Miller vies for top 10 in Valencia practice
Team Estrella Galicia 0,0 Marc VDS rider Jack Miller put up a strong challenge for the top 10 at the end of a close opening day of practice for the final MotoGP encounter of 2016 at the Ricardo Tormo Circuit in Valencia.
The Australian grew in confidence throughout the first 45-minute session, which took place in chilly conditions of just 14 degrees, despite the 4km Valencia venue being swathed in glorious autumnal sunshine.
Miller was able to set a personal best time of 1’32’155 which comfortably placed him inside the top 10 in eighth, as his Team Estrella Galicia 0,0 Marc VDS crew diligently worked through the process of evaluating four different spec Michelin front tyres that included two that the French manufacturer plan to use as part of its 2017 allocation.
Clear blue skies were a welcome sight again for FP2, and with track temperature up 15 degrees, the improved grip levels enabled Miller to improve his pace to a 1’31’754.
That placed the 21-year-old in 14th position on combined standings but Miller can take great heart from his first day showing in Spain, with his quickest time just over 0.5s away from the top five.
Tito Rabat was extremely satisfied with his performance in FP1 this morning when he finished in a morale-boosting 15th place. He was only 0.3s away from the top 10 and close to fellow Honda men Dani Pedrosa and Cal Crutchlow.
But any momentum gained was surrendered this afternoon when he struggled to make progress in the hotter conditions and he dropped six places down the leaderboard.
Jack Miller: 14th – 1’31’754
“I was pretty happy with my performance in FP1 this morning and I was able to put in a decent lap time on a new rear tyre. Only a handful of us used fresh rubber at the end of the session but this afternoon everybody ran new tyres and the pace got faster. I improved my lap time compared to this morning, so I feel like we made a step. I used the hard tyres for most of the second session to concentrate on set-up for the race and it didn’t feel too bad. We are not too far away from where we want to be and I am sure we can improve tomorrow.”
Tito Rabat: 21st – 1’32’646
“I was very happy in FP1 this morning because I started with good energy and I had a good feeling with the bike. But this afternoon we went in the wrong direction in the hotter conditions. We tried to work with the hard front tyre but I never felt comfortable. I tried my best to and gave my maximum effort but I never had the same feeling this afternoon that allowed me to push at my limit.”
Michael Bartholemy: Team Principal
“It was not a bad start to the final race for Jack. He put together good laps in both sessions and we can already be optimistic at the end of the first day that he will be competitive enough to fight for the top 10 on Sunday. I was satisfied with Tito’s performance this morning because we were close to the other guys on Honda machinery apart from Marc Márquez. But this afternoon he encountered some issues and the gap to the front was a little bit too big again. I know he will work hard with his crew overnight to analyse the issues and hopefully he can improve a lot tomorrow.”
More, from a press release issued by Monster Yamaha Tech 3:
Espargaro opens Valencia account with strong run to 4th
Monster Yamaha Tech3 team rider Pol Espargaro ignited his charge to complete the last round showdown in a top tier position by finishing the first day of action as the leading independent rider aboard the Yamaha YZR-M1. The young Spaniard kicked off his campaign by concluding the opening shakedown with an impressive run to 5th as he began the initial setup work in preparation for the round 18 battle. His performance left him confident for the afternoon and here, the 25-year-old consistently improved his pace around the Circuit Ricardo Tormo before he powered to a personal best on his 19th lap. This time saw him finish only 0.537 back from the top of the timesheets, which marks a solid start on home soil and tomorrow, he determinedly aims to continue the positive form.
Bradley Smith thoroughly got to work with his Valencia GP programme as he commenced his preparation for the last round of the 2016 MotoGP World Championship. The 25-year-old, who will end his six-year partnership with Tech3 this weekend, jumped into gear when FP1 started as he evaluated various tyre options to suit his MotoGP bike to the meandering Valencia circuit. The British star powered on in the afternoon, as he undertook 20 laps whilst he focused on gathering information for the race setup and his best time from the session left him nine-tenths of a second from the top ten. After making valuable progress today, Smith intends to carry on the positive work tomorrow and then clinch a strong qualifying position for his last appearance aboard the Yamaha YZR-M1 on Sunday.
Pol Espargaro
Position: 4th Time: 1’31.000 Laps: 43
“Today was a very promising start to the weekend and I’m happy as well as satisfied. It’s been a long time since I have enjoyed riding my Yamaha this much, so it’s a shame that we had to wait until the last race to do so. With regards to the tyres, Michelin went back to the old carcass that they used at the beginning of the season and these tyres have a lot of rear grip. At this track, we can use it with a different compound and the truth is that we have improved our grip level a lot and the whole bike is working really well. Moreover, this circuit suits my riding style and Yamaha has always been strong here. Therefore it has been a very good first day with many positives and now we will try to continue our progression tomorrow in order to produce a great showing in qualifying for what will be my last race with Tech3.”
Bradley Smith
Position: 19th Time: 1’32.280 Laps: 39
“In general, today has been busy, but positive and we know which direction we are heading towards. Both the circuit and the setup is a lot different from what we experienced 12 months ago here so we changed several things on the bike over the course of the day in order to get the right balance. I was actually quite content with my pace on the hard rear tyre because I was running in 12th and close to the other Yamaha riders. I believe that if we had used the soft compound at the end of the session, then I may have been able to get into the top ten. Moreover, this afternoon, I decided that it was important to work on the race setup of the bike and check all of the options. Corner entry is the main focus for the minute, as well as rear grip, yet I believe that this will come with the softer tyre option. We tested a lot of tyres today, including the new profile front, which seems to be positive. At the moment, we have two bikes which have slightly different settings, but I feel quite comfortable on both and we’ll keep working to improve further, and after a non-stop day today, I am confident and looking forward to tomorrow.”
More, from a press release issued by Aprilia:
AT VALENCIA THE APRILIA RS-GP MACHINES ON THE TRACK IN (RED) LIVERY
BIKES, RIDERS AND TEAM ALL ENTIRELY IN RED TO CELEBRATE (RED) AND ITS CONTRIBUTION TO THE FIGHT AGAINST AIDS
BAUTISTA AND BRADL HARD AT WORK PREPARING FOR THE RACE ON SUNDAY
The first day of free practice for the Valencia MotoGP round had the Aprilia RS-GP machines on the track in the special red (RED) livery.
The entire Aprilia Racing team is dressed all in red, in fact, in “RED) to celebrate the Piaggio Group’s support for (RED), the association founded by Bono and Bobby Shriver to contribute to programmes in the fight against AIDS, tuberculosis and malaria in developing countries.
The only things that appear on the RS-GP bikes ridden by Bautista and Bradl are the (RED) logo and the hashtag #iRideRED – that all fans can share – to celebrate an association that has stood out over the years with a concrete commitment to the fight against diseases that represent one of the biggest problems of our times. Even Alvaro and Stefan’s leathers, obviously red, bear only the (RED) logo. This is an unprecedented initiative in which the entire team, sponsors and partners have come together in a single charitable intention and that will continue throughout the weekend, naturally including the race on Sunday.
From a sports point of view, Bautista and Bradl used the first two free practice sessions to size up a track that is always complicated to interpret with its many slow and short radius corners. The Aprilia Racing Team Gresini riders therefore focused on fine-tuning the bikes in preparation for the race, finishing the day in 16th (Bautista, 1’32.014) and 17th (Bradl, 1’32.206) place. In the second session, both made significant improvements on their times compared with the morning session.
ALVARO BAUTISTA
“This weekend is a special occasion for us. The (RED) bike is beautiful and it is for a very important cause to which we want to contribute by providing visibility, hopefully with a good result too.
This track has tight corners where it is not easy to turn the bike well. The cold also does not help us, but today we did a good job. We focused in particular on the front tyre, trying different solutions, and I think that we worked well on this aspect. On the rear, we had more problems to solve because we are lacking grip at maximum lean angle, so I am not coming out of the turns as fast as I would like to. But we have tomorrow to find the solution and improve, because after the nice results in recent races, we have a great desire to stay with the front pack”.
STEFAN BRADL
“This was a rather calm Friday. We worked well without any drastic changes. Overall, we are lacking a bit of speed, but there are no particular problems, we just need to improve on a few details. By analysing the telemetry data, we will certainly be able to identify the solutions to use tomorrow. On such a flowing track, the bike still is not turning as we would like it to so I have to force it. As for the tyres, I think that there are no big question marks on the choice for the rear, whereas for the front we need to test some more, although right now I prefer the medium. Going out on the track with this special livery is really nice, for a commendable initiative that I support 100%”.
More, from a press release issued by Ducati Corse:
Positive first day for Ducati Team riders in Valencia Grand Prix free practice at the Ricardo Tormo Circuit
Both Ducati Team riders got off to a positive start on the first day of free practice action at the Ricardo Tormo Circuit on the outskirts of Valencia.
After today’s two free practice sessions Andrea Dovizioso was classified in fifth position with a time of 1’31.066, while his team-mate Andrea Iannone finished FP2 in seventh with a best lap of 1’31.189.
In the morning’s first free practice run, Dovizioso set fourth fastest time in 1’31.532 with Iannone finishing in tenth place with a time of 1’32.265.
Andrea Dovizioso (Ducati Team #04) – 1’31.066 (5th)
“I am pleased because today we started off on the right foot, with confirmation of the good feeling that I have had with the bike in the last few races. Valencia is still a bit of a tough track for us, but we are working to improve our performance. We have to intervene on the set-up to allow the bike to give me a better corner exit performance, but all things considered for me it was a good Friday.”
Andrea Iannone (Ducati Team #29) – 1’31.189 (7th)
“For sure we made a big step forward from this morning: we improved a lot and so I am quite satisfied. Here at Valencia however we are struggling a bit because the bike doesn’t turn the way I would like it to and as I have to increase lean angle to get it to turn, in the end the tyre is put under more stress and I lose grip. We are working on this aspect and, even though for the moment we are half-a-second away from the leaders, our race pace is quite good.”
More, from a press release issued by Pramac Racing:
Good start for Octo Pramac Yakhnich
Petrux 9th, Scott 12th
The last weekend of the 2016 MotoGP season begins with a good feeling for Octo Pramac Yakhnich. In Friday’s free practice at the Ricardo Tormo circuit in Valencia, Danilo Petrucci ends up in Top 10 and Scott finishes 12th while giving the feeling of being on the right path to fight for the direct qualification to Q2 tomorrow.
Danilo Petrucci and his team worked very hard on set-up and tire choice in sight of Sunday’s race. After the 13th lap-time set in FP1, in FP2 time attack Petrux has already been shown to have a good feeling with his bike finishing with the chrono of 1’31.295, only one-tenth of a second behind the hypothetical second row.
Scott started well FP1 recording the 9th time then he met a bit more difficulties in the afternoon as the temperature has risen. For the English rider the 12th lap-time (1’31.733)
12th – Scott Redding
1’31.733
Not bad. I am not happy nor disappointed. I’ve got to figure out how to find the feeling especially in the left corners because in those right things are much better. I also tried to change my riding style but in braking areas I always had a few problems. We will work today and tomorrow to figure out how to make progress and try a range of solutions with the tires.
9th – Danilo Petrucci
1’31.295
We are very close to the group in front but two tenths in Valencia are so many compared to other circuits. I’m quite happy with my lap time but I prefer to think about setting the bike for the race. We will have to manage the tire consumption because we saw that they quickly drop. But the feeling is ok. We need to fix some details but all in all I’m satisfied.
More, from a press release issued by Movistar Yamaha:
MOVISTAR YAMAHA MOTOGP IN FIGHTING SPIRIT AT SPANISH SEASON CLOSER
Action got underway today at the sunny Circuito de la Comunitat Valenciana Ricardo Tormo in Valencia ahead of this Sunday‘s MotoGP™ World Championship showdown, the Gran Premio Motul de la Comunitat Valenciana.
Valencia (Spain), 11th November 2016
Movistar Yamaha MotoGP‘s Jorge Lorenzo and Valentino Rossi came out fighting in today‘s two free practice sessions at the Circuito de la Comunitat Valenciana Ricardo Tormo. The pair set a blistering pace from the outset and secured first and eighth place respectively in the combined session times.
This weekend holds great significance for Lorenzo, as it marks his last appearance for Yamaha. The Mallorcan is set on finishing his nine-year run on the YZR-M1 on a high and made his intentions clear when he took over at the top of the leaderboard just 15 minutes into FP1 and held the position for a large part of the session. With a few further tweaks made to his bike‘s setting, he upped the pace at the end of FP1 and dropped a 1‘31.045s to reclaim first place in the final minutes.
The local hero carried his speed straight into the afternoon session, leading from the start. When his rivals upped the pace at the end of FP2, Lorenzo didn‘t hesitate to respond. The last ten minutes then became a flurry of activity but the Spaniard had the last laugh when he delivered an impressive 1‘30.463s, the first lap under the 1‘31 mark of the weekend, to finish first in the combined times. He was 0.247s faster than his closest rival.
Rossi had a less than desirable start to the Valencia Grand Prix. Unable to complete his out lap due to technical issues he returned to the pit box. Putting the small detour through the paddock behind him, the Doctor was back on his way on his second bike a quick ten minutes later to start his quest for the perfect setting. He consistently improved his pace when switching back to his first bike and wrapped up the session in second place, 0.387s behind his teammate, with a 1‘31.432s lap.
Rossi got straight down to business in the second practice, holding third on the timesheets for most of the session whilst working on improving the feeling with the bike with the harder tyres. In the final stages of FP2 he was sitting in fifth place when the lap times tumbled. The Italian was able to better his morning time when he put in the softer option and finished in eighth place in the combined times with a 1‘31.257s, 0.794s behind his teammate.
MASSIMO MEREGALLI
TEAM DIRECTOR
Today has been mixed for us. On the one hand we can be very satisfied that we are leading the way with Jorge since FP1. He is determined to make this weekend unforgettable and he‘s already working in the right direction with his bike‘s set-up and he looked very confident during the runs. Valentino had an issue with his bike this morning, so we lost some valuable time there, which partly affected their schedule. Vale started well in the morning and took second place, but in the afternoon he suffered from a lack of grip at the beginning of FP2 with the harder rear tyre and was unable to ride the way he wanted. When he put in the softer option his feeling improved. For sure they are going to work and better the areas where he suffered and we are confident we can make another step for tomorrow‘s FP3.
JORGE LORENZO
I feel very good and I think the tarmac has a lot of grip. Michelin brought very good tyres for the front and the rear. We tried the new front and it’s different; it has more movability in the corner and the rear has a lot of grip and it warms up quickly. I felt good with it. Finally we put in the soft rear tyre to see if it is possible and better to use for qualifying and we saw that it‘s clearly better than the hard one and I set a good lap time, so I‘m satisfied. For the moment we have started the last weekend with Yamaha in the best way possible: first and first. Marquez is very strong too and Viñales is very fast as well, it will be very close on Sunday if it‘s a dry race, but we are not sure because the weather is uncertain.
VALENTINO ROSSI
We had a small problem in the bike but it‘s OK. We just stopped to not create any bigger problems, but it’s good. This morning at the end of practice it wasn’t so bad, I finished in second place. In the afternoon I had a problem, because we tried the harder tyres that are supposed to be the tyres for the race, but I didn‘t have grip and I wasn‘t fast enough. At the end I put in the soft and improved my lap time, but anyway the balance of the bike is not OK, I‘m not happy with the setting so we have to work and try to make it better.
More, from a press release issued by Aspar Team:
Pull&Bear Aspar riders get to work at Valencia
Eugene Laverty and Yonny Hernández make a positive start to the last weekend of the season at the Circuit de la Comunitat Valenciana Ricardo Tormo, with the Colombian escaping unhurt from a late crash
The Circuit de la Comunitat Valenciana Ricardo Tormo today hosted the final Friday of the 2016 season, with Jorge Lorenzo dominating free practice as he looks to sign off from the season with a third place in the championship that is under threat from Maverick Viñales. Lorenzo’s closest rival today was Marc Márquez, three tenths off the Mallorcan, with Viñales himself completing the virtual front row and Pol Espargaró making it an all Spanish top four. The top eleven riders were separated by less than a second on a day that saw a sixth different motorcycle join the action as Mika Kallio debuted the new KTM as a wildcard.
Eugene Laverty ended the first day of the Comunitat Valenciana GP as the fastest of the two Pull&Bear Aspar Team riders. The Irishman finished with a best lap of 1’31.776, inside the target time he had set for himself before arriving in Valencia. Laverty is confident of a positive result this weekend after seeing his pace around such a tight and twisty track as Valencia. Yonny Hernández’s day came to a slightly early conclusion after a crash in the final stages of second practice. Hernández escaped unhurt from a low side in turn 12, where he lost the front off the brakes. The Colombian was left frustrated by the crash, which prevented him from making any late improvements to his best lap.
15th Eugene Laverty 1.31.776 (32 laps): “It has been a positive day because my lap time was better than my target. I was hoping for a 1’32.0, which would have been a good lap time, but we managed a 1’31.7 and I am happy because the rhythm is good. This is a track where I wasn’t sure we could be strong with our bike because it is really tight and twisty but we end the first day in fifteenth position and with a lap time that’s already a second quicker than last year. Tomorrow we want to keep improving. It’s my last Grand Prix so it would be great to make Q2. If that doesn’t happen it doesn’t matter because I still think we can be strong in the race on Sunday.”
18th Yonny Hernández 1.32.218 (36 laps): “I crashed almost at the end of the second session. I had just done a good lap and I was pushing a bit more but I let off the brakes and lost the front. It was a typical crash from this season, you lose the front and you go down. I knew I could improve a little more so it leaves a bad taste today. Tomorrow I want to continue our positive form and have a good qualifying session.”
More, from a press release issued by Repsol Honda:
Marquez second fastest, Pedrosa makes strong return to top 10
Marc Marquez recorded the second fastest lap time on the opening day of the Valencia GP, final round of the 2016 season, with teammate Dani Pedrosa already 10th fastest despite still having a sore right shoulder and foot and not being at 100% strength following a three-race absence due to injury.
Marc had a good pace throughout the day despite spending the entire FP1 session on the same set of soft tyres. In the afternoon he fit a new set of hard front and hard rear tyres and continued working on his bike’s race setup. Around 10 minutes prior to session’s end, he fit a new set of hard tyres and immediately dipped under the 1’31 barrier, wrapping up the day in P2, just 0.247 seconds from provisional pole-setter Jorge Lorenzo.
Dani was able to slowly get up to a good speed over the course of the day and, after positively ending FP1 in P12, he impressively climbed into the top 10 in the FP2 session, with a best lap time of 1’31.358.
Marc Marquez
2ND
“Today went quite well and I think the overall assessment has to be positive, because it’s important to start well. We focused our work on testing all of the tyres; in the morning we used the soft compound for both the front and rear and did quite a few laps with them. In the afternoon I rode the entire time with the hard front and rear. We did a lot of laps to test the different carcasses of the front tyre, and I think we’ve taken a good step forward. We ended the day happy with the work we had done, and tomorrow we’ll try to continue in the same way, because I think that along with Lorenzo, Rossi and Viñales, we’re all at a very similar level. I’m happy with my pace, but I think tomorrow we can improve it a little more.”
Dani Pedrosa
10TH
“Today was a positive day overall, but it was also difficult because I still lack strength and have some pain. I’m also having trouble with my right leg, as was to be expected. Luckily this circuit has mostly left-hand corners, which is quite a relief. Today we haven’t worked so much on the setup of the bike, and we’ve focused on riding and getting a good feeling. This is the first time I’ve put my body under such demand since my injury, and I’m pretty tired, so now I just have to rest with tomorrow in mind. We’ll see how I feel and try to improve, although we have to go step by step.”
More, from a press release issued by Avintia Racing:
Barbera and Baz make good progress on the opening day at Valencia
The action of the Grand Prix of Valencia has started today at the Ricardo Tormo Circuit in Spain and Avintia Racing riders Hector Barbera and Loris Baz made crucial steps with the set up of their bikes ahead of Sunday’s race. Barbera, a local hero from Valencia, was quite happy this morning when he finished eleventh, but although he improved his pace in the afternoon he had to settle for 13th place in the combined standings. But his feeling is good even though he struggled with a minor brake problem in FP2. He is confident for tomorrow, where he expects to have the pace to get into the last Q2 of the season.
The confident problems reappeared for Loris Baz during this morning’s free practice session, but in the afternoon he tried a new front Michelin tyre that was a big boost for his confidence and he had much better feeling. Tomorrow he’ll have to work on the set up of his bike to adapt to the new tyre and he is looking forward to improve and fight for the best possible grid position for the race on Sunday.
Hector Barbera | 1’31.742 | P13
“It was a strange first day. In the morning it was okay, but this afternoon we used the hard front tyre in the beginning and I don’t like it. We improved with the softer tyre, but when we got a new set of tyres for attack I had an issue with the front brake. Then I got back on track but my confidence was not the best. I’m really happy of racing at home, the track is fantastic for the fans and also for the riders, because you can feel how close they are. This is a very anticipated race and a very special one, and that is why the sold out from three months ago. We will give our best to get into Q2 tomorrow. This is not the best track for our bike, but we will give our 100%.”
Loris Baz | 1’32.476 | P20
“I had the usual problems in the morning with the tyres. But this afternoon we could try a new front with new profile that it should be in Michelin’s allocation for 2017. The feeling was immediately better, I made a step forward and I had more confidence. Tomorrow we will work on the setting to get the best of this new tyre, but the first approach was good. Now I have less chatter and I can ride the bike as I like to, like I use to do in the first races of the season. It seems that finally we are in the right direction.”
More, from a press release issued by LCR Honda:
ROOM TO IMPROVE FOR LCR HONDA IN VALENCIA
Cal Crutchlow made a solid start to proceedings on the first day of the final grand prix of the season in Valencia, setting the 11th fastest time during free practice, but safe in the knowledge that his optimal lap time would have seen him much higher up the order.
The LCR Honda man is still suffering the after-effects of the crash he experienced during the Malaysian race, where he damaged his hand and foot, but feels that on the second day of practice and on into qualifying there is much more to come from himself and the Honda RC213V.
#35 Cal Crutchlow – 11th (1’31.462)
“Today was a difficult day. We were trying some things on the bike back-to-back and lost a bit of time in the sessions. I didn’t feel so comfortable riding-wise, and I hope to improve tomorrow. We will look at the data tonight with the team, and try to see where we can improve.”
“I believe we have better pace than we have showed today, that’s for sure. I was held up a little bit on my last run of the day, so I know there is time to be gained in several areas.”
More, from a press release issued by LCR Honda:
99 not out: Lorenzo dominates day 1
Dorna, FIM, IRTA, and MSMA representatives during the 25th anniversary celebration
Last race with Yamaha off to a flier for the 2010, 2012 and 2015 MotoGP™ World Champion
After Jorge Lorenzo (Movistar Yamaha MotoGP) ruled FP1 at the Circuit de la Comunitat Valenciana over four tenths clear, Marc Marquez (Repsol Honda Team) hit back in the afternoon to take the provisional top spot for much of the second session of the day. In the final few minutes of the day’s track action however, Lorenzo hit back to go quickest once again – six tenths faster than his best of FP1 and two tenths quicker than his 93-numbered rival.
The morning session was cooler, with the afternoon bringing the air and track temperatures up considerably – and the paddock hosted by uninterrupted blue skies.
Maverick Viñales (Team Suzuki Ecstar) moved up the timesheets in the sunnier afternoon session from P6 to end Friday P3 on combined times, with Pol Espargaro (Monster Yamaha Tech 3) moving up one place from a P5 in FP1 to fourth on Friday as the home crowd hit back to take control at the top.
Winner last time out Andrea Dovizioso (Ducati Team) ended the Spanish dominion at the top in fifth by the end of play, despite the Circuit traditionally being more difficult for the Ducati. Aleix Espargaro (Team Suzuki Ecstar) was another improver as he moved from P7 in FP1 to P6 in the afternoon, just ahead of the second Ducati Team machine of Andrea Iannone in seventh.
Movistar Yamaha MotoGP’s Valentino Rossi was second quickest on Friday morning despite a problem on an out lap, but was eighth by the end of FP2 and over seven tenths down on teammate Lorenzo’s best. Another Italian followed the ‘Doctor’ home, as Danilo Petrucci (Octo Pramac Yakhnich) ended day one in ninth, after teammate Scott Redding had also been in the top ten in the morning.
Starting slow as he comes back from injury, Repsol Honda rider Dani Pedrosa was 22nd after his first few laps on track in FP1 – and then ended the session in P12. Gaining confidence and pace, the ‘Baby Samurai’ upped the ante further in FP2, and rounded out the top ten in an incredibly impressive Friday performance despite his ongoing recovery from a broken collarbone sustained in Motegi.
The KTM RC16 ended its debut day down the timesheets, and was three seconds down in FP2 – but within a second of both Loris Baz (Avintia Racing) and Tito Rabat (Estrella Galicia 0,0 Marc VDS). Test rider Mika Kallio is at the helm for the one off appearance ahead of the Red Bull KTM Factory Racing team lining up full time in 2017, and cut half a second off his best from FP1.
FP3 decides final direct entry to Q2 qualifying on Saturday, with Lorenzo leading the way in blue – for the last time.
Morbidelli on the move: Italian fastest on Friday
EG0,0 Marc VDS rider top of the timesheets after day one at the Valencia GP
Franco Morbidelli (Estrella Galicia 0,0 Marc VDS) is looking for his first win in Moto2™, and the Italian got off to the best start in his quest to complete that goal before the end of the 2016 season as he topped Friday’s timesheets. Takaaki Nakagami (Idemitsu Honda Team Asia) was second quickest and a tenth down in FP2, but it was Garage Plus Interwetten rider Tom Lüthi who was second by the end of play after topping FP1 – with Nakagami taking third overall.
Simone Corsi was fourth from his time in FP1, with Jonas Folger (Dynavolt Intact GP) completing the top five also due to his best lap in first practice, as the Moto2™ field found laptimes harder to lower. Johann Zarco (Ajo Motorsport) was third quickest on Friday afternoon but sixth on combined timesheets, ahead of an impressive performance from Julian Simon (QMMF Racing Team) at home, as the Spaniard was seventh.
Sam Lowes (Federal Oil Gresini Moto2) remained in P8 by the flag from his laptime in FP1 as the Brit was another who didn’t improve, with Danny Kent (Leopard Racing) finding some form in the intermediate class to end the day in P9 – just edging out QMMF Racing Team’s Xavier Simeon, who completed the top ten.
With Zarco now Champion, the fight for P2 in the standings continues on Saturday with qualifying for the final showdown – ahead of lights out for the race on Sunday at 12:20 local time (GMT +1).
Bastianini back with a bang
Italian tops Friday as he gets back on track
Gresini Racing Moto3 rider Enea Bastianini returned to competition in style at the Gran Premio Motul de la Comunitat Valenciana, as the Italian topped the timesheets on his comeback from injury. Caught up in an incident during the Australian GP that saw the ‘Beast’ crack a vertebra, Bastianini went quickest by the end of his first day back on the grid as he fights to defend his second in the standings from key rivals Jorge Navarro (Estrella Galicia 0,0) and Francesco Bagnaia (Pull&Bear Aspar Mahindra). Navarro ended the day sixth despite a big crash during FP1 that saw the Spaniard head to the Medical Center for a check up, with Bagnaia in thirteenth.
The superstars of FP1 proved to be RBA Racing Team duo Juanfran Guevara and Gabriel Rodrigo as the two took a one-two in the morning, before Guevara finished the day in second with Rodrigo completing the top ten.
Rookie of the Year contender Joan Mir (Leopard Racing) had another good session in the afternoon to end Friday in third, with reigning Champion Brad Binder (Red Bull KTM Ajo) in P4 and Philipp Oettl (Schedl GP Racing) completing the top five.
Behind Navarro in sixth was second Leopard Racing rider Fabio Quartararo, with Jorge Martin (Pull&Bear Aspar Mahindra), Jakub Kornfeil (Drive M7 SIC Racing Team) and Rodrigo rounding out the ten quickest on day one.
With everything to play for behind Binder in the Championship, the final race of the 2016 Moto3™ season is sure to prove another incredible spectacle. The curtain goes up for qualifying on Saturday, before the race is Sunday’s first finale of the day at 11:00 local time (GMT + 1).
More, from a press release issued by Team Suzuki Press Office:
TEAM SUZUKI ECSTAR ON PACE AT VALENCIA MotoGP™
Maverick Viñales: 3rd.
Aleix Espargaró: 6th.
Maverick Viñales and Aleix Espargaró put in a strong showing in the opening day of Free Practice at the Gran Prix de la Comunitat Valenciana in Spain putting their Team SUZUKI ECSTAR GSX-RRs into third and sixth positions.
In the ‘cold’ opening morning FP1, with track temperatures of just 12 Degrees, Viñales was sixth with a time of 1’31.926, with Espargaró a fraction behind in seventh (1’31.942). But as track temperatures rose to 27 Degrees in this afternoon’s FP2, both riders’ times improved; Viñales setting a 1’30.775 and Espargaró 1’31.186.
Both Spaniards spent the sessions, at the final MotoGP™ race of the season, testing a variety of settings, including different electronics configurations, and are looking forward to finishing 2016 on a positive note.
Davide Brivio – Team Manager:
“We’re happy with this first day because both Maverick and Aleix could find good feelings and improve their lap-times, resulting in being consistently within the top-10. Maverick, especially, found a positive efficiency, finalising the settings little-by-little and scoring the third best time. He is also one of the only three riders who could lap faster than 1’31, which is a positive result. Also, Aleix had a positive day: He struggled a little with the feeling with the rear this morning, but for the FP2, he and his crew managed to improve the bike and make him feel more comfortable, which resulted in sixth. So far, we’ve had a positive debut, our machines seem to be performing on this track, although it’s not one of the easiest for us, but we will try tomorrow to further-improve and have a positive qualifying.”
Maverick Viñales:
“Today I felt really good with the bike and third place is a good result for the first day. We are already lapping with a strong pace also this is a good feeling. We are proving that our performance is getting to the top, we consistently improve and we are consistently within the top riders. We still have some fine-tuning that can be applied. The Valencia circuit is very different from the Malaysian one where we were for the last race: Here the layout is a lot tighter and with tight corners, where the machine needs to be quick in turning and acceleration. We still need to find a better efficiency on this, as our machine prefers fast and smooth corners, but we have room for improvement, and we are also already within the fastest.”
Aleix Espargaró:
“I’m happy with this top-six position, it’s a good feeling and makes me confident. This morning we had some issues with the rear-grip, but finally we made some improvements to the set-up for the afternoon and I felt much more confident. We can still improve something on the front, the softer compound of the tyre can be better exploited, so we also have room for improvement. It’s a good feeling to be close to the top; also, I am confident that we can improve further tomorrow.”