Aprilia has determined the second free practice session at the 2022 Argentine Grand Prix. Aleix Espargaro set the best time in Termas de Rio Hondo with 1:38.244 minutes.
His teammate Maverick Vinales finished second, giving Aprilia a one-two lead.
The second free practice session was also extended by 15 minutes to a full hour. Since it was a warm afternoon, the focus was initially on the race set-up. Almost the entire field relied on hard tires at the front and soft tires at the rear.
In this phase of practice, Aleix Espargaro consistently showed the fastest lap times with the Aprilia. Things went better for Vinales this time as well, as he was almost at the level of his teammate. Ducati was also up front with several riders.
The session got off to a difficult start for Remy Gardner (Tech-3-KTM). The rookie fell in the first few minutes at Turn 1. Just under 20 minutes later, Pol Espargaro slipped there. It was his first crash with the 2022 Honda.
Halfway through practice, Brad Binder parked his KTM at the entrance to the pit lane. Suddenly, in turn 12, a heavy plume of smoke rose from the right exhaust. That could have been a major engine failure. KTM has not yet provided any information.
Aprilia was well positioned. About a quarter of an hour before the end of practice, Aleix Espargaro and Vinales moved out with fresh tires. They improved their times and the Aprilia double lead continued.
Finally, the hunt for the Q2 places began in the last five minutes. Aleix Espargaro stayed in the pits. The two Aprilia were no longer displaced from the top. Jack Miller followed in third on the Ducati.
World Champion Fabio Quartararo held up the Yamaha flag in fourth place. Binder drove the fifth fastest time with his second KTM. Then followed the Suzuki duo of Alex Rins and Joan Mir, followed by the Pramac-Ducati duo of Jorge Martin and Jack Miller.
Francesco Bagnaia under pressure
Luca Marini (VR-46-Ducati) secured the last place in Q2. The second practice session did not go optimally for several drivers. Indonesia winner Miguel Oliveira missed qualifying for Q2 in eleventh place. Marco Bezzecchi (VR46-Ducati) crashed at Turn 1, also causing yellow flags.
Things didn’t go well for Francesco Bagnaia (Ducati). The vice world champion also has to compete in Q1 in twelfth place. But he could also get a penalty. When some riders hooked onto Bagnaia’s rear wheel, he cut the gas and complained.
The other drivers also slowed down. Eventually Bagnaia led the group again and then cut the gas on the exit of the finish corner. It was off the racing line, but he almost came to a standstill while the rest sped past him.
Stefan Bradl (Honda) finished the second practice session in 22nd place, 1.7 seconds behind the leader.
Directly qualified for Q2 are:
Aleix Espargaro (Aprilia) Maverick Vinales (Aprilia) Jack Miller (Ducati) Fabio Quartararo (Yamaha) Brad Binder (KTM) Alex Rins (Suzuki) Joan Mir (Suzuki) Jorge Martin (Pramac-Ducati) Johann Zarco (Pramac-Ducati) Luca Marini (VR46 Ducati)