FIM MotoGP World Championship
Motorland Aragon, Spain
September 22, 2017
Free Practice Two Results (wet conditions, all on Michelin tires):
1. Dani PEDROSA, Spain (HONDA), 1:59.858
2. Jorge LORENZO, Spain (DUCATI), 2:00.072
3. Johann ZARCO, France (YAMAHA), 2:00.320
4. Marc MARQUEZ, Spain (HONDA), 2:00.459
5. Karel ABRAHAM, Czech Republic (DUCATI), 2:00.471
6. Cal CRUTCHLOW, UK (HONDA), 2:00.482
7. Sam LOWES, UK (APRILIA), 2:00.585
8. Andrea DOVIZIOSO, Italy (DUCATI), 2:00.962
9. Aleix ESPARGARO, Spain (APRILIA), 2:01.015
10. Pol ESPARGARO, Spain (KTM), 2:01.042
11. Alvaro BAUTISTA, Spain (DUCATI), 2:01.103
12. Jack MILLER, Australia (HONDA), 2:01.149
13. Bradley SMITH, UK (KTM), 2:01.350
14. Andrea IANNONE, Italy (SUZUKI), 2:01.471
15. Mika KALLIO, Finland (KTM), 2:01.492
16. Scott REDDING, UK (DUCATI), 2:01.516
17. Maverick VIÑALES, Spain (YAMAHA), 2:01.632
18. Jonas FOLGER, Germany (YAMAHA), 2:01.745
19. Danilo PETRUCCI, Italy (DUCATI), 2:01.810
20. Valentino ROSSI, Italy (YAMAHA), 2:01.917
21. Alex RINS, Spain (SUZUKI), 2:02.077
22. Tito RABAT, Spain (HONDA), 2:02.392
23. Loris BAZ, France (DUCATI), 2:02.677
24. Hector BARBERA, Spain (DUCATI), 2:02.935
More, from a press release issued by Monster Yamaha Tech 3:
Zarco storms to 3rd on day one in Aragon – Determined Folger remains focused
Monster Yamaha Tech3 team rider Johann Zarco started his Aragon GP campaign with a superb performance to finish as the top Yamaha on the opening day of action in Spain. The French star began the weekend in a highly confident manner in the rain-affected first session, which he impressively concluded inside the top three. He continued the momentum in the afternoon, and powered across the finish line, as the chequered flag fell, to clinch 3rd.
Meanwhile, Jonas Folger resolutely fought against the tricky track conditions as the 14th round got underway. The young German kicked off proceedings with a run to 13th in the morning practice and in FP2, he carried on his work as the asphalt dried before finishing in 18th overall.
Johann Zarco
Position: 3rd – Time: 2’00.320 – Laps: 33
“I am pretty happy about the opening day in Aragon. For me, it was good to do my first laps on a MotoGP bike here whilst it was wet. When it’s like this, I can take more time and I don’t need to stress too much. This is because when you have to push from the first lap onwards in the dry, it is quite difficult and then you can get a bit tired by Sunday. Therefore, I’m pleased that it was wet today and also, the feeling was positive. In Misano, I didn’t have a lot of confidence in the rain because of the asphalt. Yet, the track is good here and I was able to manage well and improve lap after lap. Even this afternoon, I lost some positions but I kept calm, waited and then pushed at the end of the session. Now, I am ready for tomorrow.”
Jonas Folger
Position: 18th – Time: 2’01.745 – Laps: 28
“It was a tricky first day because the weather made things difficult. In the second practice, the track was soaked at the beginning, but then it cleared. So it was not easy to use a wet setting as the circuit was drying at the same time, and then we had to readjust the setup for the dry. For me as a rider, it was not easy to adapt to these conditions. In addition, we didn’t take a lot of risks today, but we tried to work on our wet setting and the main target was to improve, especially in the rain. In the end, we are further back than we would like to be, however, it looks like the weather will be better tomorrow and on Sunday, so we will attack in FP3 and then get closer to the front.”
More, from a press release issued by Team Estrella Galicia 0,0 Marc VDS:
Miller makes light work of mixed conditions in Aragon
Team Estrella Galicia 0,0 Marc VDS rider Jack Miller overcame tricky mixed conditions to deliver two brilliantly mature and measured MotoGP practice sessions in Motorland Aragon today.
Preparations for Sunday’s 23-lap encounter were badly disrupted by rain showers that fell just as both FP1 and FP2 were about to commence at the 5.078km venue.
Miller has often proven to be a master of mixed conditions and today was no exception, with the Australian in superb form on a rapidly drying track this morning to finish less than 0.1s outside of the top three on his Honda RC213V machine.
Miller’s outstanding display this morning meant he was full of confidence heading into the second session. But when rain fell heavily to soak Motorland Aragon again right at the moment the pit exit was opened, Miller decided to play a patient game and he waited until the final third of FP2 when conditions had improved sufficiently to venture out on track.
Miller quickly calculated where he could attack on a surface littered with treacherous damp patches and a best lap of 2.01.149 placed him just over 0.5s away from the top four again.
The mixed conditions meant Tito Rabat wasn’t willing to take any unnecessary risks, with weather forecasts predicting dry weather for the remainder of the weekend.
The Spaniard gradually built up his confidence in both sessions and at the end of the day he was happy to drop his pace down to a respectable 2.03.392, which was close to the best pace of rain specialist Danilo Petrucci.
Jack Miller: 12th – 2’01.149
“It’s been a strange day for us today because it was wet this morning and starting to dry out towards the end of FP1. There was a small dry line where you could push a little bit harder but we couldn’t run anything like the pace we’d normally see on a fully dry surface. I feel like I’ve got a strong pace in full wet conditions and I’m happy with my pace on a drying track on rain tyres too. All in all, it was a pretty positive day but I think we can expect a pretty hectic FP3 tomorrow morning with everybody attacking for the top 10. It should be fun and I hope to be in the mix.”
Tito Rabat: 22nd – 2’02.392
“Today the conditions were very difficult and it is never easy to understand how much you can push when the track is half wet and half dry. I was just working on improving my confidence without taking any big risks and the plan worked out well. I don’t really like it so much when the conditions are like this, especially when it looks like the race is going to be run in the dry. I still had some fun, even though it was not possible to go any faster. We will see what tomorrow brings but I hope we get some stable weather because today we lost a day to focus on the race setting.”
Stefan Prein: Rider Coach
“It has not been the easiest conditions for Jack and Tito to contend with today. It was mixed in both sessions with the rain playing a big part. When it is half wet and half dry then the biggest issue is the rear tyre overheating on a drying track and that’s exactly what started to happen. For safety, they both decided to stay out on Michelin’s rain tyres, but if those conditions were in qualifying and you had to take a few risks to get a good grid position then it might be worth gambling on running a slick. They both did a good job though and avoided any mistakes, which is the most important thing to do when the conditions are so tricky.”
More, from a press release issued by Aprilia Gresini Racing:
TWO APRILIAS IN THE TOP TEN AT ARAGÓN
ESPARGARÓ AND LOWES SHINE ON AN INTERIM DAY BECAUSE IT WAS MARKED BY UNPREDICTABLE WEATHER
A light and spiteful rain fell just a few moments before the start of the two Friday practice sessions at Aragón. The Spanish track was not soaked, but the asphalt got wet, making it impossible to use dry tyres and settings. In these unpredictable and treacherous conditions, the Aprilia riders stood out, both finishing in the top ten in the combined standings of the two sessions.
Sam Lowes finished with a nice seventh place at 2’00.585, confirming his skills in these conditions. Aleix Espargaró in FP2 turned fewer laps than his teammate (seven compared to eleven) and finished ninth with a time of 2’01.015.
The overall performance was good for the Aprilia Racing Team Gresini which, along with the positive sensations after the tests held in Valencia at the beginning of the week, is having a good start to the Aragón weekend.
ALEIX ESPARGARO’
“I like this track a lot and it is a good fit for the qualities of the RS-GP, so it was a pity not to be able to take full advantage of this first day. With the wet tyre, but not much water on the track, the conditions were less than ideal but we were able to be rather competitive. Tomorrow will be complicated. We will not have much time to test the tyres for the race where it will be crucial to make a good choice, since the forecast is calling for very high temperatures.”
SAM LOWES
“I think the Valencia test helped us. We were able to use a few solutions, especially in terms of electronics strategies. In these particular conditions today, I was fast without making any mistakes. It’s nice to be able to show my potential, although I would prefer to do so on a dry track. Tomorrow in FP3, there will be a lot of riders pushing to go straight through to Q2 and I wouldn’t mind that result, but I will be focusing on preparing for the race. This will be my first time here at Aragón on the MotoGP bike and I really like this track, so working with Sunday in mind is the most important thing.”
More, from a press release issued by Octo Pramac Racing:
Gran Premio Movistar de Aragón – Free Practices
Bad weather affected the first day of free practice for the Gran Premio Movistar de Aragón
The free practice of Friday of the Movistar de Aragón has not brought particular indication in view of tomorrow’s qualifying. Both FP1 and FP2 have been affected from a light rain that did not allow riders to express themselves at the maximum in wet conditions.
Scott Redding and Danilo Petrucci ended in 16° and 19° position respectively in front of Maverick Vinales and Valentino Rossi. However, the feeling for the qualifying remains optimistic, especially because of the good weather forecast expected for tomorrow.
For Petrux there are also positive indications from the top speed. The Italian rider has been the fastest on track in the morning (327.4 km/h) and the second fastest in the afternoon (327.9 km/h).
19th – Danilo Petrucci 2’01.810
“A very strange situation today. I started with the tires of this morning and I did good laps that permitted me to be also in first position. Then, when the track began to get dry pushing was too risky. If I have to be honest, I am not worried for tomorrow. I think that there will be a good battle in the FP3”.
16th – Scott Redding 2’01.516
“It is hard to comment on this first day since the conditions of the circuit did not allow us to push at the maximum with the wet tires. At the end of the FP2 the track was getting dry, However, the slick would have been too risky. Tomorrow will probably be dry so we’ll see what will happen”.
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More, from a press release issued by Ducati Corse:
Lorenzo second and Dovizioso eighth at the end of first day of practice for Aragón Grand Prix
Jorge Lorenzo and Andrea Dovizioso were classified in second and eighth place respectively at the end of the first day of free practice for the Aragón GP, which is being held this weekend at the modern circuit near Alcañiz in Spain.
Both the FP1 and FP2 sessions scheduled today were held on a slightly wet surface due to the rain that began to fall on the Spanish track shortly before the MotoGP riders went out. Both Lorenzo and Dovizioso set their quickest times during the afternoon FP2 session and they finished the day inside the provisional top ten.
Jorge Lorenzo (Ducati Team #99) – 2’00.072 (2nd)
“I’m satisfied with my day because I was one of the quickest riders both in the morning and the afternoon, but the conditions in both sessions were very strange. The track surface was neither dry nor completely wet, so it is very difficult to draw any important conclusions after practice. I would have preferred to lap in dry conditions but just when we were about to go out on track it began to rain. Luckily the forecast for tomorrow says the weather is going to be good so we should have a chance to work better.”
Andrea Dovizioso (Ducati Team #04) – 2’00.962 (8th)
“Today we weren’t very lucky because it started to rain just before each session and this made the day virtually useless. We worked a bit on the electronics, but as there was too little water on the track and the tyres wore out very quickly so we only did the required number of laps to set a top-ten time and tomorrow we’ll have to start from scratch.”
More, from a press release issued by Repsol Honda:
Pedrosa tops the standings at Aragon in the wet, with Marquez fourth overall
It was a positive start to the weekend for the Repsol Honda Team at Aragon in wet/mixed conditions, with Dani Pedrosa setting the fastest time of the day in 1’59.858”, the only rider under the 2 minute barrier.
Marc Marquez was also very fast through both sessions to ultimately end fourth overall, having chosen to not take advantage of the session’s final minutes in changing conditions.
With the entire day affected by an intermittent drizzle, FP1 had also been run on rain tyres, with Marc and Dani first and second, respectively.
With weather forecast to improve for the weekend, Marc and Dani look forward to getting some dry track time tomorrow in order to best prepare for the race, which should also be run in dry conditions.
Dani Pedrosa 26
1ST 1’59.858
“I’m happy with this day, even if it was obviously a bit strange. Both times when we were preparing to go on track, it started to rain and we had to change setup and tyres. As it happened, we never had the opportunity to fit the slicks and didn’t do a lot of laps in the rain either because the track was wet, though not too much. This afternoon in particular, the last part of the track was almost dry, the long corner and the straight, and the tyres warmed up quite a lot. Tomorrow we’ll see which conditions we’ll have and what feeling we’ll be able to find.”
Marc Marquez 93
4TH 2’00.459
“Today was good, even if it was a particular one. In these kinds of conditions, it’s not possible to understand too much. The track was wet in the morning, whereas it dried quite a lot in the afternoon, toward the end of FP2. We decided not to take risks in the changing conditions and remained in the garage in the last minutes. Today it was actually good to work to reach a good feeling with the bike, but at the same time it was impossible to gather much information. Anyway, I felt good with the bike from the first lap. I was fast, so at the moment everything looks under control. Apparently it should be dry tomorrow and Sunday, so we’ll keep pushing and see where we are in dry conditions.”
More, from a press release issued by LCR Honda:
A POSITIVE START FOR CRUTCHLOW IN RAINY ARAGON
The 14th round of the MotoGP World Championship got underway in a wet Aragon on Friday, but LCR Honda rider Cal Crutchlow enjoyed a solid opening at the Motorland Aragon circuit. In what is the third of four races on Spanish soil in the calendar, Crutchlow performed well in tricky conditions to end up sixth fastest on day one.
Despite still being troubled by the finger tendon injury he sustained at his training base earlier in the month, the Briton was seventh in the morning’s wet FP1 session. Rain ensured FP2 also took place on a slippery track, but Crutchlow improved his time and moved up a place on the timesheets. The LCR man was only four tenths behind Ducati’s Jorge Lorenzo in second, while fellow Honda rider Dani Pedrosa was the only man to dip under the two-minute mark as he went quickest.
Cal Crutchlow – 6th
(2’00.482 – lap 11 of 13)
“It was not too bad, as you probably saw in that (second) session it was a little bit sore on my arm today, probably because this is a left-handed circuit and I’m still holding the bars really differently as I have to keep the finger completely straight. But we’ll work on that and see if we can improve that for tomorrow by moving the position of the bars a little bit.
“I felt good and quite comfortable with the bike overall. I didn’t feel fantastic, but if we had been racing today we would have been competitive which is pleasing”.
More, from a press release issued by Movistar Yamaha:
RAIN SPOILS FIRST FREE PRACTICE SESSIONS FOR MOVISTAR YAMAHA IN SPAIN
Movistar Yamaha MotoGP riders Maverick Viñales and Valentino Rossi were reunited with their YZR-M1s at the MotorLand Aragón circuit. They finished in 17th and 20th position after the first day of practice, ahead of this Sunday’s Gran Premio Movistar de Aragón.
Alcañiz (Spain), 22nd September 2017
Maverick Viñales and Valentino Rossi were back in the Movistar Yamaha MotoGP box today for the first two free practice sessions ahead of Sunday’s Gran Premio Movistar de Aragón, but it wasn‘t all smooth sailing. A search for a good set-up at the wet MotorLand Aragón track was the main challenge for the riders, who secured 17th and 20th place respectively.
Viñales was eager to make strides in his championship quest at the start of this weekend, but sudden rain at the beginning of FP1 spoiled his plans. After a quick dry-to-wet set-up change, the Spaniard was cautious not to take unnecessary risks, as the weather forecast for the remainder of the weekend is ‘dry’. He set a fastest lap of 2’04.098s to finish the 45-minute session in 20th place, 2.855s from the front.
As the rain persisted in the afternoon, the local hero was determined to step up his pace by trying a new wet weather setting, but wheelspin kept him from threatening the top of the charts. He continued to work on the adjustment of the set-up throughout the session. His last run moved him up to 17th place in the final minute, when he dropped a 2’01.632s, securing 17th place, both in the FP2 and the combined results, with a 1.774s gap to first.
Teammate Rossi made his highly-anticipated comeback to MotoGP racing this morning after 21 days of recovery since sustaining a leg injury. He started the FP1 session with the goal of getting a good feeling aboard the YZR-M1 again. After a brief period of familiarisation, he made his first steps forward whilst working on his bike‘s setting and clocked a 2’04.066s for 18th, 2.823s from the top of the timesheets.
The rain continued to add slipperiness as an extra challenge, but the Italian kept focused on perfecting his bike‘s set-up. He impressed with some red sectors throughout the session and improved on his morning time by more than two seconds, when he set a 2’01.917s, 2.059s from first. He wrapped up the first day in Spain in 20th place in the combined timesheets.
MASSIMO MEREGALLI
TEAM DIRECTOR
It has been a challenging start to the weekend for us. We suffered a lot due to a lack of grip. After Misano, we were not expecting to face this setback. Both Maverick and Valentino didn‘t get a good feeling on the bike and were experiencing a lot of spin, which caused a loss in power and prevented them from riding the way they wanted to. We didn‘t know what to expect from Vale on this first day of riding, but the wet conditions gave him a smooth transition coming back from injury. Today‘s goal was for him to get familiarised with the bike again. However, we are expecting dry conditions tomorrow and only then will we truly know where he stands.
MAVERICK VIÑALES
It was very complicated. We were trying a new set-up for the wet, but unfortunately we didn‘t find a way to improve. We‘re having so much spin, the bike is not riding well, so we have many problems to set a good lap time. Luckily, it will be dry and we know we will have a strong package for those conditions. We are going to try to improve on the wet. We are trying and trying, but sometimes it gets difficult. We didn‘t improve compared to Misano, we took some steps back whilst trying to improve, but we‘re going to keep trying to do our best.
VALENTINO ROSSI
I‘m quite happy, because I feel comfortable on the bike. I was good already from this morning and also because the leg, after two practice sessions, is in a good condition, I don‘t feel a lot of pain. For sure on the wet it‘s a bit easier, because it‘s less demanding to ride the bike, but I hope we will have better weather conditions tomorrow and on Sunday, in order to try to understand my level on the dry and also so we can work on the setting and the tyres.
More, from a press release issued by Reale Avintia Racing:
Rain disrupts the opening free practice day at Aragon
The opening free practice day for the Aragon Grand Prix was disrupted by rain, with showers hitting the track just before both 45 minutes practice sessions, leaving the tarmac in mixed conditions. It was certainly not the ideal scenario to get the maximum from the Michelin wet tyres. With the track drying out very quick, the tyres overheated. As a consequence, Reale Avintia Racing riders Loris Baz and Hector Barbera finished way back in the classification.
With dry weather forecasted for the rest of the weekend, today was also not the day to take unnecessary risks. Tomorrow, both Hector and Loris will be in full attack mode with their goal to fight for a top ten result and get through to Q2. If this it not possible, they will have another chance in Q1 to improve their pace and battle for the best possible grid position for the race on Sunday.
Loris Baz | 2’02.677 | P23
“It was a strange day because it seemed that it wouldn’t rain, but just five minutes before both session it started to drizzle anyway. In the morning I didn’t complete many laps and, although this afternoon I spent more time on the bike, the feeling on the wet was far from the one I had in Misano. In addition, when the track started to dry out ,the tyres overheated and I was not able to go faster. But to be honest, since we knew that the forecast for the rest of the weekend is dry, we didn’t take any risks. I just lapped around to get some information for the last few races of the season. Tomorrow we’ll just have one session to get in Q2, and I’ll give my best to achieve it. FP3 will be like a qualifying session, and we’ll see how the bike works and what we can get.”
Hector Barbera | 2’02.935 | P24
“Today was a difficult day. Usually we go fast in Aragon, but nothing worked as we expected. The track was not fully wet and our bike works better when the track is completely wet. I’ve also used a very stiff swingarm and I also tried a lot of changes on the bike, but with a dry line and not too much grip, nothing we tried really worked. We spent the day testing different solutions and trying to find the way for the next races. Tomorrow will be dry, so we’ll see what happens. At the Spanish races we always give the maximum and I would love get a good result to celebrate with my fans. I also want to do my best in the last races with my team.”
More, from a press release issued by Team Suzuki ECSTAR:
RAIN COMPLICATES PLANS FOR FIRST DAY IN ARAGON
Andrea Iannone: 14th – 2’01.471 / +1.613
Alex Rins: 21st – 2’02.077 / +2.219
The unexpectedly inclement weather in Aragon complicated the working schedule of Team SUZUKI ECSTAR in the first day in Aragon. Andrea Iannone used his greater experience in wet conditions to his advantage ending in 14th place, while the younger Alex Rins is currently in 21st.
The whole day was affected by the weather, as the conditions were neither completely wet nor dry, effectively blocking all attempts to test the desired items and setups. Both Iannone and Rins were able to improve a little from morning to afternoon, but it was impossible to do proper testing of the improvements and new setups. The weather tomorrow is expected to be more consistent, which will likely lead to more effective work and a more solid classification.
Of particular note this weekend is the initiative of Alex Rins who is racing this Aragon GP with a special edition helmet, gloves, and boots. All in pink, they are dedicated to those fighting breast cancer. He will be wearing them throughout the entire weekend and later he will donate them for an auction to be held on October 19th, which is the International Day for the Fight Against Breast Cancer. All proceeds will be donated to the Spanish Association Against Cancer (AECC)
Davide Brivio – Team Manager
“This has been a tough day as the weather conditions affected all of the work. We had some new solutions ready to be tried and we were curious to see, but we needed dry track for this and the pouring rain prevented our work. We turned the day into focusing on some development in wet conditions, but honestly we could not really explore very much as the conditions of the track were constantly changing. Andrea made improvements. He is still struggling with the setup and we can improve his braking. Alex had good feeling toward the end of the session, but he didn’t feel confident enough to push harder to get a better time. Hopefully tomorrow the weather will be more consistent and allow for some more productive work.”
Andrea Iannone
“This was a day when it was very hard to figure anything out, as the track was neither wet nor dry. The classification is very strange. It took nothing to gain half a second and be in the top, or to lose three seconds and be in last. In these conditions we couldn’t really try anything, we just gave a shot to some setups, but right after three laps the tyres were already worn and so I couldn’t push. Let’s hope for better weather tomorrow so we are able to really start the weekend.”
Alex Rins
“This morning did not go well. There was no grip. The afternoon however, went much better, with good feeling and riding with rhythm on a regular basis. At the end of the session the track was very dry in some areas while in four of the corners it was totally wet. I think we have got a lot of information from this session to improve tomorrow. It has been a good day even though the result does not reflect it.”