MotoGP Bharat GP: Luka Marini Tops Second Practice Session at BIC; Marquez, Mir Enter Q2

Luca Marini topped Friday's second practice session at the MotoGP Indian GP. With his year-old Ducati, Marini set a time of 1 minute, 44.782 seconds at the Buddh International Circuit during the Bharat GP, which was 0.008 seconds faster than Jorge Martin's Pramac.

By Divyam Dubey | on September 22, 2023 Follow us on Autox Google News

As Honda’s Marc Marquez and Joan Mir both crack the top ten for direct Qualifying 2 at the inaugural Indian MotoGP, Luca Marini tops Practice 2 at Buddh International Circuit which was delayed by 45 minutes due to logistical difficulties. Yamaha's Fabio Quartararo will also be appearing in Q2 for the first time since the Austrian GP weekend, despite having a rough FP1. The second practice began with KTM's Jack Miller crashing at Turn 12 in the opening moments, demonstrating that the new Buddh layout was still proving difficult for riders. The Australian was unable to keep up with the pack and finished the day in 18th place. First practice session leader Marco Bezzecchi, riding the second VR46 Ducati, set the pace with a lap of 1 minute, 46.674 seconds. Ten minutes into the session, Aprilia's Aleix Espargaro jumped to the top with a lap of 1 minute, 46.387 seconds.

Also Read: MotoGP Bharat GP: Watch Honda’s Marc Marquez and Suresh Raina go for a Joyride in a Royal Enfield at BIC

MotoGP Bharat GP: Second Practice Result

Third place went to Aleix Espargaro, just 0.043 seconds behind Martin, and fourth to Marc Marquez, who finished ahead of Bezzecchi. Maverick Vinales, who was briefly in the lead during the second practice session, finished in sixth place on the second factory Aprilia, one place ahead of world champion Francesco Bagnaia and his factory Ducati. Quartararo maintained eighth place, ahead of Honda's Mir and Pramac's Johann Zarco. Brad Binder of KTM moved up to fourth place with his final effort. However, Binder's lap was called off due to a third-sector yellow flag after LCR Honda's Takaaki Nakagami crashed at Turn 8. 

Pos Rider Team Time
1 Luca Marini Mooney VR46 Ducat 1'44.782s
2 Jorge Martin Pramac Ducati +0.008s
3 Aleix Espargaro Aprilia Racing +0.051s
4 Marc Marquez Repsol Honda +0.335s
5 Marco Bezzecchi Mooney VR46 Ducati +0.420s
6 Maverick Viñales Aprilia Racing +0.431s
7 Francesco Bagnaia Ducati Lenovo +0.498s
8 Fabio Quartararo Monster Yamaha +0.509s
9 Johann Zarco Pramac Ducati +0.523s
10 Joan Mir Repsol Honda  +0.550s
11 Fabio Di Giannantonio Gresini Ducati  +0.624s
12 Brad Binder Red Bull KTM  +0.757s
13 Alex Marquez Gresini Ducati  +0.768s
14 Franco Morbidelli Monster Yamaha +0.794s
15 Augusto Fernandez Tech3 GASGAS +0.807s
16 Raul Fernandez RNF Aprilia +0.930s
17 Miguel Oliveira RNF Aprilia +1.081s
18 Jack Miller Red Bull KTM +1.179s
19 Pol Espargaro Tech3 GASGAS +1.329s
20 Stefan Bradl LCR Honda +1.494s
21 Takaaki Nakagami LCR Honda +1.528s
22 Michele Pirro Ducati Lenovo +1.791s

Also Read: Bharat GP: Buddh International Circuit Gets Thumbs Up from MotoGP Riders

MotoGP Bharat GP: Changers Made to Buddh International Circuit

There were many changes made to the BIC for the first MotoGP in India, including the addition of 1800 metres of extra safety barriers (including air fences and foam barriers) and a longer gravel area to reduce the likelihood of collisions. Turns 1, 3, and 5 now have additional gravel traps for bikers' safety, and barriers at Turn 12 have been pushed back quite a distance. Fairstreet Sports has paid extra attention to the sloping areas. There has been no major change to the layout of the track.

The track has one of the longest straights in MotoGP's 2023 Calender at 1,006 metres in length, and it features thirteen turns (eight right and five left) and a total length of 4.96km. Turn 3 leads into a stretch with two hills, one going up and one going down. The MotoGP race has been scheduled for 24 laps. 

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Tags: MotoGP Bharat GP MotoGP Bharat GP BIC Buddh International Circuit

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