Luca Marini moved to the head of the times by the end of the second day of the final pre-season test of the year at the Mandalika Circuit in Indonesia.
The VR46 ace spent much of the day outside the top ten, though ventured out for a time attack attempt towards the end of the day’s action, posting a 1:31.289s to further lower the track record after Pol Espargaro set a new benchmark of 1:32.466s at the recently-completed venue on Friday.
The vast majority of the riders in the field also elected to head out for a qualifying simulation in the final hour, with Marc Marquez ending up second 0.192s down on Marini, while Maverick Vinales once again proved Aprilia’s pedigree as the RS-GP yet again featured within the top three.
Reigning MotoGP world champion Fabio Quartararo was fourth for Yamaha ahead of Suzuki’s Joan Mir – five separate manufacturers covered by a slender 0.297s – the Spaniard having suffered a minor spill Turn 11 earlier in the day.
Johann Zarco ends Saturday sixth fastest for Pramac Ducati ahead of Gresini’s Enea Bastianini, while day one pace-setter Espargaro was eighth overall.
Jorge Martin survived a low-side at Turn 16 early on to end the day ninth quickest, with Francesco Bagnaia the highest classified of the factory Ducati men.
Brad Binder led the way with only an hour remaining but was shuffled all the back to 11th owing to the flurry of late improvements, the lead KTM representative just clear of Yamaha’s Franco Morbidelli.
With the riders getting ever-more familiar with the Mandalika layout the closeness expected from a MotoGP session was clearly visible with the top 18 pilots covered by a second, RNF Racing Yamaha’s Andrea Dovizioso the first to fall out of this margin – the Italian not helped by a crash at Turn 9.
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