Miller tops twice red-flagged FP2, Pol Espargaro airlifted to hospital

After a winter of toil for Miller and KTM, the Australian ends the first day of the 2023 season with a new lap record at the Algarve International Circuit after a late surge to the top with a 1m37.709s.

Having gotten underway at 3pm local time, the one-hour FP2 – which has been extended for 2023 as part of the format shake-up – the session didn’t finish until almost two hours later due to two lengthy stoppages.

The first came just under 15 minutes in when a technical issue with the timing system at the circuit forced the session to be halted.

A delay of around half an hour was broken at 3:43pm local time, with Aprilia’s Maverick Vinales leading the way at that point with a 1m38.866s.

The session was red-flagged again with just under 14 minutes of running left due to a violent crash for Tech3 GASGAS rider Pol Espargaro.

The Spaniard, who returns to the rebranded KTM-backed Tech3 squad after two dismal years at Honda, was launched from his RC16 at Turn 10 and violently rolled his way into the barrier.

Espargaro was treated trackside for around half an hour before being loaded into an ambulance, with the Tech3 rider now on his way to hospital in Faro by helicopter for checks on his back and neck.

The session got back underway at 4:40pm local time, with Pol Espargaro’s brother Aleix Espargaro fastest of all with a 1m38.253s he set on his Aprilia prior to the second red flag.

With the combined times at the end of Friday’s practices in 2023 decided the qualifying groups, the closing stages turned into a frantic time attack session.

VR46 Ducati rider Luca Marini was on course to dethrone Aleix Espargaro’s lap, but crashed while chasing team-mate Marco Bezzecchi.

With eight minutes remaining, Jorge Martin on the Pramac Ducati went top with a 1m37.991s, setting a new lap record in the process.

It wouldn’t stand for long, however, as reigning world champion Francesco Bagnaia took over from Martin moments later with a 1m37.856s.

Bagnaia’s session lastest just a few more corners, though, as he came to a halt on the run into Turn 5 with an issue on his factory Ducati.

Maverick Vinales on the sister Aprilia edged ahead of Bagnaia’s time with three minutes to go, the Spaniard firing in a 1m37.746s.

Francesco Bagnaia, Ducati Team

Photo by: Gold and Goose / Motorsport Images

But it wasn’t good enough to stop Miller, who surprisingly lifted himself up the order with his…