FIM MotoGP World Championship

Misano World Circuit Marco Simoncelli, San Marino

September 8, 2017

Free Practice Two Results (all on Michelin tires):

1. Danilo PETRUCCI, Italy (DUCATI), 1:33.231

2. Maverick VIÑALES, Spain (YAMAHA), 1:33.236

3. Andrea DOVIZIOSO, Italy (DUCATI), 1:33.294

4. Dani PEDROSA, Spain (HONDA), 1:33.346

5. Marc MARQUEZ, Spain (HONDA), 1:33.475

6. Cal CRUTCHLOW, UK (HONDA), 1:33.545

7. Michele PIRRO, Italy (DUCATI), 1:33.591

8. Jorge LORENZO, Spain (DUCATI), 1:33.614

9. Andrea IANNONE, Italy (SUZUKI), 1:33.740

10. Tito RABAT, Spain (HONDA), 1:33.820

11. Aleix ESPARGARO, Spain (APRILIA), 1:33.832

12. Johann ZARCO, France (YAMAHA), 1:33.914

13. Alvaro BAUTISTA, Spain (DUCATI), 1:33.937

14. Loris BAZ, France (DUCATI), 1:34.054

15. Hector BARBERA, Spain (DUCATI), 1:34.137

16. Scott REDDING, UK (DUCATI), 1:34.266

17. Jonas FOLGER, Germany (YAMAHA), 1:34.322

18. Jack MILLER, Australia (HONDA), 1:34.411

19. Pol ESPARGARO, Spain (KTM), 1:34.499

20. Karel ABRAHAM, Czech Republic (DUCATI), 1:34.678

21. Bradley SMITH, UK (KTM), 1:34.842

22. Sam LOWES, UK (APRILIA), 1:34.903

23. Alex RINS, Spain (SUZUKI), 1:35.052

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

Zarco and Folger wrap up day 1 at Misano

The Monster Yamaha Tech3 Team riders got straight to work under the blazing sun in San Marino today as the 13th round of the World Championship began. Johann Zarco kicked off proceedings by finishing FP1 in 9th, before continuing his efforts in the afternoon to complete the day in 12th with a gap of only 0.683 separating him from the top. Whilst Jonas Folger got up to speed in the morning after completing the first free practice just 0.084 behind his teammate, before his afternoon performance left him 1.091 back from the leading bike.

Johann Zarco

Position: 12 th – Time: 1’33.914 – Laps: 40

“The first day in Misano was positive and I am happy to experience this track on my Yamaha YZR-M1. It’s not easy because this circuit, as I expected, is quite small for the premier class bikes. Therefore, I tried to complete a lot of laps in order to find the best references for myself and then give some good information to my team so that we could set the bike up well. In the afternoon, it was a shame to finish 12th, but when we analyse the times, we can see that we did ok. Now, I need to stay calm and work with my crew and on myself too so that we can improve tomorrow. There, I aim to prepare for the race but also be ready for qualifying where I hope to end up on the front two rows.”

Jonas Folger

Position: 17 th – Time: 1’34.322 – Laps: 37

“To be honest, I am not so happy with today. I don’t have a good feeling with the front of the bike at the moment, and I can’t turn or brake in the way that I want to. I had a few moments on the track, but we have to find a solution in order to get the confidence back so that we can get to where we want and need to be. This is the only issue, and now we will work for tomorrow where I am certain that we will improve and then have a strong qualifying.”

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

Rabat rides to brilliant top 10 in Misano practice

Team Estrella Galicia 0,0 Marc VDS rider Tito Rabat enjoyed an incredibly positive start to the Misano MotoGP weekend, with the Spanish rider taking a stunning top 10 finish at the end of two free practice sessions today.

Rabat patiently built up his rhythm in FP1 this morning, which started on a 4.2km circuit still littered with some small damp patches after heavy overnight thunderstorms.

The former Moto2 World Champion then burst into life in ideal conditions this afternoon, as FP2 took place in warm and sunny weather that resulted in a dramatic improvement in lap times.

One of the main movers was Rabat, who knocked an impressive 1.4s off his best pace set this morning. A terrific flying lap of 1.33.820 placed Rabat in 10th position and he was just over half-a-second away from the best pace set by circuit specialist Danilo Petrucci.

Rabat’s stunning lap could prove essential if conditions are not dry for tomorrow’s FP3, as it means he will advance immediately into Q2 for only the second time in his MotoGP career.

The opening day of action on the sun-blessed Adriatic Coast proved to be a more challenging one for Jack Miller, who was unhurt in a small crash at the first corner in the second session.

While content with his pace in race trim, Miller was not able to improve his speed by as much as he’d anticipated in FP2 after he’d finished an encouraging 13th this morning. Further underlining the competitive nature of this year’s MotoGP World Championship, Miller may have found himself down in 18th place this afternoon, but he was only 1.1s off top spot.

Tito Rabat: 10th – 1’33.820

“Today has been a very positive one and we have been able to build on the good feeling we discovered with the bike at the last round in Silverstone. I have good confidence with the front-end and good rear grip, and this allows me to push harder without feeling so much on the limit. I felt very strong in FP2 and it is good to see myself in the top 10. You never know what can happen in MotoGP, particularly with the weather, so it is always important to try and get in a good lap time when you can. Even if it is dry for FP3 then let’s hope I can be fighting for the top 10 again because it would be great to get into Q2.

Jack Miller: 18th – 1’34.411

“I feel reasonably happy with how the bike is feeling today but you can see from the final position that there are some places we can improve. It seems of late that when the guys switch to the time attack at the end of the session they can find a bigger chunk of time than me. I’m only able to find a couple of tenths on a new tyre than my pace on a used medium option. My race pace is not bad but we’ll need to find some more speed in FP3 tomorrow morning to try and get into that top 10 for Q2. Hopefully it will be dry so we get a good crack at it.”

Diego Gubellini: Tito Rabat Chief Engineer

“We made a good step with Tito’s feeling on the bike with some modifications to the weight distribution in Silverstone. We wanted to help him have more trust from the rear tyre and it seems for Misano it was a good base to use as a starting point. Now we must refine some small details because the setting we now have doesn’t give us a lot more margin to make further adjustments. But it is a good way to start the weekend and a top 10 gives Tito and the team a good boost of confidence for the remainder of the weekend.”

More, from a press release issued by Aprilia Gresini:

FIRST DAY OF PRACTICE AT MISANO

ALEIX ESPARGARÓ LAPS SIX TENTHS BEHIND THE LEADER AND LAYS THE FOUNDATION FOR QUALIFYING TOMORROW

THE NEW RS-GP AERODYNAMIC SOLUTION IS ON THE TRACK WITH GOOD FEEDBACK

Aleix Espargaró and Sam Lowes tackled the first day of free practice at Misano as the natural continuation of the tests held here two weeks ago. In continuity with those sessions, the Aprilia team continued working especially on tyre choice, partially because of the asphalt conditions which are rather different than those they had found during the tests.

The comparison between the various solutions continued until the final laps, giving the Aprilia Racing Team Gresini technicians plenty of feedback which will be translated into the final choices for the settings tomorrow in the decisive qualifying session.

In both FP1 and FP2, Aleix Espargaró (who finished in eleventh place with a time of 1’33.832, just 6 tenths behind the leader) tested a new aerodynamic fairing on his RS-GP. The feedback was very positive, so much that the new aerodynamic solution will be used again tomorrow.

Slowed in part by a couple of harmless crashes, Sam Lowes finished the Friday sessions in 22nd place with a time of 1’34.903.

ALEIX ESPARGARO’

“I struggled a bit more than I had expected because the track conditions are very different than they were for the tests. There is not much grip and I have a bit of trouble stopping the bike. These are the two main areas to work on. We also saved a few tyre solutions for tomorrow, since we know which tyres work best thanks to the tests. I liked the new fairing a lot. I had asked the engineers for it and they did a great job getting it ready in just 10 days. I will definitely use it for this weekend, but I think it is a solution that can work well on all the tracks.”

SAM LOWES

“A strange day for everyone. A lot of guys tested here not long ago, including us, but today the track conditions were completely different. This morning the asphalt was damp too, which was just one more difficulty. Despite everything, we found a good base to work on tomorrow, especially in the final laps of the second session. I’m in a group of riders that are all within a half a second of one another. Tomorrow with higher temperatures we will definitely be able to have our say.”

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

A dominant Friday for Petrux at #SanMarinoGP: P1 after first day of FP. Scott struggled

It was an outstanding Friday for Octo Pramac Racing as Danilo Petrucci dominated the FP2 by finishing in first position the first day of free practice for the “Grand Prix of Misano e della Riviera di Rimini”.

Some more difficulties for Scott who couldn’t fight for the Top 10 finishing in 16° position.

Petrux was very fast since the morning ending FP1 in 5° position (44 thousands of a second from the hypothetical front row). The Italian rider, despite a little flu, came back on track in the afternoon with a stunning feeling, and already from the initial laps he maintained the same pace of Marquez. In the last run, Petrux completed a masterpiece with the best time in T1 and T3 and the first position in Friday’s combined classification.

Despite the good indication from the mid-July test, Scott Redding was not able to be competitive, and after finishing in P18 the free practice of the morning, he had to settle for P16 position in FP2.

1st – Danilo Petrucci – 1’33.231

“It was a good day. I wanted to start strongly after the difficulties of Silverstone’s free practices. After the test in July I knew I had a good bike even though the weather conditions and the tires were different. I am very happy about how we started the weekend. Is going to be fundamental to start in a forward position here in Misano”.

16th – Scott Redding – 1’34.266

“The feeling is not yet the best. I am struggling with the tires. The feeling is that the medium tire is too soft and I couldn’t find grip with the hard tire. After the good feeling at Silverstone, today things did not go well. We have to work on the details, and find the areas where we can improve tomorrow”.

.

More, from a press release issued by Repsol Honda:

Repsol Honda’s Pedrosa and Marquez in close fourth and fifth places on Day 1 at Misano

On the opening day of the Gran Premio di San Marino e della Riviera di Rimini, Dani Pedrosa set the fourth-quickest lap, just 0.115” down on the top time, improving on his best effort from FP1 (which had put him in P7) by over a second.

Marc Marquez was fastest in the morning and was lapping at the front in the afternoon session as well, but was unable to try a final time attack after suffering a small crash at turn 16 around eight minutes from the end. Marc finished in a very close fifth position, less than two and a half hundredths of a second off provisional pole-setter Danilo Petrucci.

Dani Pedrosa 26

4TH 1’33.346

“This morning the track conditions were not 100% after the yesterday’s rain, and even though they improved this afternoon, the grip wasn’t as good as when we came here for the test about two weeks ago. Anyway, we were able to do quite a lot of work, especially on the tyres, looking to understand which one adapts better to the track, and also on the suspension settings. Tomorrow we’ll keep working on the tyre choice and we’ll also concentrate to improve in the third sector, where we’re still missing something.”

Marc Marquez 93

5TH 1’33.475

“I’m quite happy with today. Just the small crash at the end was a bit of shame, but in general I felt good on the bike from the beginning, which is positive. We also started FP2 very well, but then we decided to try a few different things on the setup that didn’t work as expected. That aside, I’m feeling comfortable at this track and we’re working very well. Tomorrow we’ll work more on the tyre choice, focusing on the hard option in order to make a few comparisons with what we did today.”

More, from a press release issued by Movistar Yamaha:

VIÑALES SPURTS TO SECOND PLACE ON DAY ONE IN MISANO

The Movistar Yamaha MotoGP Team got down to business during the first day at the Misano World Circuit Marco Simoncelli. Maverick Viñales shaped up for an intense battle in Sunday‘s Tribul Mastercard GP S. Marino e Riviera di Rimini, securing second place in today‘s combined timesheets.

Misano Adriatico (Italy), 8th September 2017

Movistar Yamaha MotoGP’s Maverick Viñales showed an encouraging pace on a perfectly sunny first day at the Misano World Circuit Marco Simoncelli. He completed 39 laps overall in the first two free practice sessions to find a good set-up for his YZR-M1 ahead of Sunday’s Tribul Mastercard GP S.Marino e Riviera di Rimini. The Spaniard finished the day in second place after pushing hard in a hot ’mini shoot-out‘ at the end of FP2.

Viñales is the sole representative of the Movistar Yamaha MotoGP Team this weekend. With Valentino Rossi recovering from injury, the Italian’s side of the garage was decked out with ’get well soon‘ messages and had his two bikes on display.

Viñales, however, shouldered the responsibility with confidence. The 22-year-old made a good start this morning, though suffering from a slight lack of grip, and was quick to find a solid speed around the Misano circuit. He used the 45 minutes of the first free practice to find a good base set-up and took eighth place with a 1’34.592s best lap, 1.036s from first.

The Factory Yamaha rider continued to chip off tenths in various sectors of the track in the afternoon, as he fine-tuned his bike’s setting. Feeling comfortable, he completed a few long runs on used tyres before it was time to join the rest of the MotoGP riders in a provisional ’time-attack‘, as they all aimed for a place inside the top-10 of the combined timesheets. Eager to show his speed, Viñales made a solid improvement over the two sessions when he took more than a second off his morning time. He set a 1’33.236s lap at the end of the FP2 and finished the day in second place in the combined standings, missing out on first position by just 0.005s.

MASSIMO MEREGALLI

TEAM DIRECTOR

Today is a bit strange for us, as we are starting the race weekend with just one rider. Nevertheless, we made a positive start to the San Marino GP in the first two practice sessions. This morning, though Maverick was able to find a good pace, we suffered a bit from a lack of grip due to the condition of the track. In the afternoon, the condition improved, so we continued to work on the fine-tuning of the bike and Maverick was able to put in a lot of laps with used tyres to prepare for the race, and his feeling was good. He put in a hot lap at the end of the FP2 session on a new tyre and set the second fastest time, missing out on first place by just 0.005s. This shows we have the speed, but we think we can better the pace even further. There’s still a lot of time for improvements and we are conf ident that we can make another step tomorrow.

MAVERICK VIÑALES

I feel good, because I did many laps on the tyres and that was the work I wanted to do, especially during FP2, getting the tyres to work for the full amount of laps of the race. Honestly, I‘m quite surprised that the rhythm was really good and I‘m quite happy about how the bike was working. Still we have to improve, because the lap times weren‘t as fast as we thought we could do. I‘m using the 2018 prototype chassis, because already when I tested in Misano, I felt good and more comfortable on the bike, which is really important for me, as a rider, to be ‘in the flow‘. I will continue to use it until the end of the season, because it has been an improvement.

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

Baz and Barbera satisfied after the first practice day at Misano

Reale Avintia Racing riders Hector Barbera and Loris Baz finished the first day of practice at Misano in 14th and 15th position.

The action started with some wet patches on the track after heavy rainstorms during the previous night and the first free practice session of 45 minutes finished with Barbera in 11th place and Baz in 20th.

In the afternoon with bright sunshine and the track in perfect condition, both riders went out to attack and improved their lap times greatly. The only flaw was that everybody else improved as well. In the end, the lap times were really close together, with the first 15 riders separated by less than a second.

Both Baz and Barbera hope to take another step tomorrow, with the aim to get in the top 10 and to secure a place in Q2, which would enable them to fight for a good grid position for Sunday’s 28-lap-race.

Loris Baz | 1’34.054 | P14

“In the morning it was difficult, I did not feel good with the bike and the track was not perfect. In the afternoon we improved a lot, but we still have the same problems with the bike. It does not turn very well and this is a problem for me when I do many laps in a row. So it’s not possible to maintain a fast pace, because I cannot keep perfect lines and go fast without destroying the tyres too much. The lap has not been bad, with my ideal time we would have been in the Top 10, but I still lack some confidence. Let’s see if what can do tomorrow.”

Hector Barbera | 1’34.137 | P15

“It has been a very positive day in which we were able to get many conclusions and some ideas to improve. It’s all very tight and the proof is that I’m 15th but only nine tenths from the first. I made a mistake on my best lap, so I think we still have a small margin for improvement. Tomorrow we will test one thing on the other bike that I think can help us on this track. Today I enjoyed riding, we are close and I think tomorrow we have many chances to move to Q2. I want to do well and I am very motivated.”

More, from a press release issued by Ducati Corse:

Positive start for Ducati Team riders in San Marino Grand Prix at Misano: Andrea Dovizioso third, Jorge Lorenzo eighth and Michele Pirro seventh after the first day of free practice

The San Marino Grand Prix weekend got off to a positive start for the Ducati Team riders. After the first day of practice, which ended up with Danilo Petrucci in provisional pole with the Desmosedici GP of the Pramac Racing Team, Andrea Dovizioso was classified in third place with a time of 1’33.294 and his team-mate Jorge Lorenzo finished eighth in 1’33.614. It was a good practice also for Michele Pirro, test-rider for the Ducati Test Team and racing at Misano as a wild-card, who finished in seventh with a time of 1’33.591.

Andrea Dovizioso (Ducati Team #04) – 1’33.294 (3rd)

“I’m pleased with the job we did today, even though we found conditions that were different from the test so we had to revise our set-up. In any case we’ve got a good pace, but I haven’t yet found the perfect feeling with my bike. We are in line with the quickest guys, but I’m sure that many riders will go quicker tomorrow, so we’ll have to work to our best to remain in the group of top riders tomorrow.”

Jorge Lorenzo (Ducati Team #99) – 1’33.614 (8th)

“It was rather a difficult day today because after the rain that fell last night, the track conditions changed a lot and there is a lot less grip than in the test three weeks ago. I hope the track will improve tomorrow, but in any case we have to work hard to adapt the bike to the new conditions.”

Michele Pirro (Ducati Test Team #51) – 1’33.591 (7th)

“It was a positive day and even though the conditions changed a lot between the morning and the afternoon, we managed to carry out our set-up work programme in view of the race. However we still have to modify something in the electronics and the suspension because we are finding a lot less grip than in the test we did here in August. I’m confident for tomorrow and I hope to do a good qualifying.”

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

IANNONE IN TOP TEN AT FIRST DAY OF MISANO GP

Team SUZUKI ECSTAR’s rider Andrea Iannone classified 9th after today’s free practice sessions at the San Marino GP, with a best time of 1’33.740. Teammate Alex Rins had a best lap of 1’35.052, which sets him at the bottom of the provisional sheet.

In the morning both riders worked hard to find the ideal base settings as quickly as possible, without having a reference for the track this year. The progression through the sessions went smoothly, with solid improvements for both. The Free Practice 1 ended with Iannone in 16th place (1’35.306 +1.750) and Rins in 17th (1’35.415 +1.859).

In FP2, riders were able to benefit from setting improvements, although the team is still working on finalising the feeling with braking and corner entry. Despite this, Iannone was able to put in a strong lap that gave him 9th place in the provisional classification, which may prove fortunate in case tomorrow morning will be rainy.

Davide Brivio – Team Manager

“We still have some work to do to improve the feel of the bike for Andrea, but today we started better than the previous races. For the moment we are in top ten, which makes the day a positive one. Alex struggled a little more in the afternoon, but we are pretty much used to a slower start of the weekend with him. The important thing is to continue to improve with both of them tomorrow. We are hoping the weather will be good. With both of them we have to improve the braking and the feeling in the front; this is our main focus for tomorrow.”

Andrea Iannone

“This morning has been a strange session, with very poor grip. I’m not sure if it was only a problem for us or for everybody else. In the afternoon things went a little better, but we are still struggling. In terms of a fast lap we are still half of a second slower, which is not that much, but overall we are still far from the performance we expected. I can’t enter corners properly or brake properly, which means I lose a lot of time. This is the main issue we are working on; I hope we will be able to find some solutions for tomorrow. I still believe we can, but we are struggling.”

Alex Rins

“Today’s result is not satisfactory in terms of classification but I’m not worried too much. Mainly it’s a matter of adaptation to this circuit, as the track here is very different from the ones we‘ve raced before. It’s more narrow and intense; therefore it’s taking me more time to adapt my riding. In the morning my position was not bad, in the afternoon I had a couple of minor crashes that took away some of my confidence to push harder. Nothing serious, I didn’t get injured. I just lost control of the front, which is actually what we are working on. I don’t have the proper feeling with the front end, so it’s hard to push it to the limit. Iannone is in the top ten, this means that we have the potential. We just need to keep working on the proper riding and feel for the bike.”

More, from a press release issued by LCR Honda:

ENCOURAGING START FOR CRUTCHLOW IN MISANO

Cal Crutchlow made a positive start to the San Marino GP at the Misano circuit on Friday, ending the day sixth fastest after two free practice sessions. Riding with a cast on his damaged left index finger, the British rider had been unsure about how he would find the challenge of pushing the Custom branded factory RC213V to its limits, but those fears were quickly allayed as he set the fourth fastest time of the morning session.

The LCR Honda man continued to churn out fast laps in the afternoon practice and, despite a late spill, ended up the day in sixth overall, but just three-tenths behind the fastest rider of the day, Danilo Petrucci. Having improved his time by 0.6 seconds from the morning Crutchlow was crucially inside the top ten and hopeful of a good qualifying day on Saturday.

Cal Crutchlow – 6th

(1’33.545 – lap 16 of 17)

“I was very unfortunate to crash this afternoon, I went out on the hard front tyre just as Marc Marquez had come back in to report that it wasn’t the ideal tyre for the moment, and that’s when I went down straight away. It was a little disappointing because we have had good pace all day considering my finger problems. I felt good and had the rhythm straight off this morning. We were making good steps forward with the bike and we were able to put in some very good times with old tyres.

“As regards the finger, well it’s still attached, which is a good thing! Seriously though, it’s no real problem although it is very uncomfortable because I can’t hold the handlebar with it properly, but I’m not feeling any pain.”

More, from a press release issued by Dorna:

Petrucci pips Viñales to make his mark at Misano

It was an Italian on an Italian bike who went fastest on Friday – with the top three within less than a tenth

Danilo Petrucci (Octo Pramac Racing) stole the headlines on Day 1 at the Gran Premio Tribul Mastercard di San Marino e della Riviera di Rimini, taking to the top late on in the final stages of FP2 as a top ten shootout got underway. Maverick Viñales (Movistar Yamaha MotoGP) took second by only 0.005 seconds, with Andrea Dovizioso (Ducati Team) – the Championship leader – only another 0.058 further back. Dovizioso was also third quickest in FP1.

With the weather forecast for the rest of the weekend looking changeable, the grid were looking to get into that top ten for provisional direct entry into Q2 qualifying. After the day dawned damp, conditions were good for slicks in FP1 but improved in FP2, setting the stage for a good battle in the final minutes.

Behind the top three in that battle, it remained incredibly tight: Dani Pedrosa (Repsol Honda Team) was only 0.052 off third and just over a tenth off the top, with the 2016 winner also heading the timesheets briefly towards the end of the day’s action. He headed teammate Marc Marquez, who went down in a fast but low drama lowside at Turn 16 near the end of the second session – just getting back out on his second bike and completing the top five. Marquez was quickest in FP1, however.

Another crasher was LCR Honda’s Cal Crutchlow, who crashed at Turn 15, but the Brit was able to rejoin and ended Day 1 in an impressive P6 despite struggling with a finger injury sustained ahead of the event. Michele Pirro – Ducati test rider – was impressive once again after going second in FP1, taking P7 by the end of action on Friday. Jorge Lorenzo (Ducati Team) took P8, having run second for some time before the times tumbled even further.

Andrea Iannone (Team Suzuk Ecstar) had a solid start to his home GP in ninth, with the Italian well set should the weather change on Saturday. The top ten was completed by another impressive performance, this time from EG 0,0 Marc VDS rider Tito Rabat.

Aleix Espargaro (Aprilia Racing Team Gresini) took eleventh overall despite a crash in FP1, sporting a new aero-fairing and heading another crasher on Day 1 – Monster Yamaha Tech 3 rookie Johann Zarco. Alvaro Bautista (Pull&Bear Aspar Team) took P13 and edged out Reale Avinta Racing duo Loris Baz and Hector Barbera, who completed the top fifteen.

FP3 decides final direct entries to Q2 on Saturday morning, before qualifying begins from 14:10 (GMT +2).