World championship leader Martin’s afternoon got off to a nightmare start when he crashed while trying to avoid hitting the back of Yamaha’s Fabio Quarta💎raro at the Turn 4 hai♍rpin.

Martin returned to the Pramac pits, while🧜 Miller fell on wet grass after running wide at the same corner - named after 🥀him. Reigning champion Bagnaia had less obvious issues but was also without an early lap time.

Meanwhile, riding on a dry track but with dark clouds looming, Marquez swiftly rocketed 1.7s clear of⛄ the fielꦍd.

The ♏Gresini rider kept imp🦋roving and was 0.2s ahead of Fabio di Giannantonio when red flags were waved due to a large goose on track.

It was the🅷 last thing the likes of Bagnaia and Martin needed since - if rain began falling - they would be con🉐demned to a place in Qualifying 1.

Miller and Martin bolted straight out of pit lane when the session restarted, with Bagnaia not far behind. All on th💝e soft rear for a time attack.

Martin responded in style, slotting into second behind Marquez on only his second flying lap. Local star Miller als𓂃o climbed swiftly through the top ten, with Bagnaia moving into ninth after 25mins.

♎Motegi pole qualifier Pedro Acosta made a leg-off save but later fell on wet grass at the end of the session. Moments later cameras panned to Miller walking away from a much faster accident that would cost him direct Q2 access.

Fabio ജQuartararo had made his frustration clear to the Monster Yamaha team after the rear tyre of his M1 was seen bouncing into🦹 the air with extreme chatter at the Turn 4 hairpin.

The vibration looked at least✅ as big as the chatter suffered by Miller at Motegi, although this time it might not have been triggered by the tyre, with the new asphalt said to have some wave-type undulations. Update: Qu﷽artararo had a clutch problem.

Quartararo rebounded in style to break into the top ten, just behind team-mate Alex Rins, only to be pushed out at the very end. Rins, crestfallen after a nightmare Motegi, held on to the final𓂃 direct Q2 place.

Last year’s Pramac Ducati wꦕinner Johann Zarco was impressive for much of practice but will also head for Qualifying 1.

Wild-card Lorenzo Sav🌊adori fell from ♉his Trackhouse Aprilia at the fearsome turn 1, Doohan corner, in the closing minutes. Savadori walked away, but the resulting yellow flags paused the fast laps.

Ra🐼ul Fernandez only completed 11 ಌlaps due to sickness.

Saturday morning's FP3 will be 40 rather than 30 minutes, due ꦉto the cancellation of FP1.