Q1 field set in Brazil MotoGP practice as Zarco, Razgatlioglu star
LCR Honda rider Johann Zarco led the way in a mixed-up second MotoGP practice at Goiania.
A hectic rain-affected session gave the opportunity to several less-fancied riders and bikes to secure Q2 spots - and Zarco capitalised better than anyone, consistently out front and ultimatelyl leading the way with a 1m21.257s.
That stands as the fastest lap of the Brazilian Grand Prix weekend so far, with the first half-hour of the session - delayed due to rain earlier in the day - offering the only sustained dry running for the MotoGP class so far.With rain hovering on the horizon and everyone up and down the pitlane acutely aware they needed to make their play for the top 10 spots (affording a direct spot in Q2 on Saturday), the start to practice was frenzied.
But riders got more time to make it count than they seemingly expected, until rain finally arrived in earnest with half an hour left on the clock.
Advancing to Q2: Zarco, M Marquez, Razgatlioglu, Martin, Acosta, A Marquez, Quartararo, Aldeguer, Bagnaia, Ogura
Will contest Q1: Marini, Miller, Rins, Vinales, Moreira, Mir, Binder, Morbidelli, Di Giannantonio, Bezzecchi, Fernandez, Bastianini
Zarco led Marc Marquez and the exceptional Yamaha rookie Toprak Razgatlioglu, the Pramac rider consistently extracting the most of the V4 Yamaha in these conditions.
He and Fabio Quartararo, who moved up to the top 10 in a last-gasp push, have ensured the first Q2 appearances for a new bike that had had such a troubled start to the season.
Jorge Martin was consistently towards the front for Aprilia, too, ending up fourth - followed by usual KTM benchmark Pedro Acosta in fifth.
There will be at least four Ducatis in Q2, Marquez joined by team-mate Pecco Bagnaia and the Gresini duo of Alex Marquez and Fermin Aldeguer.
Aldeguer, back from his femur injury and still struggling to walk, was very competitive, ultimately placing six tenths off the pace.
The final available Q2 spot came down to a 0.021s gap between Ai Ogura (Trackhouse Aprilia) and Luca Marini (Honda), Ogura making a well-timed tow from the younger Marquez count.
Crashes for mixed-conditions specialist Jack Miller (Pramac Ducati), home hero Diogo Moreira (LCR Honda) and Brad Binder (KTM) - and an emptied fuel tank for Franco Morbidelli (VR46 Ducati), who ignored a message to return to the pits in a 'Hail Mary' effort to make Q2 - compromised all those riders' shots at a top-10 spot. Miller and Moreira were within the top 10 when they went down.
Marco Bezzecchi, seen as a top contender pre-event given the layout and his and Aprilia's form, struggled badly to make any impression on the timing screens in the early minutes - then ran out of time as rain arrived.
