HJC Helmets Grand Prix Ceske Republiky

FIM MotoGP World Championship

Automotodrom Brno, Czech Republic

August 19, 2016

Free Practice Two Results (all on Michelin tires):

1. Marc MARQUEZ, Spain (HONDA), 1:55.840

2. Andrea IANNONE, Italy (DUCATI), 1:55.944

3. Jorge LORENZO, Spain (YAMAHA), 1:55.977

4. Hector BARBERA, Spain (DUCATI), 1:56.124

5. Valentino ROSSI, Italy (YAMAHA), 1:56.174

6. Andrea DOVIZIOSO, Italy (DUCATI), 1:56.235

7. Aleix ESPARGARO, Spain (SUZUKI), 1:56.441

8. Bradley SMITH, UK (YAMAHA), 1:56.494

9. Maverick VIÑALES, Spain (SUZUKI), 1:56.615

10. Dani PEDROSA, Spain (HONDA), 1:56.662

11. Cal CRUTCHLOW, UK (HONDA), 1:56.837

12. Loris BAZ, France (DUCATI), 1:56.957

13. Danilo PETRUCCI, Italy (DUCATI), 1:57.052

14. Scott REDDING, UK (DUCATI), 1:57.090

15. Pol ESPARGARO, Spain (YAMAHA), 1:57.335

16. Eugene LAVERTY, Ireland (DUCATI), 1:57.336

17. Stefan BRADL, Germany (APRILIA), 1:57.471

18. Alvaro BAUTISTA, Spain (APRILIA), 1:57.569

19. Yonny HERNANDEZ, Colombia (DUCATI), 1:57.724

20. Tito RABAT, Spain (HONDA), 1:58.054

More, from a press release issued by Marc VDS Racing Team:

Rabat seeks big step forward in Brno

The opening day of MotoGP practice at the Brno track was a steep learning curve for Team Estrella Galicia 0,0 Marc VDS rider Tito Rabat.

The Spanish rider encountered cooler than expected conditions for FP1 this morning, and with small rain spots falling intermittently in the opening 45-minute session, Rabat was 18th quickest on the timesheets and confident of improving his position this afternoon.

Warmer ambient temperatures meant improved conditions for FP2 and Rabat was able to improve his pace by almost a second to end the day with a personal best lap of 1.58.054

In a bid to speed up the complex process of helping Rabat master the fast and flowing Brno layout on a MotoGP machine, three Team Estrella Galicia 0,0 Marc VDS staff were dispatched trackside to observe where he can improve his performance on the 5.4km venue.

Rabat and his crew will now conduct a detailed analysis of the data gathered today to try and improve his speed in tomorrow’s final practice and qualifying, with better turning performance through Brno’s high-speed corners his main focus.

Rabat is the lone entrant for Team Estrella Galicia 0,0 Marc VDS in round 11 of the 2016 World Championship after back and wrist injuries suffered five days ago in Austria meant Jack Miller was withdrawn from this weekend’a action.

Tito Rabat: 20th – 1’58.054

“Today was a difficult day. This morning I was happy with my performance and while I was able to improve my lap time this afternoon, it was clearly not enough compared to the rest. The important thing is we understand clearly what our main problem is. We solved some of my front-end issues with the bike last week in Austria but unfortunately today they returned. It is very easy to explain but very difficult to solve it. But I understand that the problem doesn’t only come from the setting. I have to improve myself too but at the moment I can’t turn. When I release the brake and turn I don’t make the corner like the rest. We will try and improve for tomorrow and I am sure I can be fast, but right now we are struggling to find the solution.”

Michael Bartholemy: Team Principal

“It was important to see Tito make a good improvement this afternoon but we still need to take another significant step tomorrow. Tito is still learning how to extract the maximum potential out of the bike at this track and it is not an easy place to get to grips with on a MotoGP machine. I think he did a decent job today but he has to understand more how to use the bike in a better way to be faster. And we need to try and improve the set-up from our side to help him be more competitive.”

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

Smith kicks off Czech GP with positive opening day

Monster Yamaha Tech3 Team rider Bradley Smith got off to a promising start at Brno and finished the opening day in 8th after conducting a thorough shakedown. The British rider leapt into action and began making the initial adjustments to the setup of his Yamaha YZR-M1 in FP1. He rounded out the session with a lap that left him just a blink of an eye outside the top ten, with his fastest time being cancelled due to exceeding the track limits. Then, in free practice 2, Smith carried on from where he left off and focused specifically on the behaviour of the tyres over race distance. In addition, he was able to impressively improve on his best time from this morning by 1.1 seconds, as opposed to the overall fastest lap which was cut by only three-tenths of a second. After undertaking a positive start today, the 25-year-old will now seek to continue the momentum tomorrow and seize a strong qualifying position.

On the other side of the garage, Pol Espargaro suffered a tricky first day in the Czech Republic as he started his round 11 campaign at the undulating Masaryk circuit. The young Spaniard got straight to work as he began taking the first steps in setting up his Yamaha YZR-M1 and he completed the opening practice in 13th after posting his best time on the last lap. The 2013 Moto2 World Champion remained focused, as he continued to adjust his MotoGP bike, and he completed sixteen laps in the afternoon session before eventually finishing in 15th. Now Espargaro determinedly looks on to tomorrow where he intends to reduce the gap to the top of the time sheets and also undertake a successful qualifying performance.

Bradley Smith

Position: 8th Time: 1’56.494 Laps: 32

“It was a good first day and the nice thing is that we were able to take some of the positives from Austria so we could continue to work on those points straight away. I always like the back-to-back races, because I feel more natural on the bike on a Friday and as a result, I got up to speed quite quickly. We commenced FP1 well and I felt comfortable with the setting straight away, but unfortunately my best lap time got cancelled as I exceeded the track limits. Having said that, it looked like I was inside the top 8 and then I remained in that position this afternoon. For the first two runs in FP2, we tried to work as much as possible on old tyres just so that we could understand our weakest points when the tyre starts to drop. Then after that, we extracted the best from the new set of Michelins and posted a competitive time. Brno is quite a bumpy track, therefore, having a stable bike is very important and this is what we will work towards tomorrow. We were able to confirm two of the tyre options for both the front and the rear today and we have a clear direction of where to head towards next. I’ve ended the first day positively, so we must try to stay inside the top ten so that we can pass straight through to QP2.”

Pol Espargaro

Position: 15th Time: 1’57.335 Laps: 32

“This first day has not gone quite to plan with regards to the result but also when considering my feelings on the bike. Normally, Brno is a circuit where we have faced a few issues in the past, yet I hope that it would have been a bit different with the new tyres. During the first practice session, I didn’t feel comfortable and we were working to find more rear grip, which is the main issue that I am struggling with. However, maybe we ended up trying too many things at once. In the afternoon, I rode both of my bikes which had different settings, but used the tyres from this morning, even then, the result hasn’t been what we were expecting. Fortunately, at the end, we found a base that I’m quite happy with even if we are a bit further back at the moment. This evening we have a lot of work to do in the garage as we have to analyse all the data so that we can try to understand where we can improve, in terms of bike setting or my riding style. We will also analyse what the other Yamahas are doing so that we can understand what the differences are. Nevertheless, I am confident that by the third free practice we will have some new ideas that will allow me the rediscover the feeling that I had with the bike a few weeks ago, in order to help us to get back into the top ten.”

More, from a press release issued by Ducati Corse:

Good start at Brno for two Ducati Team riders: Iannone second and Dovizioso sixth after first day of practice for the Czech Grand Prix.

The two Ducati Team riders got off to a good start on the first day of practice action for the Czech Grand Prix at the Automotodrom Brno. At the end of the two 45-minute free practice sessions, Andrea Iannone was placed second in the aggregate FP1/FP2 standings, while Andrea Dovizioso finished in sixth position.

Both factory Ducati riders had already shown that they were competitive during the first morning session, with Andrea Iannone topping the FP1 timesheets in first place and Dovizioso in fifth.

In the afternoon run, Iannone set his best time in 1’55.944 on the last one of his 18 laps, while Dovizioso lapped in 1’56.235 on the twelfth of his 16 laps.

Andrea Iannone (Ducati Team #29) – 1’55.944 (2nd)

“I’m really very happy because I expected to be quick here at Brno, but not so quick. Now our performance is in line with that of Yamaha and Honda, and in some points we manage to make up a lot of time on them. On this track we are only struggling in T2, and it is in this sector that I am losing all the advantage that I manage to accumulate in the other parts of the circuit. But I’m satisfied with the way we are working and how this weekend has begun. For the moment the feeling with the ‘old’ chassis is a bit better and I think that we’ll focus on this for the race.”

Andrea Dovizioso (Ducati Team #04) – 1’56.235 (6th)

“I’m pleased with the improvements we made in the afternoon, but obviously I’m not totally satisfied with the smoothness and the speed. We are not the quickest yet, but it was important to make this step forward during FP2. It’s true that we’re still missing a few tenths and that tomorrow we are going to have to work hard to find them, but all in all for the first day we are in quite a good position.”

More, from a press release issued by Movistar Yamaha:

LORENZO AND ROSSI STRAIGHT BACK ON THE PACE IN BRNO

Movistar Yamaha MotoGP‘s Jorge Lorenzo and Valentino Rossi returned to action at Automotodrom Brno in the Czech Republic today during the first practice sessions of the HJC Helmets Grand Prix Ceské republiky. The teammates showed strong form securing third and fifth respectively in the combined time sheets.

Brno (Czech Republic), 19th August 2016

The Movistar Yamaha MotoGP team delivered a solid performance today at the start of the HJC Helmets Grand Prix Ceské republiky weekend. Jorge Lorenzo and Valentino Rossi firmly held the lead in both FP1 and FP2 for a large part of the 45-minute practice sessions and secured third and fifth respectively at the end of the first day at the Automotodrom Brno.

Jorge Lorenzo got straight down to business at the first day of the Czech Grand Prix. Just fifteen minutes into FP1 he dropped the first 1‘56 lap of the weekend to temporarily take over the lead in the rankings from his teammate. The Factory Yamaha riders held their key protagonist status throughout the session, with Lorenzo finishing in third place after setting a provisional personal fastest time of 1‘56.673s, 0.484s from the leader.

The Spaniard and his crew worked hard in the afternoon to perfect his setting and booked steady progress throughout the session. Having made some modifications to his bike, he posted a 1‘56.228s in the final stages to take over the provisional lead and was also the first rider to clock a 1‘55s, setting a 1‘55.977s to ultimately end the day in third position, 0.137s off today‘s fastest time.

Rossi already made his podium aspirations clear during the morning session. The Italian was pleased to find his setting working well from the start of the weekend and took provisional first place after ten minutes with a 1‘57.113s before focusing on the balance of his YZR-M1. He was soon lapping in the low 1‘56s to finish in second place, 0.265s from the front with a best time of 1‘56.454s.

In the afternoon, he was eager to shave off a few more tenths in order to narrow the gap to the leading time. He again topped the rankings early on in the session and comfortably led until halfway through, when the times began to drop. His best time, a 1‘56.174s positioned him in fifth place, 0.334s from first.

MASSIMO MEREGALLI

TEAM DIRECTOR

It has definitely been a positive day, especially compared to the first day in Austria. Both riders have been comfortable on their bikes since the beginning of the morning practice and they have been consistently fast in both sessions. We made progress between FP1 and FP2 and we were able to compare a couple of different tyre specifications, getting important information for this weekend‘s race. We still have a margin for both riders to improve in different areas and it will also be important to find the right tyre choice for Sunday afternoon.

JORGE LORENZO

Today we had a good day at the Brno circuit. In the morning during the practice some drops of rain came down and it was a bit colder but in the afternoon we found the track to be perfect with good conditions. We were able to be fast both on one lap as well as keep up the pace, so I‘m quite satisfied with the bike. The track has some bumps, even more than last year, but it is the same for everyone. Tomorrow we have some margin to improve.

VALENTINO ROSSI

The first feeling was not so bad: this morning and also this afternoon I was quite fast, we worked a lot. We have some different options and some different settings and also some different tyre choices on the front and the rear. I‘m not so bad, I‘m fifth but I‘m not so far from pole position. All the top riders are fast so we have a lot to do, a lot of work on the bike, but the first impression is positive. The lean angles changed a lot compared to last year‘s tyres, because last year we were able to lean more, with Michelin a little bit less because it‘s a different shape of tyre. It‘s just a feeling that you have to understand, usually it‘s the bike that tells to you how much you can do, that‘s always the limit. The best riders are able to go close to limit but not too much.

More, from a press release issued by Pramac Racing:

Difficult Friday for Octo Pramac Yakhnich at Brno: Petrux 13th, Scott 14th

The first day of free practice at Brno (Czech Republic) finished with Danilo Petrucci and Scott Redding, respectively in 13th and 14th position.

A complex day for Petrux on a circuit characterized, as well as the Red Bull Ring in Austria, by hard braking areas that the rider of Fiamme Oro didn’t manage to interpret in the best way today. Some good news from the improvements recorded in the afternoon when he was able to lower than 1 second and 3 thents his best time of FP1, but the Top 10 which means hypothetical direct access to Q2 on Saturday’s qualifying is still far (4 thents of a second).

Scott ended 14th today but all thing considered his practice has given more than a positive indication. The British rider made a strong start finishing the FP1 in eighth place and in the afternoon he seemed to have a good feeling in spite of a fall without consequences. A small technical problem did not allow him to exploit the whole power of his Ducati Desmosedici GP in the last run of the FP2

14th Scott Redding

1’57.090

Friday not easy as I struggled to find front grip. Before falling in FP2, the lap before I had a warning on the front, then on the next lap I was careful not to increase the speed at that point but it did not help. We need to work on the front because in this GP is very important to have this kind of feeling. We have fewer entry-grip than we expected, but we can still improve and I am confident.

13th Danilo Petrucci

1’57.052

It is not a good day. I had to risk using only the hard tires to keep every chance in qualifying, because of penalty (3 grid positions after the contact with Laverty in Austria). I struggle in strong braking areas and this is the most difficult circuit for brakes. It will be very important working on race distance race tomorrow because we are not competitive. We tried different set-up but we have not yet found the right solution.

More, from a press release issued by Aprilia:

IRST DAY OF MOTOGP PRACTICE AT BRNO

ALVARO BAUTISTA: “WORKING TO IMPROVE THE RS-GP GOING INTO CORNERS”?

STEFAN BRADL: “GOOD PACE AND TOMORROW WE WANT TO IMPROVE ON THE FLYING LAP”?

The two free practice sessions on Friday opened up the MotoGP weekend at Brno, an “old school” track that riders like very much. In the many laps taken, the official Aprilias analysed the performance of the various tyre options first and foremost. They were searching, as always, for the best compromise between speed and duration for race distance.

Stefan Bradl stated that he was satisfied at the end of practice, especially in terms of consistent performance. The German rider praised the progress made on the RS-GP setup, setting the goal for tomorrow as being faster on the flying lap. Given the good feedback in terms of race pace, an improvement in performance for qualifying would earn a few fundamental positions on the starting grid for Sunday.

On Alvaro Bautista’s side of the garage, the Aprilia Racing Team Gresini also focused efforts on testing the tyres, at the same time working on the number 19 RS-GP’s chassis setup and electronics. Right now, Alvaro’s biggest limits have to do with going into corners and the ability to hold the line, crucial factors considering the many direction changes that distinguish the Brno track.

Stefan finished 17th in the combined standings, with a best lap of 1’57.471, followed by his teammate Bautista (1’57.569).

ALVARO BAUTISTA

“Today we worked primarily on the tyres, testing both the hard and the softest options. This track is definitely much different from Austria, so we went back to work on our standard settings. We need to get the bike lapping better. On this type of track that makes the difference. We used the standard engine configuration, but tomorrow we will have a more powerful specification, another very important factor on this track”.

STEFAN BRADL

“I am satisfied with the work done today, especially because our pace is much better than the flying lap. We were able to improve our settings consistently. What we are missing right now is performance on the flying lap. This will be our goal for tomorrow. We need to focus on qualifying, because a good starting position will allow us to take the best advantage of our consistent performance over race distance”.

More, from a press release issued by Repsol Honda:

Marquez sets the pace on day one in Brno after a spectacular save in FP2

It was a positive first day in Brno for the Repsol Honda Team, with Marc Marquez the fastest at the end of FP2 after once again showing his incredible talent and instinct by spectacularly saving a possible crash. Teammate Dani Pedrosa was 10th but improved both his speed and feeling with the bike over the day.

Marc was sixth in FP1 after having his fastest lap cancelled due to exceeding the track limit at turn 14, like many other riders. He was able to make a step forward in FP2, aided by a setup modification that improved his feeling enough to lower his time by over a second with a new tyre; tomorrow he will continue working with his team to also improve his race pace with used tyres.

Dani worked with his team on two different setups for his RC213V, one of which suggested several positives that he will try to confirm tomorrow before qualifying.

Marc Marquez

1ST

“Today was a positive day because we were able to improve significantly from the first to the second session. We’re still not where we would like to be, and although the position is good, the important thing is to work with the race in mind. In this respect, Jorge [Lorenzo] and Valentino [Rossi] have a very steady pace. We’ve been trying out many things, especially this afternoon, and now we have to assess what worked better for us and what we must continue looking at. In the afternoon we were a bit lucky to save a possible crash similar to one I had in 2014 at this same track during a testing session. This one was even bigger because it was very long and my lean angle was about 67.5 degrees. I just lost the front and when I saved it I told myself, Okay, let’s go back to the box to cool down a bit, because I was a little bit excited. It means that we’re pushing hard to find our pace. Tomorrow we’ll see if we can take another step forward, especially in terms of race pace, to be able to aim for the podium on Sunday. If we do that, then why shouldn’t we target the victory too?”

Dani Pedrosa

10TH

“Today we worked on two completely different settings from the morning to the afternoon and I think we made some improvements over the day. The changes we made were quite extreme, and tomorrow we’ll do some more comparisons to make our final choices. At this moment there are things good and less good in both settings, so we must choose carefully and then keep improving on them. Our position may not be the best yet but I think we’re closer to the front here in Brno than in the last race, so we have to keep working in this way. My last run today was a bit better and we need to work from that. ”

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

Pull&Bear Aspar Team back in action in Czech Republic

Eugene Laverty and Yonny Hernández lay the groundworks for a strong weekend at Brno as the Irishman finishes 1.5 seconds off the pacesetter with his best ever MotoGP lap of this track

Ducati rider Andrea Iannone had waited almost six years for his first MotoGP win in Austria but the Italian rider looks keen to back it up in Brno, despite conceding the fastest lap of the opening day to Marc Márquez. Iannone was the fastest rider in the morning session and in the afternoon he was the only rider other than Márquez and Jorge Lorenzo to lap inside the 1’56 mark, with Márquez stopping the clock at 1’55.840. Héctor Barberá, Valentino Rossi and Andrea Dovizioso complete the top six on the first day of a battle that sees Márquez looking to extend a lead of more than forty points in the championship over Lorenzo. The 400th Grand Prix of the modern era orchestrated by Dorna continues with more free practice and qualifying tomorrow, with Jack Miller absent from the battle for grid positions due to injury.

It was a calm start to the weekend in the Pull&Bear Aspar Team garage, where Eugene Laverty was the fastest of the two riders as he finished in sixteenth position, less than 1.5 seconds off the pace of Márquez. The Irishman only completed six laps this morning due to a gearbox issue but he worked hard to make up for lost ground this afternoon, improving his lap time by two seconds and finishing just a couple of tenths shy of the positions that would give him direct access to Q2 in tomorrow morning’s FP3. Yonny Hernández spent today trying to find a feeling with his bike at this circuit, especially in the crucial final sector, where he is struggling to get the bike turned and hooked up. The Colombian and his crew have some major changes planned to try and find stability and traction tomorrow.

16th Eugene Laverty 1.57.336 (19 laps): “This morning the gearbox setting was completely wrong and the 45 minutes suddenly disappeared! This afternoon the gearbox setting was correct and we were able to instantly improve by two seconds, with a gap of 1.5 seconds to the top. We need to keep pushing forward but for now I think this is already the fastest lap I have ever done at Brno and it’s only the first day so I am happy with our progress. The Ducati horsepower certainly helps with the hills at this circuit. Tomorrow it is going to be warm in the afternoon but we will push hard in the morning, try to set a fast lap and see if we can qualify for Q2 again.”

19th Yonny Hernández 1.57.724 (33 laps): “I have struggled to get going at this Grand Prix, I don’t feel comfortable on the bike and it is proving difficult for us to find a good feeling. I am struggling with getting the bike turned through the last few corners and picking it up to get on the gas onto the straight, but we will work hard to make the bike competitive tomorrow so that we can fight for a position in Q2. We are going to make a big change and try some other little things so that on Saturday we have more stability and traction.”

More, from a press release issued by Avintia Racing:

Impressive start for Barbera and Avintia Racing at Brno

The Avintia Racing riders started the Grand Prix of the Czech Republic in a very positive way, with Hector Barbera fourth and highly motivated after his bad luck in Austria and Loris Baz getting back into the swing after some difficult races.

Hector, who finished fourth in both Friday sessions, starts the weekend eager to leave the memories of last weekend’s race at the Red Bull Ring behind, where he was disqualified by Race Direction after omitting a Ride Through penalty. Now at Brno, he was fast from this morning with a best lap of 1’56.964. During FP2, with higher temperatures, he was able to improve his pace by almost 0.9s.

Loris confirmed his good feeling with the bike from Austria and had an encouraging start at the Czech venue today, so his confidence is high for Sunday’s race. In the morning he was 19th, but he made a massive improvement in FP2 to get the 12th fastest time. Now he’s confident to be able to fight for a place in Q2 tomorrow.

Hector Barbera | 1’56.124 | P4

“We had a great start. We came here a little bit sad after the last race, where we got disqualified. That race could have been one of our best in MotoGP and today’s result confirms that the bike, the team and myself are in great shape. To start the weekend like this is fantastic and I think our chances of getting into Q2 are high. Tomorrow we can start to work for the race and try to refine our set up for Sunday. My only concern now is that the race could be a lottery, as the weather forecast is rain for Sunday. But this season I’m fast in any condition, so we have to wait and see. We started really well, but it’s just Friday, so we’ll keep going step by step”.

Loris Baz | 1’56.957 | P12

“Finally we are in the middle of the first screen and not in the second one! From this morning, my feeling with the bike was good and in the afternoon, we went even better. I enjoyed riding my bike and this is a feeling I didn’t have for some races. I think that I could even go faster, but I made a mistake on my last lap, and in the lap prior to that I had some traffic. But I’m really happy. I think this is the first time since Le Mans that I finish the day in high spirits. In Austria we went back to the winter settings, and I think that was a great decision to get my feeling back. Little by little, we are building some pace and confidence again. I think tomorrow we’ll be able to battle for a place in Q2, but we’ll see”.

More, from a press release issued by Team Suzuki Press Office:

SUZUKI ECSTAR IN THE MIX AT BRNO MotoGP™

Team SUZUKI ECSTAR’s Aleix Espargaró and Maverick Viñales improved their lap-times in today’s opening practice sessions at the HJC Helmets Grand Prix Ceské republiky; both riding with completely different strategies.

In the cooler morning session, Viñales secured the seventh-best lap-time with a 1’57.176 around the 5.4 km Brno circuit in the Czech Republic with Espargaró a fraction behind on 1’57.538, that placed him 10th. But in the warmer FP2 this afternoon, Espargaró made a bigger improvement aboard his GSX-RR Suzuki with a time of 1’56.441 to finish seventh, with Vinales – who consistently filled the top-four positions for most of the session – ninth with a lap-time of 1’56.615.

Both adopted different strategies: Espargaró had to find back feeling with his injured hand – incurred last week in Austria – and check the pain level and also his strength, but he worked consistently on fast-laps as the feeling improved; while Viñales instead chose to give priority to the race-pace, without any time-attack attempt, but working on tyre durability throughout.

Davide Brivio – Team Manager:

“We’re happy that Aleix managed to ride, he’s suffering a little but he had a positive day of practice. He’s been fast and he’s getting a more-and-more positive feeling as he runs. He already found some improvements and so we’ll try to deliver him an even better machine for tomorrow. If we look at the classification, Maverick seems to be a little under expectations, but the truth is that he did a different job today, focusing on the pace-consistency rather than the single lap, also making some little experiments in terms of set-up and tyre management, so I would call this an ‘Investment Day’ for him. For these reasons my overview for today is positive; let’s work for even more performance tomorrow.”

Aleix Espargaró:

“Luckily my hand is feeling much better. In the morning I had to struggle with the pain, but in the afternoon it got much better. Only three days of rest are not much but I did a great job with the support of the Clinica Mobile guys who are helping me. I also have a specially-modified glove that allows me to feel more comfortable. All of this led to a positive day for me; we could improve the set-up and I feel comfortable with the machine. Here the track is very bumpy, but maybe I feel it even worse because we are arriving from the Red Bull Ring which was as smooth as a pool table. We suffer a lot of spin, which is unusual for me, but I feel very confident with the front. We have already made some steps forward from morning-to-afternoon, so if we manage to proceed positively tomorrow as well, it’s ‘gonna be a good day.”

Maverick Viñales:

“At the last race in Austria we had issues with the grip of the tyres in the second-half of the race, so for this weekend we decided to better-understand the tyre management and today’s work has been dedicated to find more efficiency in the pace without compromising the performance on the long distance. I don’t like to see myself in ninth position, but we didn’t even try a proper time-attack today, and because of this I will have a double-chance tomorrow as we spared tyres. However, although we didn’t make a fast-lap attempt, my lap-time was consistently close to the top of the sheets; until others put in new tyres, this means we have room for improvement for the qualifying.” 

More, from a press release issued by LCR Honda:

CRUTCHLOW WITHIN A SECOND AT BRNO

It was a solid start to practice for LCR Honda at the Czech Republic Grand Prix, as Cal Crutchlow published the 11th fastest time of the day, to sit within a second of Friday’s fastest man, fellow Honda rider Marc Marquez.

Crutchlow is a huge fan of the Brno circuit, and is finding areas which he is able to make up time on his rivals, but has other areas on which he, the LCR Honda Team and HRC will work together to improve the situation.

The Brit is hopeful of a good performance in the morning session on Saturday to secure a spot in the qualifying final.

#35 Cal Crutchlow – 11th (1’56.837)

“I honestly like this track, it’s a great place and I feel I’m riding well. There are some really long braking zones where I can gain time, but unfortunately the bike isn’t turning – as I’ve said a few times before. That means we have to take a lot a risks in the braking areas to make up that time. Under acceleration the bike wheelies and on the brakes you overheat the front tyre and nearly crash. You can imagine that after 22 laps because it only gets worse. I am going to speak to Honda again tonight to see if we can find a solution”.

More, from a press release issued by Dorna:

400th GP begins with Marquez leaping up the leaderboard to top

Points leader performs stunning save before topping the timesheets in Brno on occasion of the 400th GP of the new era.

Marc Marquez’ (Repsol Honda Team) Friday in Brno looked set to be defined by a stunning save in FP2, before the championship leader went back out on a fresh tyre and decimated his previous laptime – taking the top spot from reigning champion Jorge Lorenzo (Movistar Yamaha MotoGP) and moving up from an anonymous P6 in the morning session. The championship leader saved the crash just before the entry to pitlane, heading back to the garage in the aftermath and then preparing another assault – the one that saw him drop his previous laptime dramatically to go fastest on Friday.

In the final few seconds, Austrian GP winner Andrea Iannone (Ducati Team) put in a final dash to knock reigning champion Lorenzo into P3 after also showing good pace in the morning and topping FP1, as both Iannone and teammate Dovizioso (P6) made sure the momentum from their team’s stunning return to winning ways continued to push them forward.

Jorge Lorenzo was the fastest Yamaha on Day 1, as the 3-time MotoGP™ world champion built on a good morning to improve in the afternoon and challenge at the very front. Topping the session – characteristically – with more than one hot lap, Lorenzo was only a small margin down after Marquez and Iannone struck back and will be hoping to build on a good Friday to find the same form that saw him dominate the 2015 Czech GP from lights to flag.

Hector Barbera (Avintia Racing) used his Ducati horsepower wisely and was P4 and top independent rider on Friday, ahead of 9-time world champion Valentino Rossi (Movistar Yamaha MotoGP) as the ‘Doctor’ completed the top five after a solid first two sessions in Brno. Aleix Espargaro (Team Suzuki Ecstar) was seventh behind Dovizioso with an impressive effort despite a finger broken at the Red Bull Ring, with Monster Yamaha Tech 3’s Bradley Smith having a good day at the office in P8.

Maverick Viñales (Team Suzuki Ecstar) and Dani Pedrosa (Repsol Honda Team) completed the top ten in P9 and P10 respectively, with one more practice session remaining to determine direct entry to the Q2 qualifying session.

FP3 sees the lights go out at 9:55 local time (GMT+2) as the MotoGP™ grid head back on track, with the familiar terrain of Brno setting the scene for another spectacular qualifying showdown from 14:10.

Zarco top by two thousandths

Frenchman fastest on Friday in Brno but Moto2™ remains as close as ever

Estrella Galicia 0,0 Marc VDS were aptly-named on Friday morning in Brno, as 2014 Moto3™ world champion Alex Marquez proved the star of FP1 at the Czech venue as his return to form continues. The afternoon then saw the pack shuffle slightly once again as reigning champion Johann Zarco (Ajo Motorsport) upped the pace to take to the top, after Italian Lorenzo Baldassarri had taken Forward Racing to the front for much of the session. Zarco’s margin at the top was tiny, however, as the Moto2™ grid prepare for another incredibly close weekend in the intermediate class.

Behind the French reigning Moto2™ world champion was key 2016 rival Tom Luthi (Garage Interwetten Plus), who missed out on the top spot by only two thousandths, with a resurgent Lorenzo Baldassarri then pushed back into P3 on an impressive day for the Italian.

Takaaki Nakagami (Idemitsu Honda Team Asia) was fourth quickest on Friday as the Japanese rider enjoyed a great start to the HJC Helmets Grand Prix Ceské Republiky, ahead of the rookie Leopard Racing pairing of Danny Kent and Miguel Oliveira in P5 and P6 respectively.

Seventh quickest was championship contender Sam Lowes (Federal Oil Gresini Moto2), who showed a huge improvement in the final half of FP2, ahead of Alex Marquez (EG 0,0 Marc VDS) as the former world champion continued his presence in the top echelons of the timesheets. Hafizh Syahrin (Petronas Pacelin Malaysia) had a positive FP2 to end Friday in P9, with Jonas Folger (Dynavolt Intact GP) completing the top ten on day 1.

Alex Rins (Paginas Amarillas HP 40) was the surprise of the day as the title contender suffered a tough day 1, ending track action in P16 on the combined timesheets.

Rins will be back out for FP3 at the Automotodrom Brno hoping to improve, ahead of qualifying practice for the Moto2™ grid on Saturday afternoon at 15:05 local time (GMT +2).

Binder back in charge in Brno

Red Bull KTM Ajo rider ups the pace in the afternoon to reign once again

It was Enea Bastianini (Gresini Racing Moto3) who topped FP1 at the Automotodrom Brno, as the Italian continues his return to front-running form after injury – but championship leader Brad Binder (Red Bull KTM Ajo) hit back in the afternoon to head the combined timesheets. The South African points leader continues to pull away from his rivals in the standings, and continues to show the ominous form that saw him take victory from the back of the grid in Jerez.

Sky Racing Team VR46 rider Andrea Migno was second fastest by the end of play on Friday as the Italian found more pace in the afternoon, ahead of compatriot Bastianini in P3. Bastianini has been on the podium twice in the past two years at the track however, and looks to be off to a good start in the Czech Republic.

Assen winner Francesco Bagnaia (PULL&BEAR Aspar Mahindra Team) was fourth fastest, ahead of the second Sky Racing Team VR46 bike of rookie Nicolo Bulega. Bulega had a lowside crash in FP2 with little consequence, but lost track time for repairs before heading back out and leaping up into the top 5 in another impressive showing.

Fabio DiGiannantonio (Gresini Racing Moto3) was P6 in another quietly impressive performance in 2016, with PULL&BEAR Aspar Mahindra rider Jorge Martin in P7 ahead of Phillip Oettl (Schedl GP Racing). Aron Canet (Estrella Galicia 0,0) was ninth quickest, ahead of Livio Loi (RW Racing GP BV) as the Belgian rider completed the top ten.

Binder’s key rival Jorge Navarro (Estrella Galicia 0,0) was eleventh quickest on Day 1, with room to improve ahead of qualifying. Navarro is Binder’s closest challenger in the points table, and has some margin to remain that way after fellow title contender Romano Fenati parted ways with the Sky Racing Team VR46.

Local riders Jakub Kornfeil (Drive M7 Sic Racing Team) and wildcard Karel Hanika (Freundenberg Racing Team) had a solid start to their home GP as they were P12 and P13 on Friday.

Moto3™ will be back out for FP3 on Saturday morning, before the lighter class are the first to head into their qualifying shootout early in the afternoon.