Qatar MotoGP Test II, Losail – Thursday lap times (FINAL)

Maverick Vinales has put Yamaha back on top of the Qatar timesheets during the penultimate day of 2021 MotoGP pre-season testing.

The Spaniard made a late time attack to snatch P1 from new Monster Yamaha team-mate Fabio Quartararo by 0.154s, who had taken the top sport from Ducati’s Francesco Bagnaia earlier in the final hour.

Franco Morbidelli then made it an all-Yamaha top three by splitting Vinales and Quartararo in the closing minutes.

Vinales’ 1m 53.244s didn’t quite beat Jack Miller’s ‘53.183s from Wednesday, but the Spaniard – like Bagnaia, Quartararo and Repsol Honda’s Pol Espargaro – also showed impressive pace over longer runs.

Aleix Espargaro put Wednesday’s ‘difficult day’ for Aprilia behind him by featuring at the front on this way to fifth on the new RS-GP, with Suzuki’s world champion Joan Mir, although one of the last to start testing today, completing the top six.

After a tough opening test, Valentino Rossi built on yesterday’s better form to make top five appearances for Petronas Yamaha before a late shuffle to eighth.

Johann Zarco again displayed fearsome top speed on his Pramac Ducati on the way to ninth.

Pol Espargaro recovered from his first fall as a Repsol Honda rider to lead the timesheets with three hours to go, eventually claiming tenth place (+0.859s).

Alex Marquez brought out the red flags with just over two hours remaining, returning to the paddock on the back of Iker Lecuona’s bike.

The LCR team later confirmed Marquez had suffered a ‘tiny fracture of 2mm on the fourth metacarpal of his right foot’ but the Spaniard, who has now suffered five es in four days, plans to try and ride tomorrow.

Rookie Enea Bastianini featured as high as third before being pushed down to 15th on the timesheets, one place behind fellow newcomer Jorge Martin (Pramac Ducati).

The top KTM rider was Brad Binder, down in 16th place (+1.447s).

The MotoGP regulars are again joined by Factory test riders Stefan Bradl (Honda) – also substituting for the injured Marc Marquez – new Yamaha signing Cal Crutchlow, Dani Pedrosa (KTM), Sylvain Guintoli (Suzuki) and Michele Pirro (Ducati).

Crutchlow is again sharing M1s with Yamaha’s Japanese test riders Katsuyuki Nakasuga and Kohta Nozane. The three bikes, which appear to include 2019 (A-Spec) plus 2020 and 2021 Factory-spec machines, are labelled ‘#T1’, ‘#T2’ and ‘#T3’. Official timing only lists the bike, not the rider, although one of Crutchlow’s (Factory-spec) bikes is in a special 60th anniversary Yamaha livery for the final test.

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The fifth and final day of Official 2021 pre-season testing takes place tomorrow from 2pm-9pm.

CLICK HERE for live updates during the 2021 Qatar MotoGP Tests…

* Rookie

Key:
^X Rider is X positions higher than previous hour.
= Rider is same position as previous hour.
˅X Rider is X positions lower than previous hour.

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2021 Qatar Tests – Fastest Time:
Jack Miller AUS Ducati 1m 53.183s (Wednesday)

Official Qatar MotoGP records:
Best lap:
Marc Marquez SPA Honda 1m 53.380s (2019)
Fastest race lap:
Jorge Lorenzo SPA Yamaha 1m 54.927s (2016)

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