Portugal – EL2: Fear for Pol Espargaro, Jack Miller in the lead

Jack Miller struck a major blow by beating the absolute record on the Portimāo track to set the best time in a session marked by an impressive number of falls, including that of Pol Espargaro, who was fortunately removed from the circuit. According to initial information, he suffered from trauma to his back and chest and neurological tests were reassuring.

The start of this long second session of 1 hour was given under a bright sun and on a track erased by the Moto3 and Moto2 which had preceded the machines of the premier category on the track. The challenge was a direct qualification into Q2 tomorrow for the 10 fastest drivers. The start of the session was marked by the crashes of Pol Espargaro (GASGAS) and Joan Mir (Honda) before a timing failure led to the red flag being raised and the session being neutralized after only 15 minutes of running. After a 30-minute interruption, the drivers could return to the track.

What a lap from @jackmilleraus! 😅

Well deserving of a celebratory stoppie and bunny hop! 😂#PortugueseGP 🇵🇹 pic.twitter.com/6KxOW2OLgX

— MotoGP™🏁 (@MotoGP) March 24, 2023

Very quickly, it was the turn of Marco Bezzechi (Ducati) to make a mistake by losing the front of his machine after the famous bump on the Portimāo track, immediately followed by the only rookie of the season, Augusto Fernandez. 2 fall for GASGAS after Espargaro's fault, KTM's sister brand is not ideally starting its first MotoGP campaign...

By mid-session, most drivers had completed their long run simulations and could start working on pure performance. The track record was hanging by a thread and for the record, Marc Marquez was the first to bring it down on the handlebars of his official Honda with a lap in 1'38″665, immediately beaten by the Ducati of Jorge Martin in 1’38″370. And there were 23 minutes of testing left. The evolution of machines is astonishing.

Marc Marquez works wonders with his reluctant Honda © Michelin

Raul Fernandez (Aprilia) also made a mistake in the antepenultimate corner, followed by his RNF teammate, Miguel Oliveira. More seriously, Pol Espargaro violently left the track for the second time in the session and remained on the ground, after being hit by his motorcycle. The red flag was waved again 14 minutes from the end of the session. After endless minutes on the ground, the Spanish pilot was evacuated conscious by ambulance. Once the paddock was reassured about their condition, the session could resume for a thrilling final sprint.

Pol Espargaro © Michelin

Luca Marini (Ducati) was leading the peloton, on his way to setting the best time, when he in turn fell. Jorge Martin took the lead by being the first driver under 1'38, immediately beaten by Francesco Bagnaia in 1'37″856 who broke down in the process.

While Jack "Thriller" Miller, who frankly no one expected, put everyone in agreement on the handlebars of his KTM in 1'37"709 Marc Marquez was in turn going to taste gravel. Respectively 6th and 7th, fabio quartararo and Johann Zarco have already secured a place in Q2 tomorrow morning. A great start to the season for the two Frenchmen.

This free session, contested at a qualifying pace, is full of promise for the rest of the weekend and the season!

Ranking of Free Practice 2 of the Portuguese Grand Prix

ALSO READ > The Portuguese GP MotoGP Schedule