08/13/2021 |
Christina Bulpett |
MotoGP
Image: GeeBee Pictures
Iker Lecuona from Tech3 KTM showed a sovereign performance on the Red Bull Ring despite slicks on the damp Austrian track at the end of MotoGP FP2.
After the Spaniard circulated most of the 45-minute session in the best times, he was the first to try slicks in the final phase. With an impressive 1’27.520 on his last lap, he took the training over three seconds before the runner-up Johann Zarco.
FP2 started with a flood of thunder, lightning, torrential rain and no action on the track. The workshops worked hard to adapt the bikes to the changing conditions as the sky cleared again.
As track conditions improved, training began on soft wet for most, with Tech3’s Iker Lecuona holding the field for the first few laps. Jack Miller accelerated the pace on his fifth lap on the Spielberg course, Ducati team-mate Pecco Bagnaia joined him one lap later at almost the same pace.
Miller honed his wet weather skills on a Michelin medium surface and improved the times with a 1: 33.372. Lecuona also improved as he retained third place while Aleix Espargaro was half a second behind fourth. The self-confidence of the KTM rider got stronger and stronger under the difficult conditions when he overtook the Australian after 20 minutes with a 1’33.218. Johann Zarco completed a Ducati trio behind when the Frenchman finished third.
The Espargaro brothers circulated in fifth and sixth place – only four hundredths of a second separated the two – before Marc Marquez pulled them back one position when he came in fifth and his Repsol teammate shot into the overall standings with a 1’33.125 . However, it was short lived as conditions continued to improve. Lecuona, Miller and Marquez are all in the lead thanks to 1’32 efforts, with the Honda man holding place on his next two hot laps, 1’32.312 now is the time to beat.
It was a different story for Suzuki as the session neared the final 15 minutes. Joan Mir fought in 17th place, Alex Rins was just ahead of 13th, while Valentino Rossi was the fastest Yamaha in 11th place.
Miguel Oliveira had a technical problem pushing his KTM back into the garage from eighth as the session ended.
Lighter skies brought faster times in the last 10 minutes. A one-two from Repsol led a bevy of Ducatis while Lecuona kept his grip on the mix of red bikes from fourth place. Alex Marquez and Aleix Espargaro were in seventh and eighth, before the LCR man improved to fifth. Fabio Quartararo finally announced his presence after circulating in the back of the field for most of the session to take the position from the Aprilia rider.
The KTM battle for team honors continued when Binder snatched away 10th place from Oliveira, Rins led Luca Marini and Jorge Martin, while Rossi was 15th while Mir continued to struggle.
Front and Marquez improved again, 1’31.693 the current best with four minutes to go, Lecuona was the first to attack slicks and stormed the overall standings with a 1’30.490. Miller did the same as the clock counted down as Tech3 struck again, this time at 1,29574.
When the checkered flag came out, Aprilia moved up to second place, 2.6 seconds behind Lecuona’s previous performance, before Zarco secured second place with a 1: 30.9. However, the Tech3 man still had one in the tank and crossed the finish line 3.3 seconds ahead of the second best driver, thanks to a 1’27.520.
Marquez finished fourth, ahead of Miller and his younger brother, while Rins led Espargaro, Quartararo and Binder to complete the top 10. Thanks to the changeable weather, Zarco remains at the top overall without improving the morning times.
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