MotoGP

 

MotoGP™ World Champion Marc Marquez was Friday’s quickest rider at the bwin Grand Prix České republiky with his best lap of 1’56.803 in FP1, ahead of Jorge Lorenzo and Dani Pedrosa. The rain arrived later and the riders spent FP2 refining their wet set-ups.

Undefeated thus far in his title defence season, Marquez (Repsol Honda Team) was quickest on the overall Friday timesheets, with all the riders setting their best laps in FP1 as the rain fell just as FP2 got underway. In the morning session Jorge Lorenzo (Movistar Yamaha MotoGP) and Pedrosa (Repsol Honda Team) trailed Marquez by just 0.037s and 0.052s respectively.

Behind the front three, it was Aleix Espargaro (NGM Forward Racing) and Valentino Rossi (Movistar Yamaha MotoGP) also in the top five. Rossi is set to make his 245th GP start in the premier class on Sunday, equalling Alex Barros who currently holds the record for most starts in the top class of Grand Prix racing.

Friday’s fastest top ten was completed by Stefan Bradl (LCR Honda MotoGP), Andrea Dovizioso (Ducati Team), Yonny Hernandez (Energy T.I. Pramac Racing), Pol Espargaro (Monster Yamaha Tech3) and Bradley Smith (Monster Yamaha Tech3).

In FP2 Andrea Iannone (Pramac Racing) topped the timesheet ahead of Hector Barbera (Avintia Racing) with 2’03.179 and 2’04.462 times, as they got laps in on dry set-ups before the rain fell. Barbera crashed just before the FP2 session concluded, as the Spaniard started his 200th GP weekend.

Marquez, Pedrosa, Rossi, Crutchlow and Lorenzo were the fastest five riders in the wet afternoon conditions.

 

Moto2

 
As the first day’s riding at the bwin Grand Prix České republiky came to a close, the Moto2™ combined practice timesheet was headed by Tito Rabat, who outpaced Mika Kallio and Sandro Cortese overall.

Standings leader Rabat (Marc VDS Racing Team) set the fastest time of the day in FP1, with his 2’03.126 effort quicker than anyone could manage in an FP2 session which commenced on a wet track, with the sun almost drying the asphalt by the end of the second session.

Second quickest overall was Rabat’s teammate Kallio who was just 0.142s behind the Spaniard on the combined timesheet – with his best lap from FP2.

Cortese (Dynavolt Intact GP) and Dominique Aegerter (Technomag carXpert) were third and fourth overall, courtesy of FP1 times. It was confirmed on Friday that Aegerter will test the NGM Forward Racing team’s Forward Yamaha bike in a MotoGP™ test at Brno on Monday.

Completing Friday’s combined top ten were Thomas Luthi (Interwetten Paddock Moto2), Julian Simon (Italtrans Racing Team), Jonas Folger (AGR Team), Johann Zarco (AirAsia Caterham Moto Racing), Marcel Schrotter (Tech 3) and Maverick Viñales (Paginas Amarillas HP 40). Viñales in tenth was 0.549s off P1.

 

Moto3

 

The Moto3™ FP2 session at the bwin Grand Prix České republiky concluded with Alex Marquez at the head of the timesheet, from Alex Rins and Alexis Masbou.

Marquez (Estrella Galicia 0,0) put in a 2’07.969 lap in the final stages of the session, with his teammate Rins also increasing his pace at the end to finish 0.334s behind in second place. Experienced Frenchman Masbou (Ongetta-Rivacold) trailed P1 by 0.443s in third.

Jakub Kornfeil (Calvo Team) had a similar lap time to Masbou in fourth place whilst Enea Bastianini (Junior Team Go&FUN Moto3) was fifth.

Bastianini had topped the morning FP1 timesheet and was running towards the top in FP2 before a big highside which saw him taken away for medical checks on his right ankle. Bastianini faces a fitness test on Saturday morning having later been diagnosed with a fractured right calcaneus (heel).

The top ten was completed by Francesco Bagnaia (SKY Racing Team VR46), Jack Miller (Red Bull KTM Ajo), Efren Vazquez (SAXOPRINT RTG), Karel Hanika (Red Bull KTM Ajo) and John McPhee (SAXOPRINT RTG).

There were also crashes early in the session for Miguel Oliveira (Mahindra Racing) and Juanfran Guevara (Mapfre Aspar Team Moto3) without serious consequence.

 

Source: motogp.com