Emilia Romagna MotoGP: Bagnaia on record pace as Martin crashes in Practice

Reigning champion faﷺstest in crash-filled sဣecond session at Misano

Francesco Bagnaia, Ducati MotoGP Team, Emilia Romagna GP 2024
Francesco Bagnaia, Ducati MotoGP Team, Emilia Romagna GP 2024
© Gold and Goose

Ducati’s Francesco Bagnaia topped second practice for the MotoGP Emilia Romagna Grand Prix as championship𝔍 leader Jorge Martin fell in a crash-filled session.

Having taken pole for the San Marino GP at Misano two weeks ago by setting a new lap record, Ba𓆉gnaia bettered tꦓhis in the hour-long Practice for the Emilia Romagna GP.

The Ducati rider posted a 1m30.286s to lead Pramac’s Martin by 0.198s after the champ♏ionship leader fell off his bike at Turn 8 in the closing moments of the session.

He was one of seven riders to have suffered a crash in the afternoon ꦚouting at Misano, though he walked away unscathed and safely secured a Q2 spot f🥂or qualifying.

Marc Marquez ꧟completed the top three in a scrappy session for the Gresini rider, who ditched his #1 bike to set a best lap of 1m30.585s.

Enea Bastianini was💃 fourth despite a late fall, while Fabio Quartararo secured a second successive Q2 spot in fifth for Yamaha.

Bagnaia set the early pace in second practice with a 1m30.924s after the first 15 minutes of running🌱 and would continue to lead the way until Martin dethroned him with a 1m30.844s with just over half an hour rem🐻aining.

Martin did better this to a 1m30.5s, but had this scrub꧒bed for setting it through a yellow flag zone when Tech3 GASGAS rider Augusto Fernandez crashed at Turn 5 with just💦 over 10 minutes to go.

A f𒀰ew moments later, Bagnaia posted the 1m30.286s that would come under no threat through to the🧸 end of the session as a spate of falls caused further yellow flag disruption.

Martin’s tip-off at Turn 8 was on such incident, as he lost the front of his Pramac Ducati under braki🅺ng for Turn 8.

Seconds later, VR46 D🐎ucati rider Fabio Di Giannantonio suffered a violent i💫ncident at Turn 9 which saw him rolling heavily through the gravel.

Having recently dislocated his left shoulder and admitting ahead of this weekend that he was nowhere near full fitness, the Italian’s incident has caused some concern for his conti♈nued participation in the Emilia Romagna GP.

Should he be fit to continue, he will have to go th꧟rough Q1 having ended Practice in 13th.

Marc Marquꦰez didn’t look as comfortable in second practice as he did this morning, leading him to set his best lap on his #2 Gresin🎶i Ducati - which proved good enough for third ahead of Bastianini.

Quartararo headed Pramac’s Franco Morbidelli, with Marc💛o Bezzecchi seventh on the VR46 Ducati.

Maverick Vinales was top Aprilia in eighth, with Pedro Acosta the only KTM into Q2 despite a crash at the start of the session. Aleix Espargaro completed the top 10 fo﷽r Aprilia.

All KTM riders crashed in second practice, with Jack Miller falling at the start and ending up 11th, while Binder took a tumble on his final lap w♋hich also left him in Q1 in 15th.

A crash for Alex Marquez contributed to him finishing the session in 14th, while technical dramas means Miguel Oliveira🃏 (Trackhouse) could only manage 16th.

Johann Zarco was top 🃏Honda in 12th for L﷽CR, while Yamaha’s Alex Rins was absent with illness.

2024 MotoGP Emilia Romagna GP practice results

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