Mixed conditions and mixed results for Aleix Espargaro

The MotoGP class kicked off its visit to Italy with mixed conditions in Friday practice at Mugello. The track had been left damp by overnight rain, and the majority of riders waited until the surface had fully dried before switching to slick tyres.

The early confusion about which rubber to use left Jorge Lorenzo and Valentino Rossi low down the order and various CRT riders at the head of the pack. Crashes for Marc Marquez and Bradley Smith also served as a warning not to push too hard on the tricky surface. Lorenzo eventually took the quickest time, alongside Rossi and Crutchlow.

Aleix Espargaró concluded the day in twelfth. The Spaniard was the second best CRT rider of the day, despite not matching the imperious pace that had made him the CRT top dog in the opening four rounds. He tried out various new setup solutions, but will start again from scratch on Saturday.

12th Aleix Espargaró 1’49.769 (29 laps):
“We had quite a good day today, even though we tried a couple of solutions with the setup that we didn’t end up liking. We tried a new setup, but when I released the front brake the bike would not turn in as it should, and this track requires a lot of maneuverability because it has several long and very fast corners. Today we wanted to try things out, and because didn’t draw positive conclusions from them, we will take a step back tomorrow. The times have been pretty close to the riders at the front and with a little improvement tomorrow we can be back on form.”

Source: Aspar Media