LIVE MotoGP Qatar 2 FP2: Ducati makes the powder speak!

Article updated continuously until the end of the session.

We waited a long time, too long, but the first Grand Prix of the 2021 MotoGP season did not disappoint us!

Without even mentioning the presence of our two French representatives in the top 5 (and what a superb race without the slightest error of Johann zarco !), the fight was fierce from the start, the Ducati armada making an incredible demonstration of force by sending its four red missiles to pierce the peloton, but also managed to keep the viewer in suspense until the last turn thanks to the fierce will of Maverick Vinales, Johann Zarco, Francesco Bagnaia and Joan Mir.

The reception of Johann zarco after his 2nd place…

The expected clash between Ducati and Yamaha therefore took place, but Suzuki was able to prove that we also had to reckon with them, and very clever who could give the podium next Sunday with the same bikes and the same riders on the same circuit!

This afternoon, during FP1 contested with temperatures still very hot, with the exception of Johan Zarco the Ducati riders seemed not to give their all, while the Yamahas and the Suzukis came to respond to the attacks of the 'Aprilia'Alex Espargaro and even the KTM of Danilo Petrucci, even if the M1 of Franco Mordidelli worry…

For the time being, Aleix Espargaro, Alex Rins, Maverick Vinales, Jorge Martin, Franco Morbidelli, Danilo Petrucci, Fabio Quartararo, Joan Mir, Stefan Bradl and Takaaki Nakagami therefore pre-qualified for Q2.

But everyone knows, THE important session of the day will now take place for 45 minutes, with much better track conditions caused by temperatures dropping to 26° in the air and 30° on the ground, and reduced wind. to nothing.

In the meantime, enjoy a few minutes of live broadcast thanks to the official website MotoGP.com :

Qatar MotoGP™	2019	2021-GP1	2021-GP2
FP1	1'55.048 Valentino Rossi (See here)	1'54.921 Franco Morbidelli (See here)	1'54.779 Aleix Espargaro (See here)
FP2	1'53.380 Marc Márquez (See here)	1'53.387 Jack Miller (See here)	1'53.145 Jack Miller (See here)
FP3	1'54.677 Marc Márquez (See here)	1'54.676 Franco Morbidelli (See here)
FP4	1'54.854 Danilo Petrucci (See here)	1'54.106 Maverick Viñales (See here)
Q1	1'54.270 Cal Crutchlow (See here)	1'53.577 Takaaki Nakagami (See here)
Q2	1'53.546 Maverick Viñales (See here)	1'52.772 Francesco Bagnaia (See here)
Warm Up	1'54.807 Danilo Petrucci (See here)	1'55.147 Fabio Quartararo (See here)
Course	Dovizioso, Marquez, Crutchlow (See here)	Vinales, Zarco, Bagnaia
All time lap record	1'53.380 Marc Márquez 2019 (1'53.183 Jack Miller in the 2021 test)	1'52.772 Francesco Bagnaia (See here)

When the red lights go out... Franco Morbidelli perpetuates its strategy which consists of setting off first on the track while, conversely, Maverick Vinales Let everyone go before you start.

With the drop in temperatures, the majority of drivers chose a soft front tire while for the rear there is a mix between medium and soft.

Perhaps an illustration of the hare and the tortoise, the fact remains that at the end of the first round, Maverick Vinales is the quickest to get into rhythm, in 1'55.180.

The Yamaha rider will, however, have to take into account Francesco Bagnaia which imposes a 1'54.074 on the next pass!

Danilo Petrucci, returned to his box, returned to the track two laps behind.

After this first salvo, things calm down, which allows us to observe live new hierarchy composed of Francesco Bagnaia, Jorge Martin, Maverick Vinales, Miguel Oliveira, Johann Zarco, Jack Miller, Franco Morbidelli, Joan Mir and Fabio Quartararo. Thanks to his time achieved in FP1, Alex Espargaro is for the moment still one of the 10 lucky ones pre-qualified for Q2. The Aprilia rider, who had passed through his box, restored the situation by setting the second fastest time of the current session before failing to brake.

7 tenths separate the drivers from a top 10 that entered a little before mid-session Stefan bradl to the detriment of fabio quartararo.

Night tests allow smoke-free visors which allow the intensity of the pilots' gazes to be captured...

Little by little, the soft rear tires are replacing the medium ones... The only ones still equipped with them Maverick Vinales, Miguel Oliveira, Franco Morbidelli and Fabio Quartararo.

Just after mid-session, Takaaki Nakagami relaunches hostilities by jumping from 20th place to 5th position. In the absence of Marc Márquez, which we hope for in Portimao, the Hondas are not generally at the forefront... but the Japanese driver still takes his RC213V into 2nd provisional position!

A quarter of an hour from the checkered flag, Jorge Martin gains a place while Stefan Bradl enters the top five. However, it is the Pramac driver, teammate of Johann zarco who achieved the provisional best time for a few seconds in 1'54.056 beforealex rins imposes a 1'53.969.

12 minutes before the track closes, Fabio Quartararo takes the lead in 1'53.926.

The war by interposed chronos then sets in between Alex Espargaro et The Devil, the Spanish driver imposing a 1'53.646.

Less than nine minutes left Franco Morbidelli comes out of 9th position to place his Yamaha 53/1000 behind the decidedly spectacular Aprilia.

Jack Miller, in a fast lap, there is a lot of heat when accelerating...

For the final rush, everyone is now on a soft rear tire, starting with alex rins which is positioned third.

Takaaki Nakagami makes a minor mistake at turn #7, just in front of a Jack Miller who produced his effort to win at the top of the ranking in 1'53.145! The best time from last week's FP2 has been beaten.

Alex Marquez increases the costs at LCR by also making a minor mistake in the last moments, when Ducati makes the powder speak by achieving a hat-trick Miller–Bagnaia–Zarco before Fabio Quartararo.

 

MotoGP Doha Grand Prix FP2 standings: 

Classification credit: MotoGP.com