Valencia MotoGP FP Results | Miller sets practice pace as Rossi begins swansong

Jack Miller topped Friday free practice for the Valencia MotoGP, the final round of the 2021 MotoGP World Championship, amid inclement weather conditions at the Ricardo Tormo Circuit.

The Aussie, on the podium in Portugal last weekend, moved to the top of the timesheets in the closing stages of FP2 to edge out Pol Espargaro by a mere 0.012secs.

The sole Repsol Honda entry this weekend following the withdrawal of Marc Marquez - whose season has been ended by a troubling - eye injury, Espargaro’s lofty Friday performance came despite a slip off in the closing stages of the session.

With the top three almost 0.4s clear of the pack, newly-confirmed 2021 MotoGP runner-up Pecco Bagnaia completed a strong day for the Ducati factory team in third position.

With the best lap times coming in a dry FP2 after FP1 was hampered by wet conditions, top Suzuki rider Alex Rins was fourth fastest as he looks to end a difficult season on a high this weekend, while Jorge Martin held the early initiative in his tight Rookie of the Year battle with Enea Bastianini by setting the fifth fastest time, while his Italian rival languished in 19th.

Another rider keen to go into the winter on a high, Takaaki Nakagami was sixth best on the LCR Honda, ahead of outgoing World Champion Joan Mir, who was seventh best at the venue of his one and only career victory from 2020.

Brad Binder led the KTM challenge in eighth, while Andrea Dovizioso was an encouragig ninth best, the experienced Italian lifting himself to the summit of the Yamaha contingent, with new champion Fabio Quartararo following in 11th. 

Meanwhile, Valentino Rossi’s emotional MotoGP swansong got off to a modest start as he brought up the rear of the 21 riders on the Petronas SRT Yamaha. The Italian will start the 371st and finale MotoGP race before he hangs up his helmet after 25 years of competing on the world stage.

2021 Valencia MotoGP | Ricardo Tormo | Free Practice Results [FP1+FP2]