Valencia MotoGP: Lecuona fastest in wet FP1, Miller and Bagnaia both crash

Tech 3 KTM rider Iker Lecuona leaves it late to pip Jack Miller to top spot during a wet MotoGP FP1 at Valencia.
Iker Lecuona, Valencia MotoGP, 12 November 2021
Iker Lecuona, Valencia MotoGP, 12 November 2021
© Gold and Goose

Iker Lecuona has top𓆉ped his second MotoGP practice of the year after bettering Jack Miller late on in FP1 at Valenci𝄹a.

Rain began to fa🐎ll between Moto3 and MotoGP ꦚFP1 which led to every rider heading out on wet tyres. 

As was the case with Ale🧸x Rins in Portimao, 2021 MotoGP World Ch๊ampion Fabio Quartararo was seen using the new shoulder cam around the Ricardo Tormo Circuit. 

While conditions continued to worsen around the ten minute mark, Miguel Oliveira was able to repeatedly improve 🏅his lap time and lead from Ducati’s Miller. 

Winner last time out, Francesco Bagnaia then jumped to the top o🎶f the field with a 1:41.511 - two tenths better than Oliveira, while Danilo Petrucci who is competing in his last MotoGP race went down at turn four whilst following Bagnaia. 

Bagnaia went on to improve by another two tenths on his ne🌠xt lap around, before he too suffered a crash - turn 2. 

Despite Petrucci’s crash, the wet conditions were proving beneficial for KTM as Oliveira, Lecuona and Petrucci were all wi🃏thin the top six at FP1’s mid-session point. 

Valentino Rossi, who will retire following this weeken🌊d’s Valencia MotoGP, was one of the last riders to set a flying lap, however, his first few laps weren't classified due to being outside the seven second margin.

Enea Bastianini was the o🌞ther rider to be in that s♔ituation, but that changed for the former Moto2 champion with 12 minutes to go as he went 19th. 

Bagnaia, who led team-mate Miller for much of the session was then bettered by the Aus🌼tralian who set a first sub 1🧜m 41s lap of the session. 

Miller’s time was over five tenths quicker than Bagnaia, while Jorge Mart♛in made it three Ducati machines inside the top three with five minutes left.

But just like Bagnaia earlier on, Miller crashed at turജn one shortly after ♔going quickest. 

The Ducati rider ran wide at turn one before the painted run-off wiped out the🐻 front end of his machine.  

Luca꧟ Marini then made it four Ducati’s at the front before Lecuona went quickest with a 1:40.569s. 

Franco Morbidelli, who has been very impressive in wet conditions since returning from injury at Misano (1), also moved into the top five momentarily, however, the Italian was eventually pushed down to eighth after goo🌠d laps from Johann Zarco and Joan Mir put them fourth and fifth respectively.

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