Jack Miller Portuguese MotoGP, 24 March 2023 // Gold & Goose / Red Bull Content Pool // SI202303240507 // Usage for editorial use only //
Jack Miller ended Friday a shock fastest for KTM after the Aussie banged in a storming gambit in the closing stages of FP2, while Pol Espargaro suffered a nasty crash.
The session suffered two separate red flag stoppages, the second of which was the result of GasGas rider Espargaro suffering a heavy crash at Turn 9 – forcing the outing to be stopped for some time while medical staff attended to the Spaniard.
He was eventually brought to the medical centre in a conscious state before being transported to the local Faro hospital for further checks – Espargaro being initially diagnosed with a lung contusion as well as spinal trauma, though MotoGP medical director Dr Angel Charte insisted that he will “recover well.”
Meanwhile Fabio Quartararo had managed to shoot to the top of the times prior to the first lengthy red flag period, which came about as a result of a power outage at the track that knocked out the timing and scoring facilities, the session resuming once again after just over 20 minutes.
Times continued to fall after FP2 got back underway, with Marc Marquez first inserting his Honda to the top of the times with a 1:38.665s, though his time was swiftly beaten by Pramac’s Jorge Martin and Aprilia’s Aleix Espargaro.
The final time attack in Friday’s concluding session – which unlike in past seasons now decides who will progress directly to Q2 in Saturday morning’s qualifying session – began in earnest following the end of the second red flag period, with Miller ultimately coming out in top with a 1:37.709s.
This was unexpected given KTM’s struggles across testing, Miller heading Aprilia’s Maverick Vinales by just 0.037s in the end.
Reigning MotoGP world champion Francesco Bagnaia meanwhile ended Friday as the top Ducati rider in third overall, the Italian facing a 0.147s deficit to Miller, while Luca Marini and Martin completed the top five on their Ducati’s run by the VR46 and Pramac squad’s respectively.
Fabio Quartararo ensured a spot in the pole position shootout with the sixth best effort, the Frenchman lapping just over three-tenths-of-a-second down on Miller’s benchmark to head countryman Johann Zarco and the sister VR46 entry of Marco Bezzecchi.
Aleix Espargaro held onto ninth on the other factory Aprilia, with Enea Bastianini snatching the final guaranteed Q2 spot from Alex Marquez by just over a tenth.
Honda’s day took a turn for the worse following an encouraging second fastest time for Joan Mir in FP1, the 2020 MotoGP world champion the fastest of the Japanese manufacturers pilots in 12th just ahead of LCR’s Alex Rins and factory team-mate Marc Marquez, who saw his top ten chances ended with a crash at the end of the session while shadowing Quartararo.
Rookie Augusto Fernandez continued to show well in 16th on the sole remaining GasGas machine, while home hero Miguel Oliveira was only 19th after suffering a fearsome crash of his own at the same bend as Espargaro – the RNF Aprilia man high-siding violently but luckily walking away without injury.
Keyword: Miller puts KTM on top in Portimao FP2 as Espargaro injured in nasty crash