The Italian, twice a winner in the 2022 season on his year-old GP21 bike, lapped 0.202s faster than Aprilia’s Aleix Espargaro in a soft rubber time attack late in the second free practice session.
Bastianini had already seen a lap quicker than Espargaro’s benchmark scrubbed, having set the time under yellow flags caused by a crash for VR46 Ducati rider Luca Marini.
But Bastianini responded with a 1m31.148s lap that put him atop the times, before taking his second fall of the day after an early FP1 tumble at the Dunlop Chicane.
Espargaro remained second ahead of Suzuki’s Alex Rins, who had set the early pace in FP2.
Fabio Quartararo, Yamaha Factory Racing
Photo by: Gold and Goose / Motorsport Images
Prior to the soft tyre runs, the winner of MotoGP’s previous round at Jerez Francesco Bagnaia had been quickest on the medium rubber. The 2021 series runner-up slipped to fifth at the end of the session behind fellow Ducati runner Johann Zarco (Pramac).
The top eight runners in FP2, concluded by reigning champion Fabio Quartararo (Yamaha), Brad Binder (KTM) and Joan Mir (Suzuki) all dipped under FP1 pace-setter Pol Espargaro’s 1m31.771s effort.
Mir had been an early faller in FP2, the 2020 champion having to switch to a second bike after dropping his primary machine on the approach to Turn 7.
Espargaro ended FP2 in 13th spot, failing to improve on the FP1 lap that had put the Honda rider top of the times by 0.109s over Rins and Bagnaia.
As Zarco’s team-mate Jorge Martin completed the top 10 on combined times, 2021 French GP winner Jack Miller was only 11th on combined times with the second factory Ducati.
The Australian improved fractionally on his FP1 time before shunting at Turn 11.
2022 MotoGP Spanish Grand Prix: Friday practice results:
Free Practice 1
Free Practice 2
