---
title: "Marquez leads Lorenzo as factory Yamaha duo struggle in FP2"
canonical: "https://readmotorsport.com/2017/06/09/marquez-leads-lorenzo-factory-yamaha-duo-struggle-fp2/"
type: "post"
language: "en-GB"
author: "Lewis Duncan"
section: "MotoGP News"
published: "2017-06-09T13:09:01Z"
modified: "2017-06-09T13:37:37Z"
---

# Marquez leads Lorenzo as factory Yamaha duo struggle in FP2

Honda’s Marc Marquez carried on his form from this morning’s first practice to top the afternoon session ahead of the Catalan Grand Prix quite convincingly from compatriot Jorge Lorenzo.

Having enjoyed a successful private test at the Circuit de Barcelona-Catalunya following the French Grand Prix, Marquez was immediately comfortable with his RC213V this morning, topping the drying session with a 1m45.875s.

![David Ramos/Getty Images Sport](https://media.readmotorsport.com/readmotorsport/2017/06/694046612.jpg)

Quick from the off in the afternoon, Marquez was able to shave around 1.6 seconds off of his earlier lap time, the Spaniard popping in a 1m44.295s in the closing stages to go over four tenths clear of the field.

Ducati’s Lorenzo struggled last time out in Italy, but he was confident of a better showing in front of his home crowd this weekend after he too completed a positive test aboard his Desmosedici at the Catalan track.

Though needing to dig a little deeper to take the fight to Marquez, Lorenzo will be pleased to end the day as top Ducati running with a 1m44.700s in second. Tech3 Yamaha rider Jonas Folger completed the top three.

![Mirco Lazzari gp/Getty Images Sport](https://media.readmotorsport.com/readmotorsport/2017/06/691900812.jpg)

Mugello winner Andrea Dovizioso hovered around the top five positions for much of the session and ended the day fourth overall, with Danilo Petrucci lifting himself from outside of the top 15 in the closing stages to fifth.

Marc VDS rider Tito Rabat put on a strong showing in sixth spot, the Spaniard the second-best Honda runner on Friday and only 0.627s off the pace on a 1m44.922s.

A last-gasp effort from Joahnn Zarco on the second Tech3 bike put him into seventh, with Dani Pedrosa close behind.

> Twitter: Oh dear ![](https://s.w.org/images/core/emoji/2.2.1/svg/1f648.svg) #RiderOK\
> \#CatalanGP https://t.co/x7FEVHusFZ (@MotoGP)

Aspar’s Alvaro Bautista recovered from two crashes at the penultimate corner – the second rather embarrassingly happening as he tried to recover his Ducati from the initial incident – to end the session ninth.

The factory Yamaha duo of Valentino Rossi and Maverick Vinales seemed in strife for much of second practice, with last year’s Catalan race winner Rossi only just completing the top 10.

Team-mate Vinales was almost seven tenths of a second down on the Italian and 1.5s off the pace in 16th spot, the championship leader only just quicker than Jack Miller, Karel Abraham and late faller Cal Crutchlow behind.

![](https://media.readmotorsport.com/readmotorsport/2017/06/2017-06-09-2-1.png)