Aleix Espargaro has begun qualifying day at the Valencia MotoGP in impressive style after bettering Ducati ride🐭r Jack Miller by just -0༺.018s.

Lap times were a considerable way off Miller’s fastest FP2 time to begin the ꧙day due to cold track temperatures.&nbsܫp;

However, Espargaro was one of a select few to improve as he went ninth fastest, which relegated 2ღ021 world champion Fabio Quartararo down to 13th. 

While the Aprilia rider went even quicker on his next lap to go sixth, Johann Zarco suffered a mechanical failure as smoke was coming from the rear of his Pramac D🌊ucati. 

The French rider ma꧙naged to return to pit lane without dropping any fluids down on-trac🦋k. 

Espargaro, who was already fastest in regards to FP3, then went hal🃏f a second clear of Takaaki Nakagami after beginning his time-attack runs with 20 minutes to go. The Spanish rider’s time put him third overall behind brother Pol Esp🦹argaro. 

Nakagami went fourth quic🐼kest just moments later as the LCR Honda rider also had a soft rear tyre fitted. 

Franco Morbidelli was next to make a big jump up the order as he went fifth fastest from 14th. The Italian’s lap was enough♍ to move Petronas Yamaha rider Andrea Dovizioso out of the top ten. 

Shortly afꩵter, yellow flags were deployed in sector four as P. Espargaro suff▨ered a huge off at turn 13. 

Espargaro’s crash left him down and in the gravel for a few💯 minutes before being stretchered away. Espargaro has since been taken to the medical ce🌳ntre. 

At the front, Joan M𒆙ir momentarily wen𓆏t fastest as improvements over one lap continued for last year’s world champion. 

However, Jack Miller quickly responded by going four tenths quicker to regain first place. The Australian’s team-mate🍸 Francesco Bagnaia then made it a Ducati 1-2 with seven minutes left. 

Bagnaia’s second place quickly became Morbidelli’s as the Yamaha rider got with𓂃in a tenth of Miller. Nakagami alﷺso went third, while Quartararo was down in 17th after having multiple laps deleted. 

Quartararo fi🐬nally got it right with three to go and went ninth quickest - a position he kept through to the chequered flag. 

A late 1:30.529s saw Espargaro then secure top spot from Miller, while Valentino Rossi secured direct access thanks to tenth place. The nine-time ꧑world champion💝’s quickest lap came whilst following Bagnaia who himself finished fourth.