Editorial Note: The current Race Lap Record is 2:01.941, which was set by Dani Pedrosa in 2013.

Octo British Grand Prix

FIM MotoGP World Championship

Silverstone Circuit, England

August 25, 2017

Free Practice Two Results (all on Michelin tires):

1. Cal CRUTCHLOW, UK (HONDA), 2:00.897

2. Valentino ROSSI, Italy (YAMAHA), 2:01.138

3. Maverick VIÑALES, Spain (YAMAHA), 2:01.168

4. Aleix ESPARGARO, Spain (APRILIA), 2:01.592

5. Marc MARQUEZ, Spain (HONDA), 2:01.611, crash

6. Jorge LORENZO, Spain (DUCATI), 2:01.655

7. Pol ESPARGARO, Spain (KTM), 2:01.832

8. Johann ZARCO, France (YAMAHA), 2:01.885

9. Andrea DOVIZIOSO, Italy (DUCATI), 2:01.893

10. Scott REDDING, UK (DUCATI), 2:01.933

11. Andrea IANNONE, Italy (SUZUKI), 2:01.974

12. Alex RINS, Spain (SUZUKI), 2:02.072

13. Alvaro BAUTISTA, Spain (DUCATI), 2:02.097

14. Karel ABRAHAM, Czech Republic (DUCATI), 2:02.098

15. Loris BAZ, France (DUCATI), 2:02.202

16. Danilo PETRUCCI, Italy (DUCATI), 2:02.250

17. Dani PEDROSA, Spain (HONDA), 2:02.408

18. Jack MILLER, Australia (HONDA), 2:02.507

19. Jonas FOLGER, Germany (YAMAHA), 2:02.580

20. Hector BARBERA, Spain (DUCATI), 2:02.735

21. Tito RABAT, Spain (HONDA), 2:02.860

22. Sam LOWES, UK (APRILIA), 2:03.475

23. Bradley SMITH, UK (KTM), 2:04.429

More, from a press release issued by Monster Yamaha Tech 3:

Positive day 1 for Zarco at Silverstone

The Monster Yamaha Tech3 pair started their British Grand Prix campaigns today as they both took the first steps in preparation for Sunday’s showdown. Johann Zarco began the weekend with instant speed after completing FP1 in 7th and he continued his positive pace in the afternoon before finishing in 8th overall and a second back from first. Whilst Jonas Folger endured a more challenging day under the English sun due to an illness, however he aims to recover overnight and then bounce back fully tomorrow.

Johann Zarco

Position: 8th – Time: 2’01.885 – Laps: 35

“I am pretty happy that we had clear weather conditions today at Silverstone and this was good for my confidence. This morning, it took me some time to find the references on the track, but overall, I felt good because I used the same tyre and I finished in the top ten. In addition, we started to work on trying to find a good setup. Then in the afternoon, we knew that the conditions would be even better so we tested some tyres, which were positive and then in the end it was necessary to use the soft compound in order ride the quickest lap that I could. However, I’m not totally satisfied about this last lap, but the most important thing is that I’m inside the top ten. We can work on the bike and improve the feeling more, so I hope that we have the same weather conditions tomorrow and we can keep this positive momentum going.”

Jonas Folger

Position: 19th – Time: 2’02.580 – Laps: 28

“It was a really hard day for me. I have been struggling a bit with some sickness recently and even though it is gradually getting better, I was not able to push 100% today. I was not feeling completely confident because of this condition, but I still rode some laps, yet I also tried to rest. I aim to recover as well as I can overnight and then make a big step forward tomorrow.”

More, from a press release issued by Team Estrella Galicia 0,0 Marc VDS:

Miller and Rabat make progress at sunny Silverstone

Glorious late summer sunshine provided surprising but pleasantly welcome conditions for Team Estrella Galicia 0,0 Marc VDS riders Jack Miller and Tito Rabat to commence preparations for this weekend’s British Grand Prix at Silverstone

Miller started strongly in FP1 this morning and the Australian was quickly able to establish a fast pace on Silverstone’s notoriously worn and bumpy surface, with a 2’03.396 placing him out of the top 10 by just 0.059s.

With temperatures rising this afternoon and little wind blowing around the vast Silverstone complex, conditions for FP2 were ideal, and Miller capitalised superbly to comfortably lap at a much faster pace in the second session.

Miller shaved 0.8s off his best time and he ended the opening day of action at the iconic Silverstone track less than a second away from the top six, with improving acceleration a key target for tomorrow’s track action.

It was a positive start to round 12 for Rabat, who resisted the temptation to use a soft Michelin rear tyre in FP1 this morning, as he preferred to focus on evaluating the hard compound as a viable choice for Sunday’s 20-lap race.

The Spaniard was fast and consistent again in full race trim in FP2, and he is confident he has more time to find, having been unable to find the perfect lap when he did switch to Michelin’s soft rear tyre late in the afternoon session.

Jack Miller: 18th – 2’02.507

“We seem to be missing a little bit of acceleration here but my general feeling with the bike is quite positive. The first sector here is always difficult, but the bike was working well in the fast changes of direction. I didn’t get the best potential out of a new soft rear tyre today but I was happy with my speed because I did my best lap completely on my own.”

Tito Rabat: 21st – 2’02.860

“The weather for Silverstone is a great surprise and it is very good because this track is so nice to ride in a situation like this. It was a positive day for me because this morning I didn’t even try the soft option rear tyre. And in this afternoon’s second practice I did my best lap on the hard rear tyre, so in terms of one hot lap, I’ve not demonstrated my full potential yet. I did try a soft rear tyre in FP2 but couldn’t get in a clean lap to utilise it. I’ve lapped much faster here today than I previously managed in MotoGP, so there are a lot of positives to carry into the remainder of the weekend.”

More, from a press release issued by Pull&Bear Aspar Team:

Pull&Bear Aspar Team one tenth off top 10

Álvaro Bautista and Karel Abraham with practically identical times in England: 2’02.097 for the Spaniard and 2’02.098 for the Czech

Cal Crutchlow started the British Grand Prix as the local hero with the best time on a sunny English summer afternoon. The Briton was the only rider able to stop the clock inside the 2’00 mark and as such starts his home round on top. Behind him, team-mates Valentino Rossi and Maverick Viñales, with very similar times, showed their intention to take the fight to World Championship leader Marc Márquez, fifth today after two falls in second free practice, and Andrea Dovizioso, second overall but ninth today at Silverstone.

The Pull&Bear Aspar Team was just one tenth off the top on the opening day after both riders posted a practically identical best lap time. Álvaro Bautista clocked a 2’02.097, just marginally faster than his teammate Karel Abraham with a 2’02.098. The Spaniard, like the rest of the riders, tried out a new flag-to-flag changeover procedure. For Bautista this is a somewhat safer system, as it forces a less hasty change. Abraham also believes the changeover worked correctly, and stressed that it would be a good step towards completing the procedure in the safest way possible.

12+1 Álvaro Bautista 2’02.097 (32 laps): “My feeling is better than my lap time, but everything is very tight – another tenth and I would move up three positions. Maybe we have to improve in the bumpy sections, because the bike becomes unstable. In the afternoon we worked with the used tyres from the morning, to see if we could do the race with the medium front and soft rear. The performance drops a little but remains fairly constant. Then, when we tried the new motorcycle changeover procedure, I thought it could have gone worse. We have a wall in the middle of the box, because we have a split garage, and we have less space, so if anything happens it can be dangerous. Otherwise, it is not a bad option: when you get off the bike you have a little more time to take the other one so it’s not as rushed. Maybe it’s a bit safer, but another thing would be to do it in the race, with all the adrenaline of the moment.”

14th Karel Abraham 2’02.098 (27 laps): “Today felt great. This is the kind of track I really like, apart from a couple of corners that I really do not like, we just need to work on them and I think we can fight for a good result on Sunday. I am looking for points and if we can go any better and fight for the top ten it will be a great come true so let’s work! On the flag to flag practice I think it worked and we are all trying to make it safer. Everybody does their best but it’s almost impossible to make it completely safe. All we can try to do is make it as safe as possible.”

More, from a press release issued by Team Suzuki ECSTAR:

IANNONE AND RINS CLOSE TO THE TOP TEN IN ENGLAND

The friendly circuit at Silverstone welcomed the two Team SUZUKI ECSTAR riders with a positive day. Both Andrea Iannone and Alex Rins were very competitive throughout the first day of practice. The Italian is currently in 11th place, with only 0.041s between him and the top ten, while the young Spaniard follows closely in 12th place.

The morning session started with both riders testing the base setup which was also used in Austria. From there they were able to improve the configuration little by little. This also led to a drop in the times. Although in the morning they could not improve much, by the afternoon the work was paying off and they were able to get close to the top 10 that would afford them direct access to Q2.

Davide Brivio – Team Manager

“It’s a positive day for us, with both riders very close to the Q2 in 11th and 12th place. We did a good job. With Andrea, we still have some things to improve and we can work on these to try to put him in the position to be faster, so that´s where our focus will be. Alex had positive sessions; he improved a lot and I believe he is also enjoying the track. He has a good pace with the hard tyres, but the time attack was also positive, very close to direct access to Q2. We look forward with positivity.”

Andrea Iannone

“I’m pretty happy but not completely satisfied. We’re working hard and trying to improve. We don’t have any major issues that we have to face, just small things that can be fixed in order to be more effective. So far we haven’t worked much on the settings. We just started from the base settings we had in Austria, which was the evolution after the Brno test. We needed to double check, and they turned out to be positive. Tomorrow we will try to make bigger modifications on the machine to see how it reacts, and to see if we can improve the things that are missing. We also tried many tyres. So far the hard and the medium ones didn’t completely satisfy me but with the soft one the feeling is better, although we need to better understand how it might behave throughout the duration of the race.”

Alex Rins

“I’m really enjoying riding the Suzuki GSX-RR on this track. The layout is exciting and so far my feelings on the bike are positive. I think this is one of the best Friday’s of the season. I´m feeling good and I think we are moving towards the right direction. We have some ideas for improving tomorrow, so I can’t wait to go out on the track again and try to improve. “

More, from a press release issued by Octo Pramac Racing:

 Octo British Grand Prix – Silverstone Circuit – Free Practices

Scott gets a precious Top 10 in Silverstone free practice. Tough Friday for Petrux

Octo Pramac Racing returns to Silverstone, that can be considerated a second home Grand Prix. During the Friday of the Octo British Grand Prix, Scott Redding ended in top 10 with a good feeling, while Danillo Petrucci was unable to be competitive in the second part of the circuit.

Is a real “Home GP” for Scott and after bringing enthusiasm to all supporters yesterday with an outfit in real Union Jack style, today he was able to find a good feeling during FP1 ending in P9. In the afternoon, despite a higher temperature, the English rider continued to lap consistently and during the in the time attack he conquered a 10th place that can be determinant for direct qualification to the Q2 in case of rain tomorrow.

On the other hand, Petrux had some more problems to face. During the time attack of the FP1 he was forced to stop because of a small technical problem. While in FP2, despite the top speed of the day (328 km/h), he was not able to find the right feeling in the second part of the circuit in order to stay in the Top 10.

Visit Gallery

16th – Danilo Petrucci – 2’02.250

“It has not been a positive day. The lap-time on this circuit depends mostly from the lines, and if I have to be honest, there is not a lot to change regarding the set up. We are however confident, we have ideas and we are in line with the other Ducati. We will try to solve our problems even if we still suffer more than the others due to this bumpy track. The new flag to flag procedure? In my opinion, this method offers more security”.

10th – Scott Redding – 2’01.933

“I am happy for this Friday. This morning I think I have struggled with the electronics, but I have probably used the wrong map. However, I was not worried even If I had some problems with front movements. We have tried to change the front tire and we will continue to make experiments tomorrow. I am confident also because during the time attack I have made a small mistake”.

.

More, from a press release issued by Reale Avintia Racing:

Baz and Barbera start to work at Silverstone

Reale Avintia Racing riders, Hector Barbera and Loris Baz, completed the first day of practice for the British Grand Prix at Silverstone. This first day of action took place in surprisingly warm and sunny conditions in both the free practice sessions of 45 minutes, unlike the expectations of the English weather.

Loris Baz worked hard to improve his feelings with the bike in the morning, and in the afternoon he finished in 15th place overall. The French Reale Avintia Racing rider is confident of making more progress tomorrow and to be able to fight for Q2, something he already achieved in the last two races.

The first day at Silverstone was not as easy for Hector Barbera. The Spaniard struggled in the morning to find a fast pace and together with his team he decided to go back to the set-up he used in Barcelona. The result was visible immediately and he improved his lap times, but not enough, so tomorrow he wants to keep working in the same direction and try to get the best possible grid position for Sunday’s race.

Loris Baz | 2’02.202 | P15

“I love Silverstone, but at the same time it is a difficult track. It is very bumpy and you have to be extra confident with the bike to go fast. This morning was tough, but we improved a lot in the second practice and I finished close to the top ten. It is a long circuit and everything is really tight. I missed the top ten by just three tenths. Let’s see if we can improve the bike tomorrow. It won’t be easy as this track features several long corners and this is where we suffer the most. We will start the day with the goal of Q2 and then we will see if we can do it.”

Hector Barbera | 2’02.735 | P20

“It was a difficult first day. This is a circuit where I usually struggle to be fast, and we also used a wrong set-up in the morning. In the last two races we changed the settings to help me to change my riding style, but the results were worse than in the previous races, so we decided to go back to the set-up of Barcelona, where I felt comfortable riding the bike. It worked immediately and my feeling was much better. I was also faster than in the morning and I was able to get more feedback from the bike. But we need more time. I’m confident that we can improve the pace tomorrow and that we will be more competitive on Sunday.”

More, from a press release issued by Aprilia Gresini Racing:

ALEIX ESPARGARÓ FAST STRAIGHT AWAY AT SILVERSTONE

THE SPANIARD RIDES HIS APRILIA TO FOURTH PLACE

It was a decidedly positive start for Aprilia at Silverstone, the twelfth round of the 2017 Grand Prix Motorcycle Racing Championship. Aleix Espargaró, with a brilliant lap in the finale of the afternoon FP2 session, rode his RS-GP to fourth place in the day’s standings. In both the sessions held today, the Spaniard demonstrated a good feeling on the English track, well supported by an Aprilia that was on point straight away.

Aleix is suffering from a pinched ligament between his ribs that makes breathing difficult after a few laps, so he focused on brief outings. Constantly monitored by the Mobile Clinic, the situation does not seem worrisome, but careful dosing of efforts is advised. The rider will better assess his physical conditions in the FP3 session tomorrow.

Sam Lowes is also satisfied with his day, using the first two sessions to experiment with new setup solutions on his RS-GP with the primary goal of improving stability on rather bumpy asphalt. Along with his team, the English rookie identified the right direction in which to work without using the softest tyre in his final time attack.

ALEIX ESPARGARO’

“This is one of the tracks where I felt great straight away. The RS-GP really responds well here at Silverstone. It’s a pity about the problem with my ribs that I suffered training with a kart. In the fast direction changes I suffer a lot and struggle to breathe well. I am working a lot with the Clinic and I hope to be in good conditions for the race.”

SAM LOWES

“In FP2 we tried various things to find the right direction to go in terms of setup, especially to improve the stability of the RS-GP. I lapped with the hardest tyre and it seems to work well for us. Many of the riders improved a lot using the soft at the end of the session, so that leads me to believe that we could have been faster in terms of lap times. This morning I didn’t have a good feeling, but in the afternoon we improved. I had fun and I think that we’ll be able to continue improving tomorrow too.”

More, from a press release issued by Ducati Corse:

Ducati Team riders inside the provisional Top Ten for the British GP at Silverstone: Lorenzo sixth and Dovizioso ninth at the end of the first day

Both the Ducati Team men finished the first day of free practice for the British GP at the Silverstone circuit inside the provisional top ten .

Jorge Lorenzo concluded the second FP2 session, in which all riders improved their times on the morning’s run, in sixth place with a lap of 2’01.655, without using the soft rear tyre for his fastest lap.

Ninth position went to Andrea Dovizioso, with a lap time of 2’01.893, after the Italian used today’s two sessions above all to try out the three rear tyre compounds made available by Michelin for the British round.

Jorge Lorenzo (Ducati Team #99) – 2’01.655 (6th)

“Today was quite a positive day: I had some good sensations, I felt at ease on the bike and the weather was nice and sunny all day, something rather unusual here in England. At this moment our main problem is the bumpy track surface which makes it quite difficult so tomorrow we’ll have to work some more on the suspension to try and resolve it. At the end of the session we decided not to fit the soft rear tyre and save it for tomorrow, also because my time was good enough to get into the top ten.”

Andrea Dovizioso (Ducati Team #04) – 2’01.893 (9th)

“Today we focussed mainly on the tyres, trying out all three rear compounds we had available: we didn’t work very much on the set-up and so we are not quite right in that area. I’m not very worried about my times today because, even though there are a lot of riders with a good pace, I think that we still have a few cards to play tomorrow, seeing as the weather conditions appear to be stable and so we’ll have time to improve our speed.”

More, from a press release issued by Repsol Honda:

Up-and-down day for the Repsol Honda Team at Silverstone

On the opening day of the British GP, Repsol Honda’s Marc Marquez set the fifth-fastest time of 2’01.611”, seven-hundredths off fellow Honda rider Cal Crutchlow, who put in a strong performance in front of his home crowd to place his RC213V at the top of the results sheet.

A big crash at turn four at the very beginning of the FP2 session prevented Marc from continuing with the bike that had the setup he preferred, but he was nevertheless able to keep a competitive pace and set a good lap time without using a soft rear tyre. In the end, he had another small crash without consequences while pushing hard to further improve his lap time.

In both sessions, Dani Pedrosa struggled to find a setup for the bumpy surface of the Silverstone track and ultimately had to settle for the 17th-best lap time.

Marc Marquez 93

5TH 2’01.611

“The crash I had at the beginning of FP2 changed our plans for the session a bit. It was my fault, as after seeing the sun here at Silverstone, I went out with a bit too much confidence on cold tyres. So after that, I had to use my second bike, which had a completely different setup. We tried to find a good base, to adapt to what we had, but I wasn’t completely comfortable and I couldn’t ride well and had another crash when I tried to push harder. The good thing is that even struggling, we were able to find a good rhythm and not be far from the top guys. We already have some ideas for tomorrow to improve our feeling with the front, so we’ll focus on that area besides trying to make a good choice with the tyres.”

Dani Pedrosa 26

17TH 2’02.408

“Today was difficult because in both sessions, we struggled a lot with the suspension setup and weren’t able to find good stability on the bumps. I couldn’t control the bike well, as it was moving and shaking a lot, which meant I wasn’t able to ride fast. We’ll keep working with the team to find a solution. It won’t be easy but we’ll do our best as we’re coming from some very positive races and we’d like to continue at the same level.”

More, from a press release issued by Movistar Yamaha:

POSITIVE PACE FOR MOVISTAR YAMAHA IN FIRST SILVERSTONE FREE PRACTICE SESSIONS

The Movistar Yamaha MotoGP Team set the bar high on the first day of the Octo British Grand Prix. Valentino Rossi had a strong start at the Silverstone Circuit and completed the day in second place in the combined session times. Maverick Viñales came out on top in FP1 and ended the day in third place after FP2.

Movistar Yamaha MotoGP riders Valentino Rossi and Maverick Viñales kicked off the Octo British Grand Prix showing good form. Making the most of the perfect riding conditions in today‘s two free practice sessions, the teammates set up their bikes for Sunday‘s race and secured second and third place respectively in the combined times.

Rossi showed a good pace in the morning and was ready to get work done. Wasting no time to test some of the solutions he found in the private test in Misano last week, he soon got into a solid rhythm. The Italian steadily dropped his times to take over third place 15 minutes into the session. He held on to his position, until the times quickened, but the Doctor was swift to respond. He slotted into second with a 2‘02.995s lap, directly behind his teammate and focused on fine-tuning his bike in the final 15 minutes, ending the morning session in fifth place, 0.865s from his teammate in first.

The nine-time World Champion also had a positive session in the afternoon. Once again making his intentions known, he held provisional third position before the pace picked up at the end of the session. Finding himself in 11th place, with six minutes to spare, Rossi headed back out to give another push. He set a 2’01.138s on his penultimate lap to take second place, 0.241s from first. His FP2 result earned him the same position in the combined times, ahead of tomorrow’s sessions.

Viñales used FP1 as the first occasion to remind race fans and rivals of his strong form at the Silverstone Circuit. Last year‘s British Grand Prix winner started the morning Free Practice session with a competitive pace. He worked diligently on his bike‘s settings throughout, making his statement in the final stages after the flag went out. He topped the FP1 standings with a 2’02.130s best time and a 0.519s margin to his closest rival.

The Spaniard gave another strong performance in the second 45-minute session. Directly on the pace, he posted low 2‘02s and held on to fifth place until the final minutes. Having been pushed back to tenth position by rivals setting hot laps, Viñales felt encouraged to put his head down in a ‘mini time attack’. He fired up his Yamaha once more and dropped a 2‘01.168s to set the third fastest time of the day, 0.271s from the front.

After FP2 the Movistar Yamaha MotoGP teammates successfully completed the test of the new flag-to-flag bike swap procedure with positive thoughts on its possible implementation in the future.

MASSIMO MEREGALLI

TEAM DIRECTOR

We completed a lot of work at the Misano test last week, but we had some question marks about how our new findings would translate at the Silverstone Circuit, which is a track with quite a unique character. So far, we are satisfied with the work we got done in the first two sessions. Both riders felt comfortable on their bikes right from the start of FP1. We tested some different tyres – soft, medium and hard- between the two riders, and we will keep working on that tomorrow, because it will be fundamental to find the right tyre for the race. Both Valentino and Maverick rode consistently fast times and clearly showed that they have good pace and speed, even on used tyres. We ended the day with the quick test to assess the new bike swap procedure. The riders seemed positive about the increase in safety, so we feel it could be an improvement.

VALENTINO ROSSI

It was a good day, because first of all we had fantastic unbelievable weather for Silverstone and the track is in a good condition. Riding the MotoGP bikes on this track in these conditions is a great pleasure, a lot of fun. From the first lap I had a good feeling with the bike and I feel good with the balance, with the setting, so I was quite strong. We have a lot of work, a lot of things to do, but we are quite competitive. About the new procedure, for me it can be OK, but if they modify the rules for the problem in Brno, between Espargaró and Iannone, also with this procedure, it will be exactly the same. It doesn’t change a lot. Later we will go and speak with the Safety Commission and we will see also what the other riders think.

MAVERICK VIÑALES

I feel good. Honestly, with the race pace we were quite competitive and I felt great on the bike again. I was riding in my own style and it was really nice to be as competitive again as we were at the start of the season. In the time attack I didn‘t feel as good, especially with the front. It was the first time I tried the hard tyre, so I was not trusting the bike enough. Anyway, I‘m there, so I‘m happy and quite confident that we can do a really good job tomorrow. In my opinion the new flag-to-flag procedure is quite good. Later we have to decide with all the riders and Dorna at the Safety Commission, but I think it was quite OK. The space was a lot bigger, so for me it was nice.

More, from a press release issued by LCR Honda:

CRUTCHLOW FASTEST IN FIRST DAY OF HOME GP AT SILVERSTONE

British hero Cal Crutchlow made a blistering start to his home grand prix at the Silverstone circuit, ending day one as the fastest rider in MotoGP practice. In a retro Aaron Slight-inspired Castrol livery, Crutchlow rolled back the years to give an impressive Friday crowd a huge boost ahead of Sunday’s race.

Crutchlow had already gone fast in the morning session, and then as the afternoon practice progressed he stuck in a stunning lap of 2’00.897, at that point seven-tenths quicker than anyone else, and finished almost a quarter of a second ahead of his nearest rival Valentino Rossi.

The 31 year-old took pole position at this circuit a year ago before taking second place in the race, and with qualifying to come on Saturday, hopes are high amongst the local faithful that he can repeat the feat in 2017.

Cal Crutchlow – 1st

(2’00.897 – lap 13 of 15)

“Obviously we are pleased with how today went, we tried every option of tyre there was and in the last run I kept the used front, which was a little dangerous with a new soft rear. It was just to make sure we were in the top ten because you never know what can happen tomorrow morning – if there’s oil on the track and the times aren’t as fast for example. We are working very well as a team as always and trying our best – and at the moment that’s first place!

“They’ve resurfaced a couple of corners here and they were a lot better, so how about we resurface the whole track?! It’d be a lot easier for all of us. The problem is that wherever we share a track with F1, the tracks are bumpy within a year, so I understand the concerns of the organisers. I felt ok either way, an hope for a good day tomorrow.”