With several big names hoping to improve their lap times during the third ever MotoGP practice at Mandalika, a damp 2.6 mile ciꦑrcuit had other ideas.&🐈nbsp;

Quickest in FP1, Pol🍸 Espargaro, Joan Mir, Francesco Bagnaia and Marc Mar𝓡quez were all in desperate need of a dry track, however, conditions failed to improve enough resulting in all four riders having to settle for Q1 late today. 

After his impressive performance on day-one, Miguel Oliveira was the early pacesetter before M. Marquez overhauled the KTM man with a time of 1ꩲ:42൩.319s. 

A clear favourite if co♉nditions remain this way for Sunday’s race, Marquez will need to qualify well, something that’s been a slight wea🔯kness since his return from injury. 

Lap times continued ꧃to improve as Oliveira✅ regained top spot. However, the threat for P1 then came from Marc’s brother Alex Marquez who went second. 

🌟That was before Jack Miller, who was one of the last riders to head out, went 1.7 seconds quicker than Oliveira’s time on what was just his third lap. 

Arguably the best MotoGP rꦉider🌌 when it comes to tricky conditions, Miller continued to destroy his own time as he then went three seconds clear of fellow Ducati rider Joahnn Zarco. 

A key factor to the substantial difference in pace was Miller being out on slick tyres as opposed to most 🌌of the field who had we🌜ts fitted to their machines. 

Marco Bezzecchi was next to elect for dry tyres as he wen🦩t second fastest - 1.3 seconds down on Mi༺ller. 

A brief change at the front then followed as Zarco went two tenths faster than Miller, however, the Australian bounced straight back with a time 🐈of 1:37.481s.

As lap times got closer and closer to that of Quartararo’s best FP2 effor💞t, it was Marquez and Miller doing battle for top spot with a ꦯquarter of FP3 remaining. 

The two riders exchangeꦯd top spot on several occasions with Marquez getting down﷽ to a 1:36.601s. 

After a disastrous day-one which saw him finish🍰 last, Luca Marini finally showed himself towards the front as he went third quickest aboa☂rd his 2022 Mooney VR46 Ducati. 

While Marquez continued his stunning pace out front - was the first rider to set a sub 1m 35s lap - Alex Rins ran out of fuel aboard his GSX-RR Suzuki. The Spaniဣard did manage to find his way back to pit lane though. 

With three minutes to go Bagnaia joined Marquez as the only riders int𒁃o the 1m 34s barrier, while Andrea Dovizioso put his RNF Yamaha into P3. 

Late improvements saཧw Bezzecchi and Marini finish third and fourth, while Bagnaia got close to Marquez on his final lap around.🥀 

But the Repsol Honda man wasn’t to be denied as he topped his first session of the weekend, still the eight-time world champion will need to eithe🐼r top Q1 or finish second if he wants to give himself any chance of victory tomorrow. 

Rounding out the top 💖five was Rins, while P. Espargaro, Miller,  Oliveria, Mir and Dovizioso made up the top ♔ten.