Johann Zarco has set the pace in a Ducati one-two-three in Friday practice for the Thailand MotoGP.
The Prima Pramac Racing rider clocked a 1:30.281s with the chequered flag out on Free Practice 2 at Buriram to edge Francesco Bagnaia (Ducati Lenovo Team) by 0.018s.
Jorge Martin made it both Pramac entries in the top three, ahead of Marc Marquez (Repsol Honda), championship leader Fabio Quartararo (Monster Energy Yamaha), and Jack Miller (Ducati Lenovo).
Neither of the latter three improved in FP2 on their Free Practice 1 efforts, when Marquez topped that session on a 1:30.523s despite an early lowside crash at Turn 3.
The top 10 was rounded out by Luca Marini (Mooney VR46 Ducati), Miguel Oliveira (Red Bull KTM), Alex Rins (Suzuki Ecstar), and Franco Morbidelli (Monster Energy Yamaha).
Those 10 are highly likely to go through to Qualifying 2 directly given the forecast of rain on Saturday morning when Free Practice 3 takes place, which spells bad news for Aleix Espargaro.
The Aprilia Racing rider is 13th having moved his personal-best only to a 1:30.892 in FP2, as he tries to reduce his 25-point deficit to Quartararo in the championship.
Two more practice sessions and the two qualifying sessions take place tomorrow.
Friday practice: Thailand MotoGP Combined times
Pos | Num | Rider | Nat | Team | Bike | Time | Session |
1 | 5 | J.ZARCO | FRA | Prima Pramac Racing | Ducati | 1:30.281 | FP2 |
2 | 63 | F.BAGNAIA | ITA | Ducati Lenovo Team | Ducati | 1:30.299 | FP2 |
3 | 89 | J.MARTIN | ESP | Prima Pramac Racing | Ducati | 1:30.471 | FP2 |
4 | 93 | M.MARQUEZ | ESP | Repsol Honda Team | Honda | 1:30.523 | FP1 |
5 | 20 | F.QUARTARARO | FRA | Monster Energy Yamaha MotoGP | Yamaha | 1:30.555 | FP1 |
6 | 43 | J.MILLER | AUS | Ducati Lenovo Team | Ducati | 1:30.588 | FP1 |
7 | 10 | L.MARINI | ITA | Mooney VR46 Racing Team | Ducati | 1:30.594 | FP2 |
8 | 88 | M.OLIVEIRA | POR | Red Bull KTM Factory Racing | KTM | 1:30.608 | FP2 |
9 | 42 | A.RINS | ESP | Team SUZUKI ECSTAR | Suzuki | 1:30.641 | FP1 |
10 | 21 | F.MORBIDELLI | ITA | Monster Energy Yamaha MotoGP | Yamaha | 1:30.765 | FP1 |
11 | 23 | E.BASTIANINI | ITA | Gresini Racing MotoGP | Ducati | 1:30.790 | FP1 |
12 | 35 | C.CRUTCHLOW | GBR | WithU Yamaha RNF MotoGP Team | Yamaha | 1:30.881 | FP1 |
13 | 41 | A.ESPARGARO | ESP | Aprilia Racing | Aprilia | 1:30.892 | FP2 |
14 | 72 | M.BEZZECCHI | ITA | Mooney VR46 Racing Team | Ducati | 1:30.964 | FP2 |
15 | 12 | M.VIÑALES | ESP | Aprilia Racing | Aprilia | 1:30.996 | FP2 |
16 | 49 | F.DI GIANNANTO | ITA | Gresini Racing MotoGP | Ducati | 1:31.004 | FP1 |
17 | 44 | P.ESPARGARO | ESP | Repsol Honda Team | Honda | 1:31.007 | FP1 |
18 | 33 | B.BINDER | RSA | Red Bull KTM Factory Racing | KTM | 1:31.059 | FP1 |
19 | 73 | A.MARQUEZ | ESP | LCR Honda CASTROL | Honda | 1:31.113 | FP2 |
20 | 87 | R.GARDNER | AUS | Tech3 KTM Factory Racing | KTM | 1:31.325 | FP1 |
21 | 40 | D.BINDER | RSA | WithU Yamaha RNF MotoGP Team | Yamaha | 1:31.367 | FP2 |
22 | 25 | R.FERNANDEZ | ESP | Tech3 KTM Factory Racing | KTM | 1:31.390 | FP2 |
23 | 45 | T.NAGASHIMA | JPN | LCR Honda IDEMITSU | Honda | 1:31.927 | FP2 |
24 | 9 | D.PETRUCCI | ITA | Team SUZUKI ECSTAR | Suzuki | 1:32.706 | FP1 |