Rain Stops Play: Crutchlow top in Phillip Island washout
Torrential conditions in Australia see second practice cut short and Cal Crutchlow taking the honour of fastest on Friday
After a wet morning of action at Phillip Island Grand Prix Circuit, and a Moto3™ FP2 that saw times get significantly slower, the red flag then came out during the second session for MotoGP™ – and it was decided to cancel the remainder of the session, as well as FP2 for Moto2™.
With few bikes venturing on track during the early part of the session, it was Hector Barbera (Ducati Team) who went quickest and found himself unthreatened at the top of the timesheets in FP2. His Avintia Racing replacement, Mike Jones, was the next man in the table in his second MotoGP™ outing to impress once again, with Estrella Galicia 0,0 Marc VDS rider Tito Rabat completing the top three. Danilo Petrucci (Octo Pramac Yakhnich) was only a few hundredths off the Spaniard’s best in fourth, with the other two riders to venture out, Team Suzuki Ecstar’s Aleix Espargaro and Movistar Yamaha MotoGP rider Valentino Rossi, more than two and a half seconds further back.
Times set in a wet but faster FP1 were therefore the only ones representative on the combined timesheets, and LCR Honda rider Cal Crutchlow led the way from Danilo Petrucci and Estrella Galicia 0,0 Marc VDS’ home hero Jack Miller.
Valentino Rossi (Movistar Yamaha MotoGP) had set some representative laptimes in the first session of the day, before the Italian was given a penalty by Race Direction. Having used one of the Michelin wet tyres for more laps than the allowed 10 in total, the rider from Tavullia saw his laptimes when set on that rubber deleted – leaving him down in P20 by the end of the day, just behind teammate Jorge Lorenzo, who didn’t put in much track time.
Behind Miller and moving up a place on the combined times after Rossi’s penalty was Marc Marquez (Repsol Honda Team), after the freshly-crowned World Champion put in a lap five hundredths off that of Miller. Ducati Team’s Andrea Dovizioso completed the top five.
Team Suzuki Ecstar’s Maverick Viñales was sixth and the last man within a second of session and combined leader Cal Crutchlow, slotting in ahead of Monster Yamaha Tech 3’s Pol Espargaro and Aprilia Racing Team Gresini rider Alvaro Bautista as the timesheets started to spread out.
Nicky Hayden was the man in ninth, with the ‘Kentucky Kid’ taking over for the weekend on the second Repsol Honda machine. Pedrosa’s injury replacement rode the Repsol Honda for the first time since 2008, beating his teammate next year at Honda World Superbike Team – Stefan Bradl (Aprilia Racing Team Gresini) – into ninth as the German completed the top ten.
That top ten from FP1 now stand to graduate directly to the Q2 qualifying session if FP3 sees conditions cause problems once again on Saturday, with the big news the prospect of Movistar Yamaha MotoGP teammates Valentino Rossi and Jorge Lorenzo being forced into Q1. The factory Yamaha teammates will be praying the weather is better on Day 2 as they fight it out for second in the Championship, as will the crowd – with schedule changes for Saturday seeing Moto3™ action begin at 9:00 (GMT +11) rather than 10:00, with extended FP3 sessions for MotoGP™ and Moto2™.
Folger leads the way in Friday’s single session
Stormy day sees German Brno winner top the timesheets in the morning, with FP2 cancelled.
Phillip Island saw weather take center stage on Friday, with MotoGP™ losing most of FP2 after a red flag stopped the session because of the rain – and it was decided to not restart. Moto2™, set to take to the track after the second session for the premier class, then had their FP2 session cancelled as track action was brought to an early halt.
Jonas Folger (Dynavolt Intact GP) went quickest in a tough Moto2™ FP1, with continuous rain leaving Phillip Island Grand Prix Circuit soaked to the core. With no FP2, the morning session’s times now become those of Day 1, and Danny Kent (Leopard Racing) had an impressive showing in the first and only practice of the day to end up P2 behind Folger, as the 2015 Moto3™ World Champion found a big turn of speed.
Reigning Moto2™ Champion Johann Zarco (Ajo Motorsport) was third in FP1. Zarco, who had a tough day in the difficult wet conditions on Sunday at the Czech GP, showed no such struggles at Phillip Island and comfortably remained in the top echelons of the order under the rain down under.
Lorenzo Baldassarri (Forward Racing Team) was fourth fastest as the Misano winner got back up towards the top of the timesheets, with Zarco’s key Championship rival Alex Rins (Paginas Amarillas HP40) in fifth – having won from pole in 2015, more than 6 seconds clear as a rookie and looking to repeat the feat.
Idemitsu Honda Team Asia rider Takaaki Nakagami ended the session in P6, ahead of aptly named ‘Pescao’ Hafizh Syahrin (Petronas Raceline Malaysia). Jesko Raffin (Sports-Millions-EMWE-SAG), Xavi Vierge (Tech 3 Racing) and home hero Remy Gardner (Tasca Racing Scuderia Moto2) completed the top ten.
Franco Morbidelli (Estrella Galicia 0,0 Marc VDS) had a spectacular crash mid-session – rider ok – to leave his EG0,0 Marc VDS machine in several parts in the gravel trap and a big job ahead for the team to rebuild the bike, and Luca Marini (Forward Racing) joined his compatriot in suffering an incident in the tough conditions. Both will be back out tomorrow to wipe the slate clean and avoid repeats.
The start time for Moto2™ FP3 has been adjusted to allow for more track time in the intermediate class, with action now set to begin at 11:10 (GMT +11).
McPhee fastest in FP2 as Bulega remains top on combined
Wet weather turnaround for Italian rookie sees him home and dry on Friday
With conditions beginning difficult in Phillip Island and FP2 dawning even worse, Moto3™ times on Friday afternoon couldn’t improve on those set in FP1 and the lightweight class were the only one of the day to complete a full second practice session. With Sky Racing Team VR46 rookie Nicolo Bulega having tamed the track first, the Italian therefore remained top on combined timesheets by the end of the day as rain reigned Phillip Island Grand Prix Circuit.
The Italian topped FP1 at the track despite his rookie status, with a cushion of more than four tenths above nearest rival Niccolo Antonelli (Ongetta-Rivacold), and another rookie – Estrella Galicia 0,0 rider Aron Canet, who was the early leader. Antonelli was a big crasher of the day in FP2, but was unhurt in the incident as rates of attrition were high.
In the afternoon with harder rain, FP2 saw John McPhee (Peugeot MC Saxoprint) – Brno’s wet weather winner – rise to the top in the torrential conditions, with the Scotsman leading Tatsuki Suzuki (CIP-Unicom Starker) and two-time wet race winner Khairul Idham Pawi (Honda Team Asia). Pawi had a more difficult FP1, before bouncing back in the tougher conditions of FP2 to get in with the frontrunners – but is left much lower down on combined times.
It was a positive day for RBA Racing Team as action opened in Australia, as Gabriel Rodrigo and Juanfran Guevara completed the top five in the afternoon. Rodrigo was also quick in the slightly easier conditions in FP1, taking P4 on combined times.
Behind Rodrigo on the combined timesheets were Andrea Migno (Sky Racing Team VR46), Suzuki, Andrea Locatelli (Leopard Racing), Fabio Di Giannantonio (Gresini Racing Moto3), Bo Bendsneyder (Red Bull KTM Ajo) and Livio Loi (RW Racing GP BV).
Freshly crowned Moto3™ World Champion Brad Binder – who had an incredible save in FP1 as his Red Bull KTM Ajo machine threatened to highside him off – was sixth fastest in FP2, but finds himself down on the timesheets on combined times.
With Bulega clear at the front by the end of play on Friday, the paddock now looks up to the skies to see what weather on qualifying day will bring. Schedule changes see the lightweight class head out on track an hour earlier than the original schedule at 9:00 (GMT +11), as the timetable shuffles to allow Moto2™ and MotoGP™ some more track time in better conditions.
More, from a press release issued by Repsol Honda:
Marquez fourth and Hayden ninth in rainy first day at Phillip Island.
Marc Marquez set the fourth-best lap time at a rainy, windswept Phillip Island Circuit on the opening day of the Australian Grand Prix. Conditions had been harsh enough during the FP1 session and became even worse in the afternoon, so the FP2 session was delayed to 3:45 p.m. from the original schedule of 3:05.
Just six riders took to the track for the FP2 session, and nobody improved upon their best times from the morning. Less than 15 minutes into the session, it was red-flagged as rain once again started to hit hard. Now everyone just hopes conditions will be better tomorrow, even if the forecasts aren’t too encouraging so far.
Nicky Hayden’s 9th place was very impressive considering both the difficult conditions and the fact that he rode the bike for the first time today after having arrived from Europe only on Wednesday night.
Marc Marquez
4TH
“Today has not been one of the most fun days of the year. We were hoping for a dry day to enjoy ourselves on the bike after the Japanese Grand Prix, but it has not been the case. Although it rained all day, in the morning we put in a few laps, but at the end of the session we had to stop because there was too much water on the track. This afternoon it was also raining, making it dangerous to ride, and that is why the red flag was shown. We decided not to go out because it was an unnecessary risk. Hopefully tomorrow the conditions will improve at least a little, so there will not be as much water on track, and we will continue to work for Sunday.”
Nicky Hayden
9TH
“Conditions obviously weren’t ideal today but that sometimes happens. In the morning the bike felt quite good on the wet. I felt pretty confortable and I was just trying to get up to speed when it started to rain harder and there were too much water so I came in. Unfortunately I haven’t get many laps today, in any conditions really, but the bike felt good and also I improved my lap times in my second exit this morning when the track was even worse then at the beginning od the session. So that was pretty positive. So now we just wait and see what kind of conditions we get and we’ll try and get as much as track time as possible to understand the bike and the team more and let’s keep going”.
More, from a press release issued by Monster Yamaha Tech 3:
Rain interrupts track action for Tech3 pair on day one at the Australian GP
Monster Yamaha Tech3 Team rider Pol Espargaro battled against the torrid weather on the first day of the Michelin Australian Motorcycle Grand Prix to finish in 7th overall. The round 16 weekend kicked off under constant rain at the Phillip Island circuit and Espargaro braved the cold and damp weather in FP1 as he collected valuable wet setup information. He completed the session in 7th, and he looked ahead to the afternoon. Here, however, after a delayed start to the session due to the increased rainfall, the Spaniard opted against taking to the asphalt because of the treacherous conditions. The practice was eventually cancelled, but nevertheless, the 2013 Moto2 World Champion will aim to get straight back to work in free practice 3 tomorrow.
Meanwhile, Bradley Smith endured a shortened first day of action in southern Australia and despite his eagerness to experience as much time on his Yamaha YZR-M1 as possible whilst he continues his recovery process, he wisely opted against running in the waterlogged FP2 session. The British star chose to sit out the majority of the morning practice, yet with under ten minutes remaining he jumped on his MotoGP bike and courageously completed several laps to get a feel for the high-speed circuit in the wet on this year’s Michelin tyres. However, due to his injured right knee, the 25-year-old only completed 7 laps in order to minimise any risks, but tomorrow he hopes for better weather in order to carry on his setup work ahead of the all-important qualifying shootout.
Pol Espargaro
Position: 7th Time: 1’42.465 Laps: 15
“Today has been complicated because of the weather, but we all know that the Phillip Island circuit is a unique place as it is so close to the ocean. Unfortunately, we didn’t get any track time during FP2 as there was too much water on the track, yet we had the whole practice this morning and I am pleased with our performance. I believe that today, the main aim for me was to get accustomed to the circuit again, which is what we did, plus my feeling with the bike was positive. Of course, we still have a margin of improvement to make and we didn’t try the supersoft tyre yet, as we don’t have many in our allocation, so we decided that it would be better to keep them for tomorrow. However, to finish day 1 inside the top 10 and not far from the top of the time sheets is a promising start to the weekend and we will work hard to improve even more in FP3.”
Bradley Smith
Position: DNQ Time: 1’49.008 Laps: 7
“The first day in Phillip Island hasn’t been the best, but with these tough conditions, not only with the water, but also with the temperature at one of the fastest circuits in the world, racing can become quite dangerous so we had to play it safe. I completed a few laps this morning, but unfortunately, when I went out on the track, the weather took a turn for the worse and it was quite tricky. However, if we compare my times with the other riders who were out when I was, I can see that I was quite competitive. This afternoon, the weather got worse and there was a lot of water on the track. Even though the session was delayed and then eventually red flagged, I made my own decision to sit out that practice, and wait for tomorrow instead. I didn’t want to create any more stress or risk making my injury any worse, and I also want to keep a bit of extra power for the race on Sunday, which looks like it could be dry.”
More, from a press release issued by Movistar Yamaha:
DRENCHED FIRST DAY ON PHILLIP ISLAND HALTS MOVISTAR YAMAHA MOTOGP‘S FREE PRACTICE PROGRESS
The first practices of the weekend for the Michelin Australian Motorcycle Grand Prix got underway today with Movistar Yamaha MotoGP riders Jorge Lorenzo and Valentino Rossi battling soaking conditions. With very little track time to be had, due to persistent rain and the cancelation of FP2, the teammates finished 19th and 20th respectively in the combined times.
Phillip Island (Australia), 21st October 2016
The Michelin Australian Motorcycle Grand Prix got underway today on Phillip Island with two drenched free practice sessions providing a frustrating experience. After a wet FP1, the Movistar Yamaha MotoGP riders were forced to sit out the majority of FP2, with the track conditions being too severe, meaning no valuable set-up data could be assessed.
Lorenzo used the session with caution while getting to know the wet weather tyres and trying to find a matching set-up. The crew worked hard to find better stability for his bike as standing water across parts of the track made it difficult to find a good pace. Struggling to get heat in the tyres, causing a lack of grip, he set a best lap of 1’45.651s for 19th place.
Rossi found a good wet setting early on in the morning and was featured as one of the main protagonists throughout the session, setting a best lap of 1‘40.998s at the end of an 11-lap long first stint. However, as he set his best lap on a super soft front tyre which riders are only allowed for no more than ten laps, all the times of his first outing were canceled, leaving him in 20th position.
The Movistar Yamaha MotoGP teammates had to be patient for the second practice session to get underway as it was delayed due to the weather conditions. The afternoon free practice session got underway when the track started to dry out at 15:45 local time.
The Doctor was again eager to head out and completed a couple of laps, but the track action wasn‘t to last. FP2 was red flagged and suspended until 16:45 local time with still more than 31 minutes of the session remaining and was ultimately not restarted for safety reasons.
The cancelation of FP2 meant both Movistar Yamaha MotoGP riders were unable to improve on their best morning lap, causing Lorenzo to complete the first day in 19th place in the combined session times and Rossi in 20th.
MASSIMO MEREGALLI
TEAM DIRECTOR
Today has been less than an ideal scenario, to say the least. The conditions on track were extreme today, making it very challenging for the riders to find a good feeling. This is the worst kind of weather to try and set up a MotoGP bike. Nevertheless, we still managed to try a couple of settings in the morning session. Valentino was quite satisfied with the balance of his bike. Jorge didn‘t want to take unnecessary risks today and only rode a couple of laps to get a first feel for the track and his two bikes. We hope for better weather tomorrow and some additional practice time so our riders can progress to Q2.
JORGE LORENZO
I exited the pit lane quite late this morning and I didn‘t make so many laps on the first run. I was progressing little by little, but I stopped too early and when I tried the second bike there was already more water on the track, so I did just one more lap. It was difficult to find a good reference to understand on which bike we were better in these conditions.
VALENTINO ROSSI
The conditions were very difficult today. Unfortunately we had bad weather, it was very cold and there was lots of water. This morning we were able to ride for 20 minutes in acceptable conditions and it wasn‘t so bad, I was quite strong. In the afternoon the temperature went down and the amount of water was too much, so unfortunately we couldn‘t ride. We couldn‘t work on the feeling on the bike so we keep the quite good feeling we had at the beginning of the practice, but at the same time we lost the heat, so we have to wait for tomorrow.
More, from a press release issued by Aprilia:
THE WEATHER CONDITIONS THE FIRST PRACTICE SESSIONS AT PHILLIP ISLAND
THE RAIN FORCES THE APRILIA RS-GP MACHINES TO THE GARAGE AFTER A GOOD FP1 SESSION
As forecast, the first day of practice at Phillip Island for the Michelin Australian Motorcycle Grand Prix had the weather as its main protagonist. In fact, the second session was initially postponed and then cancelled after just a few moments of action and with many riders staying in the garage in light of the prohibitive track conditions.
In FP1, on the other hand, the Aprilia Racing Team Gresini riders had found a good pace in the wet before the worsening weather conditions kept them from improving their times further. Alvaro Bautista did 15 laps, earning ninth place with a time of 1’42.956, whereas, on the seventh of his twelve laps, Stefan Bradl did a time of 1’43.070 that placed him in eleventh. Both of the Aprilia standard-bearers were then bumped up a position after the penalty inflicted on Valentino Rossi.
ALVARO BAUTISTA
“We did not learn much today. This morning we were able to go out, but already from mid-session the conditions were quite demanding, with a lot of aquaplaning and really wet areas on the circuit. In the afternoon things got worse. In my opinion, suspending the session was the right decision because going out on the track would have been too dangerous. Hopefully tomorrow we will be able to work to prepare for the race, although the least pleasant situation could occur, which would be all sessions in the wet and then a dry race. Without any setup references, it could be difficult for everyone. In that case, we will need to adapt as best we can”.
STEFAN BRADL
“This morning we went out on the track. The quantity of water was acceptable, although already after a few laps it began to rain harder. In any case, the feeling was good. I expected to struggle more since the low temperatures make it more difficult to warm up the tyres. In the afternoon there was no reason to go out. We had those conditions where, instead of learning something, you just take risks. Now all we can do is wait for tomorrow and hope the weather is better”.
More, from a press release issued by Estrella Galicia 0,0 Marc VDS:
Rain halts play in Phillip Island
Cold temperatures, gusting winds and torrential rain meant Team Estrella Galicia 0,0 Marc VDS riders Jack Miller and Tito Rabat experienced a frustrating opening day of practice action at the spectacular Phillip Island track in preparation for the Michelin Australian Grand Prix.
Miller and Rabat both expertly conquered incredibly slippery conditions in this morning’s weather-dominated FP1 to set competitive times in a session that took part in chilly temperatures that hit just 12 degrees.
Miller delighted a soaked home crowd in the opening session when he finished in an impressive third position after initially leading the 45-minute opener in his first track action on home soil since he became a national hero with victory in the historic Dutch TT in late June.
The 21-year-old looked as comfortable and fast as he did when triumphing in a rain-hit race in Assen and a best time of 1’41.457 left him just 0.5s behind pacesetter Cal Crutchlow.
Rabat also built up his speed in treacherously slippery conditions and he was able to outpace the likes of Aleix Espargaro, Hector Barbera and triple MotoGP World Champion Jorge Lorenzo.
Rabat logged the 15th quickest time this morning with a 1’44.178 his personal benchmark and the Spaniard was looking forward to making more progress with the rain setting of his Honda RC213V machine this afternoon.
The former Moto2 World Champion was one of only six riders to post a timed lap in an FP2 session that started 45 minutes late after heavy and constant rain left large patches of standing water scattered around the 4.8km track.
Almost a third of the session had been completed when track conditions deteriorated to the point that Race Direction opted to red flag the session. After a further lengthy delay to see if conditions improved it was decided to cancel the remaining 31 minutes of the session because of the adverse weather.
Jack Miller: 3rd – 1’41.457
“I’ve got to say the conditions were atrocious today, so firstly I want to say thanks to the Australian fans who still came out and supported me. We got out on track this morning and it wasn’t too bad in terms of learning something for the rain set-up, but this afternoon it was far too wet and dangerous. It’s a shame we couldn’t put on a show this afternoon but it was the correct decision to cancel the session because we simply can’t ride in those conditions. Hopefully for everybody’s sake the weather is better tomorrow and if practice and qualifying is wet then I’m confident I can be strong and do a good job. I felt I had good speed in the wet this morning and I don’t think missing two dry sessions will hurt us too much if it is dry tomorrow.”
Tito Rabat: 15th – 1’44.178
“Today was very difficult because of the weather conditions but I’m pleased to get in a full wet session this morning because I was happy with the pace and my feeling with the bike in FP1. This afternoon it was impossible to ride in these conditions and unfortunately it looks like it is going to be wet again tomorrow. Hopefully the conditions will be better than today and at least we can ride and then we must wait and see what happens for the race. The weather is constantly changing and we must be ready to adapt quickly to whatever happens. I went out for a couple of laps in FP2 and it was a complete disaster. I was spinning everywhere and it is not safe to ride in conditions like that and it was definitely the right decision to red flag the session and then cancel it because it was so easy to crash.”
Michael Bartholemy: Team Principal
“Unfortunately today was completely dominated by the weather but I have to say both Jack and Tito were very strong in this morning’s FP1. We know Jack can be strong in the rain after what he did in Assen and I was delighted to see him in third position. It was a good boost for his confidence and morale after a tough weekend in Japan. Tito was also looking good and he had some very experienced talent behind this morning. I hope the weather improves for the remainder of the weekend because if we get similar conditions for the rest of the schedule then it will make life very difficult for everybody.”
More, from a press release issued by Pramac Racing:
Petrux 2nd in the free practices stopped by a heavy rain. Scott 12th
The Friday of the Michelin® Australian Motorcycle Gran Prix at the Phillip Island Circuit has been characterised by the rain, which started to be heavy during the afternoon, impeding the regular conduct of the FP2. However, during the morning sessions, Danilo Petrucci has been very good at taking advantage of the moment in which the conditions of the circuit of Phillip Island were the best to register the third best time (it became the second best time after the penalty for Valentino Rossi). If the wether tommorrow is bad, his result would permit him to access with advance to the Q2. Scott gained the 12° time in the FP1.
Petrux started very well and on the tenth lap of the first run, lapping very fast in particular on the first half of the circuit ( 2° best time in T1 and T2), he set the crono of 1’41.010. In the afternoon, the rider of Fiamme Oro tried to come back on the track, but the weather conditions forced him to do only two laps without the possibility of being competitive.
At the first way out at Phillip Island, Scott has been more cautious. His times were improving half session (1’43.314 at lap 11), but then the rain started to fall more heavily forcing him to return back to the garage. Also for the British rider only few laps during the afternoon due to big amount of rain on the circuit.
12th – Scott Redding
1’43.314
Very cold, very wet and no fun. This morning the conditions were not too bad but we were on the limit. In the second run of the FP1 the feeling with the bike seemed to improve. But in the end it was pretty much wasted a day. When the conditions are like these you have much to lose and little to gain. Then in the afternoon it was too dangerous to stay on track. I hope the conditions will improve tomorrow.
2nd – Danilo Petrucci
1’41.010
It is a shame even for the people who came to watch us. It was very hard for us also as it was very cold and there was too much water on the track. In the end I’m happy for the time I recorded in the first run because in the second part of FP1 was not possible to push. We are in good shape at the moment, the second place is very good and I hope to do well tomorrow. I also hope for a dry race on Sunday.
More, from a press release issued by Team Suzuki Press Office:
RAIN HALTS PHILLIP ISLAND MotoGP™ FREE PRACTICE
Maverick Viñales – 6th
Aleix Espargaró – 17th
Heavy rain and dangerous track conditions forced Race Direction to red-flag today’s second Free Practice for the Michelin® Australian Motorcycle Grand Prix at the Phillip Island Circuit.
The day started with cold weather and pouring rain, but the riders managed to take-in some laps, which was useful for a first appraisal of the circuit using Michelin’s rain tyres, and to try to find a basic set-up. With this, Maverick Viñales’ appreciation of the track was positive, scoring a provisional top-10 which would, on paper, give him direct access to Q2.
In the afternoon, the rain became a lot heavier and the track was almost flooded. After a delay on the start time, only Aleix Espargaró ventured out on the circuit briefly to classify fifth while team-mate Viñales did not venture out and was, like many of the riders, not classified in the results. The session was then interrupted again, and further practice postponed until tomorrow.
From today’s classification, the results were taken from FP1.
Davide Brivio – Team Manager:
“Obviously this has been a strange day. Luckily this morning we managed to make some laps, even in the wet, and we gathered our first impressions about the machine set-up and tyres. In the afternoon the conditions were really impossible, we couldn’t do any more work and we definitely hope for something better tomorrow. In the few we did, Maverick felt confident and comfortable, while Aleix struggled to find a better feeling, although they were the very first impressions. We still need to work a lot, it’s a pity we had to almost waste the day, but we already had some feedback from which we will work-on now, waiting for better chances tomorrow.”
Maverick Viñales:
“The morning was positive, but we could only really ride properly for 20 minutes, but I found myself very comfortable with the machine. This also surprised me a bit, because lately we’ve been struggling in rainy conditions, but I’m happy to see these improvements. I like this circuit even in the rain; and this probably paid back in terms of the result. This afternoon it was impossible to ride, so I didn’t want to risk a crash and keep the work for tomorrow. I could try both the tyre options for the front, I found the harder one more suitable for me, but we definitely need to investigate and work more deeply to understand. It was important to be immediately in the top-10 in case tomorrow the conditions are also hard, so for the moment we have the Q2 access granted. Let’s wait for tomorrow and see what the weather does.”
Aleix Espargaró:
“What a strange day. Unfortunately, this morning I couldn’t find the feeling with the bike so we tried to change a lot in set-up and electronics, this is why I wanted to also try it in the second session. Unfortunately, the conditions were too bad and it was impossible to improve the time. I hope tomorrow the conditions will be a little better, so I can try to find a better confidence and verify all the improvements we have in mind.”
More, from a press release issued by Aspar Team:
Rain halts play on first day at Phillip Island
Pull&Bear Aspar Team riders miss valuable track time as second session is cut short, with Yonny Hernández finishing eleventh fastest – just 0.062 seconds off the top ten
If the rain made life difficult for the MotoGP riders at Phillip Island this morning, it completely ruined their afternoon as the second free practice session for the Australian Grand Prix was cancelled after fifteen minutes due to the track conditions. With some riders having only five laps under their belt today, tomorrow promises to be a key day as they look to perfect their bike set-up for Sunday’s race. Three independent team riders took the top three positions, with Cal Crutchlow (1’40.957) the only rider capable of breaking the 1’41 barrier ahead of Danilo Petrucci and local rider Jack Miller. Marc Márquez made his first appearance as the new World Champion with the fourth fastest lap of the day, with Jorge Lorenzo and Valentino Rossi down in 19th and 20th place – in Rossi’s case due partly to a penalty for completing more than the permitted laps on the super-soft front tyre.
Yonny Hernández finished the day just 0.062 seconds outside the positions that would give him access to Q2 tomorrow. The Pull&Bear Aspar rider was eleventh fastest in the opening session of the weekend after completing just eight laps due to the weather. The Colombian was frustrated by the lack of track time today but he is hoping for better weather tomorrow as he targets a position in the top ten. Eugene Laverty finished the day in sixteenth position, some 3.2 seconds off the top. The Irishman has shown good speed in wet conditions this season, most notably at Brno and Silverstone, although the lack of any dry track time at all today has denied him the crucial opportunity to find a base set-up for this track.
11th Yonny Hernández 1.43.132 (8 laps): “My feeling on the bike is good and I finished less than a tenth off the positions that would give me direct access to Q2 tomorrow, although we still have room for improvement. It is a shame that we weren’t able to make full use of each session today because of the track conditions and the bad weather. It looks like tomorrow will be better so hopefully we can ride and challenge for a place in Q2.”
16th Eugene Laverty 1.44.181 (7 laps): “It has been a tough start to the weekend. Usually when it rains we are strong, like at Silverstone or Brno, but on both of those weekends we had a dry session first to find a setting for the electronics. This time we haven’t had that so we are a little behind in that area. It was difficult to set a fast lap but at least we were able to gather some data.”
More, from a press release issued by LCR Honda:
CRUTCHLOW FASTEST IN DOWNPOURS DOWN UNDER
The first day of free practice for this weekend’s Michelin® Australian Motorcycle Grand Prix was almost a complete washout, with heavy rain falling at the Phillip Island circuit from first thing in the morning and not relenting throughout the entire day.
Already a winner in the wet this season in the Czech Republic, LCR Honda-man Cal Crutchlow was fastest in the morning’s first free practice session. With the rain picking up throughout that first 45 minutes, he set his best time on his eighth lap of eight out on track before deciding to park his Honda RC213V as conditions worsened.
In the afternoon, the second practice was delayed because of a build up of standing water out on the circuit, and although the riders were finally given the green light to go, only a few riders braved the treacherous weather. Sadly for everyone concerned, the downpours returned after 15 minutes, and marshals were forced to bring out the red flag before a decision was made to terminate the day’s action.
The forecast is for more rain on Saturday morning at the Victorian venue, but easing later for the afternoon qualifying sessions. As things stand, Crutchlow would automatically go through to the qualifying final, but it remains to be seen what will greet the riders when they arrive at the track in the morning.
#35 Cal Crutchlow – 1st (1’40.957)
“It’s been disappointing today. We’re not so happy with the weather conditions of course, but you have to think about the safety of the riders. This is a really fast circuit and it became very difficult to see in the morning session, and then later in the day for the second practice there was no point in taking any risks. I didn’t even put my leathers on!”
“We now need to concentrate on tomorrow. It looks like it will be wet again so that’s why we didn’t need to go out in the afternoon. We are very sorry for the fans who stood out in the rain and didn’t get to watch any more track activity, but we have to consider safety and make sure we get everyone through the weekend in good shape.”
“I look forward to qualifying tomorrow now, and then to the race on Sunday.”
More, from a press release issued by Ducati Corse:
Rain hampers practice for Michelin Australian Grand Prix. Dovizioso finishes first day at Phillip Island in fifth, with Hector Barbera in eighteenth place
Heavy rain and wintry weather conditions hampered the first day of free practice action at the Phillip Island circuit today.
Andrea Dovizioso set the fifth fastest time of the day in 1’41.569, on lap eleven of the thirteen he completed during the morning’s FP1 session. The Italian then opted not to go out on track in the afternoon because the rain became heavier, which forced the organizers to red-flag the session after the first fifteen minutes.
His team-mate Hector Barbera was able to complete nineteen laps in the morning session, setting a best time of 1’44”792. In the afternoon the Spanish rider was the quickest out of the six riders who recorded a time, but he was unable to improve and finished the day in eighteenth place.
In order to give the MotoGP riders the possibility of partially making up for the time lost this afternoon due to the unfavourable weather conditions, the organizers have decided that the FP3 session scheduled for tomorrow morning will be extended from 45 to 60 minutes.
Andrea Dovizioso (Ducati Team #04) – 1’41.569 (5th)
“This morning we encountered some rather extreme conditions and so we only really completed half a session because there was too much water on the track, but it was useful in any case because it helped us to understand how the tyres behave in the rain. In the end we set a good time, which puts us into fifth place, and now we have to see what sort of conditions we’ll find tomorrow. However I’m pretty pleased with the way I’ve started off this weekend.”
Hector Barbera (Ducati Team #8) – 1’44.792 (18th)
“Today was a bit complicated: this morning we had to make a few changes to the bike because it was the first time I had ridden the Desmosedici GP 2016 in the wet. Unfortunately in the afternoon I wasn’t able to do very much because of the weather conditions that made the track virtually unfit to ride and so I could only do three laps. Here at Phillip Island once again I have a superb bike and a great team at my disposal and therefore all the right conditions to be able to obtain a good result, but the bad weather made things a bit difficult, seeing as I also have the handicap of not knowing the bike well enough yet.”
More, from a press release issued by Avintia Racing:
Rain disrupts the action on the openning day at Phillip Island
Rain and wind were the main forces on the opening day of practice for the Michelin Australian Motorcycle Grand Prix, so much that the second session had to be cancelled after a delay of 45 minutes. In the morning, the riders took to the track despite the rain and the Avintia Racing riders had the opportunity to work on the set-up of their bikes in wet conditions. Local hero Mike Jones took 14th place in the morning and was 13th in the combined standings after a sanction for Valentino Rossi. Jones was surprised and excited about the performance of the Ducati Desmosedici GP14.2 and the Michelin tyres on the wet tarmac of Phillip Island.
Loris Baz had a problem in the morning session that cut his track time short, but he nevertheless managed to finish right behind his teammate in 14th position. Tomorrow, both riders hope for better conditions and an improvement of their lap times, even if the track continued to be wet.
In the garage of the official Ducati Team, Héctor Barberá had a learning day. The Avintia Racing rider, who is replacing injured Andrea Iannone for a second time, had to familiarize himself with the Desmosedici GP 2016 in rainy conditions. He didn’t have a bad feeling, but he would have needed more track time to further improve. Nevertheless, he was fastest of the six riders that went out on the track in the afternoon in atrocious conditions and hopes to make another step forward tomorrow.
Hector Barbera | 1’44.792 | P18
“Today was a bit complicated: this morning we had to make a few changes to the bike because it was the first time I had ridden the Desmosedici GP 2016 in the wet. Unfortunately in the afternoon I wasn’t able to do very much because of the weather conditions that made the track virtually unfit to ride and so I could only do three laps. Here at Phillip Island once again I have a superb bike and a great team at my disposal and therefore all the right conditions to be able to obtain a good result, but the bad weather made things a bit difficult, seeing as I also have the handicap of not knowing the bike well enough yet.”
Loris Baz | 1’44.176 | P14
“It was a very wet day! Things didn’t go bad in the morning, but we had an electronic problem on my number one bike that cost us the best 15 minutes of the session. When I then went out, there was a lot of water on the track, but despite the difficult conditions, I was able to do good lap times and my feeling in the wet was also positive. This afternoon there was even more water on the track and it was impossible to ride. But at least we have been able to do two laps to confirm that everything was in its place with the bike that had caused us problems in the morning. Let’s hope for better conditions tomorrow, because today it was very dangerous.”
Mike Jones | 1’43.461 | P13
“It was incredible to go out on a MotoGP bike in front of the Australian fans at Phillip Island and even more so since I know this circuit very well and I already had some experience with the bike when this opportunity came. The morning session was good for me because I got to know how the bike feels in wet conditions. It was a real surprise because it was much easier to ride in the rain than I expected. After only a few laps I had a good feeling for what the tyres were doing and I felt comfortable immediately. I’m a bit disappointed that the conditions were much worse in the afternoon and we weren’t able to improve. It’s important for me to do many laps in order to understand the bike better, but we can’t control the weather. It is what it is and I can only hope that it will improve for the rest of the weekend so that we can improve as well.”