Reigning MotoGP champion Francesco Bagnaia set a new lap record during the second practice session for the Austrian Grand Prix, showcasing his dominance at the Spielberg circuit. Bagnaia’s impressive performance saw him top the session, leading Pramac Racing’s Franco Morbidelli and Jorge Martin.
Bagnaia wasted no time in asserting his pace, surpassing the fastest lap from the earlier practice session within just five minutes. The factory Ducati rider clocked a time of 1m29.637s to initially take the lead.
Throughout the session, Bagnaia’s championship rival, Martin, and Gresini’s Marc Marquez had brief moments at the front. However, Bagnaia fired back with a lap time of 1m29.280s, extending his lead to three-tenths of a second.
As the session neared its end, Martin, using soft tires on his Pramac Ducati, set a dazzling time of 1m28.917s. Marquez briefly edged out Martin with just two minutes remaining before Martin and Morbidelli pushed harder to reclaim the top spots.
Despite the late flurry of improvements from his competitors, Bagnaia secured the top position with a final lap of 1m28.508s, breaking the previous lap record. This performance ensured that Bagnaia ended the day at the top, reflecting on his dominant victory at Spielberg from the previous year.
Morbidelli delivered one of his strongest practice performances of 2024, finishing second, while Martin had to settle for third, trailing Bagnaia by over three-tenths of a second. Marquez was demoted to fourth after the late-session improvements, with Brad Binder delivering a strong final effort to secure fifth with a time of 1m28.969s.
Gresini’s Alex Marquez rounded out the top six, setting a lap time with last year’s GP23 bike and surpassing the Aprilia duo of Aleix Espargaro and Maverick Vinales, who finished seventh and eighth, respectively. The Aprilia riders had a notable recovery after struggling earlier in the session.
Marco Bezzecchi secured ninth place on the VR46 bike, while Enea Bastianini managed to secure a direct entry into Q2 in tenth despite a late fall at the challenging Turn 2 chicane.
Tech3 GasGas rider Pedro Acosta missed an automatic Q2 spot after a tough session, which included three crashes, with his latest fall occurring at Turn 9. His KTM teammate Jack Miller finished just behind Acosta in 12th, despite being in the top five for much of the session.
Yamaha’s Fabio Quartararo was the highest-placed rider from the manufacturer, finishing 13th, just ahead of Honda’s Johann Zarco, who placed 14th on the LCR-entered RC213V.
Several riders faced difficulties during the session, including a series of crashes at Turn 2 and a high-speed off for VR46’s Fabio di Giannantonio at Turn 7. Di Giannantonio was diagnosed with a dislocated left shoulder and is being evaluated at a nearby hospital.
Additionally, KTM wildcard Pol Espargaro’s session ended prematurely due to a mechanical issue after he had to pull over on the track. He was testing new components on the RC16.
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