Zarco received one following last Sunday's incident.

On the one hand we are getting closer to the very essence of competition, on the other we are moving away from it…

There is no doubt that the keyboards will be crackling for a long time to come discussing this hectic news, but, in the meantime, it is time to concentrate on the only certainty to which we can perhaps cling, the fact that Ducati won at five repeats the five Grands Prix which have taken place on the Austrian track since 2016, the date of the return of the Grands Prix on this track which has had multiple names.

Andrea Dovizioso himself expects fiercer competition, after learning during the race last Sunday which, moreover, undermined our heart rate.

And to stay with the number 5, John Zarco will know today shortly after 16 p.m. if he is declared fit to ride from Saturday.

In the meantime, there are 21 pilots (including Bradley Smith face swollen by a wasp sting) who will set off for 45 minutes of free trials with weather situation summer temperatures of 31° in the air, the opposite of what is predicted by the weather from tomorrow and next Sunday, that is to say rain.

They will do it on a track where the inflatable protection zone on the inside of turn #3 has been extended by 12 meters, in reaction to the tragedy we escaped last Sunday.

It's almost 14:10 p.m., and given the very fast FP1 this morning and a current track temperature of 53°, it is not completely certain that Jack Miller, Andrea Dovizioso, Miguel Oliveira, Takaaki Nakagami, Joan Mir, Franco Morbidelli, Brad Binder, Iker Lecuona, Maverick Vinales and Fabio Quartararo, pre-qualified in FP1, will be dethroned this afternoon…

Here are the references from last week and the circuit record:

MotoGP™ Red Bull Ring 2	16/08/20	23/08/20
FP1	1'24.193 Pol Espargaró (See here)	1'23.859 Jack Miller (See here)
FP2	1'26.475 Jack Miller (See here)	1'23.638 Pol Espargaró (See here)
FP3	1'24.317 Maverick Viñales (See here)
FP4	1'24.183 Pol Espargaró (See here)
Q1	1'23.865 Johann Zarco (See here)
Q2	1'23.450 Maverick Viñales (See here)
Warm-up	1'24.365 Joan Mir (See here)
Course	Dovizioso, Mir, Miller (See here)
All time lap record	1'23.027 Marc Márquez (2019)

Once is not customary, it is Fabio Quartararo who sets off first when the red lights go out. Despite the adoption of the new Brembo calipers, the French driver still experienced brake problems this morning.

Divided choice regarding tires…

The Yamahas started strong and occupied the first three places at the end of the first flying lap, fabio quartararo recording a 1'24.809.

In the following passages, Pol Espargaro places his RC16 at the top of the ranking thanks to a 1'24.203.

The KTM rider precedes Maverick Vinales, Franco Morbidelli and Fabio Quartararo but this takes the latter out of the top 10 in the combined rankings.

Alex Rins et Franco Morbidelli each in turn pulls a little too long when braking, without real consequences.

At the end of the first run, the fastest are named Pol Espargaró, Maverick Viñales, Franco Morbidelli, Fabio Quartararo, Takaaki Nakagami, Aleix Espargaró, Andrea Dovizioso, Alex Márquez, Miguel Oliveira and Valentino Rossi.

Jack Miller, the fastest this morning, is only in 14th position.

At the microphone of Canal+, Johann zarco said that if he was declared fit this afternoon, he would ultimately be unlikely to appeal his penalty.

Alex Rins takes advantage of the stop of his little comrades to raise his GSX-RR to second place in the ranking, 22/1000 behind Pol I will espargaro.

A little before mid-session, Valentino Rossi moves up to eighth position.

Paolo ciabatti spoke on Sky Sport to confirm Pecco Bagnaia but also announced Ducati's interest in another Italian rider. According to our information, it would beEnea Bastianini which could end up at Avintia…

17 minutes from the end of the session, Brad Binder jumped from the bottom of the rankings to fourth position. This obviously places him in the top 10 overall.

Alex Rins, on soft tires, then took command in 1'24.122.

At this stage of the session, 10 minutes before the checkered flag, Maverick Vinales, although fourth this afternoon, is still not pre-qualified for Q2. It is the same for fabio quartararo (seventh) and Valentino Rossi (ninth).

Five minutes before the flag is lowered, Pol I will espargaro achieves 1'23.764, the best time of the day. Right after, Joan mir comes to place 3/10 of the KTM rider.

Miguel Oliveira rises to 5th position just behind Takaaki Nakagami and Alex Rins.

Inexplicably, fabio quartararo continues to experience brake problems. The French pilot gets angry…

Less than a minute before the red lights come on, Maverick Vinales placed sixth and joined the list of pre-qualified while Pol I will espargaro lowers the reference to 1'23.638.

Less than a minute before the red lights come on, Maverick Vinales placed sixth and joined the list of pre-qualified.

Takaaki Nakagami snatches 2nd position at the last minute.

Finally, Pol Espargaró, Jack Miller, Andrea Dovizioso, Miguel Oliveira, Takaaki Nakagami, Joan Mir, Álex Rins, Maverick Viñales, Franco Morbidelli and Brad Binder are pre-qualified for Q2.

FP2 classification of the Styrian Grand Prix MotoGP at the Red Bull Ring:

FP1/FP2 classification of the Styrian Grand Prix MotoGP at the Red Bull Ring:

Credit rankings: MotoGP.com