Lap times improved dramatically in the hour-long afternoon session compared to FP1 earlier today, with Martin blasting the lap record set by Francesco Bagnaia last year of 2m01.892s with a 2m01.397s.
The Pramac rider, who leads the standings by 18 points, beat FP1 pacesetter Maverick Vinales on the factory Aprilia by 0.076 seconds.
Seven-time COTA race winner Marc Marquez was third with a late 2m01.806s on his year-old Gresini Ducati, as Bagnaia lifted himself into Q2 safety late on in fourth.
Martin set the initial pace in second practice with a 2m04.429s, which was instantly beaten by Ducati’s Enea Bastianini with a 2m04.208s.
Pedro Acosta followed this up with a 2m03.578s on his Tech3 GasGas, before Martin edged clear seconds later with a 2m03.036s inside the first 10 minutes of the session.
This would stand as the benchmark for the next 20 minutes until Vinales, his Aprilia fitted with a new soft rear tyre, fired in a 2m02.983s.
Martin followed close behind, though, and re-established himself at the top of the timesheets with a 2m02.888s.
Source: Autosport