08/28/2021 |
Christina Bulpett |
MotoGP
Image: GeeBee Pictures
Jack Miller put on an impressive show with his Ducati Lenovo MotoGP and led the FP3 on Saturday at Silverstone with a 1’59.288 before the BritishGP qualifying.
Aleix Espargaro and Jorge Marin kept the man in red honest, with late session attacks, while Fabio Quartararo’s Friday best in combined time at the end of third free practice was enough for second place.
There was more joy for Yamaha when Valentino Rossi made his entry into the Q2 shootout this afternoon, Cal Crutchlow only missed three-tenths when Jake Dixon suffered his first crash from the Petronas M1.
Miller was right out of the blocks when free practice started that morning. Martin and Joan Mir took the lead, while the Espargaro brothers in third and fourth place circulated at almost the same pace. The Aprilia finished second on its fifth ride on the 6km route, with the Repsol again hot on its wheels when Pol Espargaro moved up to third. The top eight runs at 2’00 pace after just 10 minutes of Saturday action.
Pecco Bagnaia joined the fun in fifth, completing the Ducati set in the top 10 when Dixon had his first MotoGP crash at Brooklands 28 minutes from time.
The older Espargaro drove to the top of the overall standings on lap 1’59 of the day, finishing third overall at halftime, with Mir and Takaaki Nakagami just behind and the only other riders in the top 10 overall standings to improve her Friday pace. Alex Rins and Rossi were sitting just outside the Q2 cutoff as the second half unfolded.
Quartararo took its usual turn at the front as the final 10 minutes came into view, but Miller was on the march, knocking the title challenger down on a 1’59.288 to be just under two-tenths ahead.
A Yamaha attack put Rossi and Cal Crutchlow in fifth and fifth place with seven minutes remaining.
Another staggering lap from Pol Espargaro allowed the second Repsol to claim the position from his teammate, Rins falling from his own flying lap on the farm.
Late attacks got Martin soaring as the Pramac finished second and Espargaro’s Aprilia stole its thunder in the final seconds. Quartararo retired from his last flyer and finished fourth, Bagnaia fifth, as a crash at the end of the session prevented the younger Espargaro from improving further. Rossi finished FP3 in seventh place, with Mir, Brad Binder and Marquez securing the final Q2 promotions. Johann Zarco sits in 11th place and has a fight ahead of him in the qualifying show this afternoon.
Click here for times