MotoGP Brno: Honda’s Pedrosa fastest from Petrucci in mixed up FP2 – MotoGP

Dani Pedrosa set the pace in the second MotoGP practice session at Brno, as a mixed up order left a handful of frontrunners in danger of missing the cut-off for Q2.

Pedrosa’s Honda team-mate Marc Marquez was fastest early on, narrowly eclipsing Johann Zarco’s benchmark from the morning session with a 1m56.635s, followed by Pedrosa and the LCR Honda of Cal Crutchlow.

Like in FP1, Marquez was then dethroned by Andrea Dovizioso, the factory Ducati rider taking the lead with five minutes remaining as the late-session flying laps started coming through.

Dovizioso’s lead was short-lived as Pedrosa soon beat his effort by three tenths, and the Spaniard improved again to end up topping the session with a 1m55.976s.

Second place was traded among Ducati riders, with Pramac’s Danilo Petrucci claiming the spot 0.123 seconds behind Pedrosa.

Nieto Ducati rider Alvaro Bautista was third, while Tech3’s Hafizh Syahrin completed a surprising top four as the fastest of the Yamaha contingent.

Dovizioso ended up fifth, followed by the factory Yamahas of Maverick Vinales and Valentino Rossi.

Avintia Ducati rider Tito Rabat took eighth, ahead of Syahrin’s team-mate Zarco and Marquez.

Those times were the fastest 10 in the combined practice order, meaning Crutchlow, Suzuki duo Andrea Iannone and Alex Rins, Jack Miller and Ducati’s Jorge Lorenzo will all need to improve their position in Saturday morning’s third practice to avoid Q1.

Honda wildcard Stefan Bradl was 18th in FP2, as Suzuki test rider Sylvain Guintoli brought up the rear in 26th.

FP2 times