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 Quartararo✱ at the Turn 4 hairpin.

Martin returned to the Pramac pits, while Miller fell on wet grass after running wide at the same corner - named after him. Reigning champion Baꦜgnaia 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 field.

The Gresini rider kept improving and was 0.2s ahead of Fabio di Giannantonio when red flags were waved due to a largဣe goos🍸e on track.

It was the last thing the likes of Bagnaia and Martin needed since - if rain began falling - they would be c🦹ondemned to a place in Qualifying 1.

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

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

Motegi pole qualifier Pedro Acostꦕa made ꦜa 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 Quartararo 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 Tur🀅n 4 hairpin.

The vibration looked at least as big as theꦍ 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: Quartarar𝓀o had a clutch problem.

Quartararo rebounded in style to break into the top ten, just behind team-mate Alex Rins, only t🐎o be pushed out at the very end. Rins, crestfallen after a nightm🦩are Motegi, held on to the final direct Q2 place.

Last year’s Pramac Ducati winner Johann Zarco was impressive for much of practice but♊ will also he♔ad for Qualifying 1.

Wild-card Lorenzo Savadori fell from his Trackhouse Aprilia at the fearsome turn 1, Doohan corner, in the closing minutes. Savadori walked away, but the resulting yellow flag♍s paused the fast laps.

Raul Fernandez only complete🔥d 11 laps due to sickness.

Sat꧃urday morning's FP3 will be 40 🍸rather than 30 minutes, due to the cancellation of FP1.