History made during day 2 of the IndianOil Grand Prix of India
Bezzecchi dominates MotoGP Free Practice 2
Marco Bezzecchi from Mooney V4R46 Racing Team led the way in FP2, setting the fastest time as the IndianOil Grand Prix of India approached its qualifying session. Alex Marquez of Gresini Racing MotoGP was close behind, just 0.203 seconds adrift in second place during Saturday morning's qualifying warm-up. Luca Marini, also from Mooney V4R46 Racing Team, secured the third spot and is aiming for a strong performance. In fourth place was Jorge Martin, a contender for the championship, representing Prima Pramac Racing, with Brad Binder from Red Bull KTM Factory Racing completing the top five.
Gonzalez fasted in Moto2 final practice session
Manuel Gonzalez, riding for Correos Prepago Yamaha VR46 MasterCamp, significantly improved his performance during P3, clocking a time over one second faster than before and claiming the top spot in the combined times at the IndianOil Grand Prix of India. Meanwhile, the current Championship leader, Pedro Acosta of Red Bull KTM Ajo, also showcased excellent form as he steadily worked his way up to secure second place. Celestino Vietti, racing for Fantic Racing, came closest to challenging the two Spanish riders, finishing just 0.162 seconds behind the leader in third place.
In the competitive Moto2 category, Joe Roberts, part of the Italtrans Racing Team, was incredibly close to the top three, trailing by only 0.014 seconds in fourth place. The American rider managed to outperform Alonso Lopez of GT Trevisan SpeedUp, who settled for fifth place. Ai Ogura, from IDEMITSU Honda Team Asia, displayed promising performance throughout the weekend, securing sixth place and earning a spot in the pole competition during Q2. Filip Salac (QJMOTOR Gresini Moto2), Dennis Foggia (Italtrans Racing Team), Tony Arbolino (Elf MarcVDS Racing Team), and Sam Lowes (Elf MarcVDS Racing Team) completed the top 10 in this highly competitive Moto2 race.
Moreira goes on top in a dramatic Moto3 final practice session
During Saturday morning's Practice 3 at the IndianOil Grand Prix of India, Diogo Moreira of MT Helmets – MSI claimed the top spot on the timesheets with a lap time of 1:59.675. This made him the fastest rider when considering the combined practice times. Similar to previous sessions, the fastest laps were set in the final five minutes. Collin Veijer, riding for Liqui Moly Husqvarna Intact GP, initially held the top position due to his impressive performance in Practice 2. However, he improved his time by a tenth of a second in Practice 3, securing the second position after Moreira's quick lap. Despite a dramatic crash that caused his Husqvarna machine to catch fire, Ayumu Sasaki also performed well, finishing in third place. Several riders faced falls during the session, including Championship leader Daniel Holgado, who crashed out and ended up in 18th place, missing the Q2 cutoff. Taiyo Furusato of Honda Team Asia had a strong day, finishing just 0.070 seconds behind the top three in fourth place. The top five was completed by Matteo Bertelle of Rivacold Snipers Team, followed by Jaume Masia of Leopard Racing and Jose Antonio Rueda of Red Bull KTM Factory Racing. David Alonso (Gaviota Aspar Team), Riccardo Rossi (SIC58 Squadra Corse), and Ivan Ortola (Angeluss MTA Team) secured the eighth, ninth, and tenth positions, respectively.
First-ever MotoGP pole in India
The inaugural MotoGP qualifying session at the Buddh International Circuit concluded, setting the stage for the IndianOil Grand Prix of India. Marco Bezzecchi of Mooney VR46 Racing Team dominated the field, setting a new lap record in India with a time of 1:43.947. Jorge Martin from Prima Pramac Racing, who was strong in practice, narrowly missed pole position, trailing Bezzecchi by only 0.043 seconds. Championship leader Francesco Bagnaia of Ducati Lenovo Team secured the final front-row spot.
Luca Marini, also from Mooney VR46 Racing Team, will lead the second row, finishing 0.268 seconds behind the leader in fourth place. Joan Mir of Repsol Honda Team secured fifth place, ensuring two Repsol Hondas on the second row, with Marc Marquez in sixth. Johann Zarco from Prima Pramac Racing took the seventh grid position, followed by Fabio Quartararo of Monster Energy Yamaha MotoGP in eighth. Quartararo will start from the middle of the third row, with Maverick Viñales of Aprilia Racing in ninth. Keep an eye on Aleix Espargaro of Aprilia Racing, starting from tenth place, as he aims to make his way up the grid. He will share the fifth row with Raul Fernandez, who advanced through Q1.
After a heavy crash during Q1 on Saturday morning, Alex Marquez from Gresini Racing will not be able to compete in the Tissot Sprint race. Although he initially achieved a qualifying time that would have advanced him to Q2, he was unable to participate in the fight for pole position due to injuries sustained in the accident. Following an initial examination at the track's medical centre, Marquez was subsequently transported to the hospital for more comprehensive assessments. His team has confirmed that he has suffered a double rib fracture on his left side.
The action has only just begun at the IndianOil Grand Prix of India as points are now up for grabs at the Buddh International Circuit during the Tissot Sprint race that is now set to take place later this evening at 3:20pm as the schedule has now been pushed back due to delays because of the rains. The updated schedule for the day now is:
Moto2 Q1: 3:05pm
Moto2 Q2: 3:30pm
MotoGP Wet Session: 4:00pm
Tissot Sprint: 4:38pm
