Brad Binder has pipped LCR Honda rider Takaaki Nakagami to become the fastest rider in Free Practice 2 of the Emilia Romagna GP, the number 33 pilot setting a time of 1.31.628.
As well as being the fastest time of the session, it was also just two-hundredths of-a-second off the lap record set by Factory Yamaha man Maverick Viñales.
The third-fastest time was set by SRT Petronas Yamaha rider, Fabio Quartararo, with Viñales just behind him in P4.
Pol Espargaro suffered a tumble at Turn 13, resulting in the battle-worn KTM rider ending the first day of the weekend with the fifth-fastest time.
The second-fastest man of the afternoon, Nakagami, looked strong for the duration of track time as he set an early lap quick enough to put him in 4th, before coming under attack from Pramac Racing’s Francesco Bagnaia.
The returning Ducati rider held the fastest time for a matter of moments, pushing Quartararo into P2, and Team Ecstar Suzuki rider Joan Mir into P3.
The other independent Ducati team of Avintia Racing had a difficult Friday running with Johann Zarco crashing at T2 mid-way through the event, and team-mate Tito Rabat finishing in the bottom half of the field.
Factory Ducati man and new Championship leader Andrea Dovizioso struggled throughout the session and finished only 18th, ending up behind his team-mate Danilo Petrucci, who was sixth.
Alex Marquez was the only Repsol Honda rider in the session and classified 17th, after team-mate Stefan Bradl withdrew due to an arm complaint.
Valentino Rossi was only 12th, ahead of Ducati’s Jack Miller while another contender, Suzuki’s Alex Rins, was down in 18th spot.
