MotoGP Race Lap Record: Marc Marquez, 2:01.560, 2017
MotoGP All Time Lap Record: Marc Marquez, 1:59.941, 2017
2019 FIM MotoGP World Championship
Silverstone Circuit
Northamptonshire, England
August 23, 2019
Free Practice Two Results (all on Michelin tires):
1. Fabio Quartararo, France (Yam YZR-M1), 1:59.225 (New All-Time Lap Record)
2. Marc Marquez, Spain (Hon RC213V), 1:59.476
3. Maverick Vinales, Spain (Yam YZR-M1), 1:59.765
4. Valentino Rossi, Italy (Yam YZR-M1), 1:59.937
5. Cal Cruchlow, UK (Hon RC213V), 1:59.993
6. Andrea Dovizioso, Itay (Duc GP19), 2:00.110
7. Franco Morbidelli, Italy (Yam YZR-M1), 2:00.183
8. Miguel Oliveira, Portugal (KTM RC16), 2:00.360
9. Jack Miller, Australia (Duc GP19), 2:00.392
10. Danilo Petrucci, Itay (Duc GP19), 2:00.428
11. Takaki Nakagami, Japan (Hon RC213V), 2:00.492
12. Aleix Espargaro, Spain (Apr RSGP), 2:00.497
13. Pol Espargaro, Spain (KTM RC16), 2:00.591
14. Johann Zarco, France (KTM RC16), 2:00.664
15. Alex Rins, Spain (Suz GSX-RR), 2:00.666
16. Francesco Bagnaia, Italy (Duc GP19), 2:00.788
17. Andrea Iannone, Itay (Apr RS-GP), 2:00.907
18. Sylvania Guintoli, France (Suz GSX-RR), 2:02.240
19. Hafizh Syahrin, Malaysia (KTM RC16), 2:02.417
20. Tito Rabat, Spain (Duc GP18), 2:02.473
21. Jorge Lorenzo, Spain (Hon RC213V), 2:02.993
More, from a press release issued by Red Bull KTM Tech3:
Impressive opening by Oliveira in Silverstone – Syahrin gains confidence
Red Bull KTM Tech3’s MotoGP rookie Miguel Oliveira continued in the UK where he left off last time in Austria. The fast Portuguese initiated the British Grand Prix with a fastest lap of 2:00.360 minutes, which made him snatching eighth in an intense second Free Practice at the longest track of the calendar, finishing day one as the fastest KTM rider of the field.
Meanwhile Hafizh Syahrin came back from his huge crash during the Austrian round today and was able to enhance his feeling between FP1 and FP2. The Red Bull KTM Tech3 rider lowered his lap time by 0.641 seconds ahead of tomorrow’s third Free Practice session at 9.55 local time.
Miguel Oliveira
Position: 8th
Time: 2:00.360
Laps: 29
“It was a positive day for us. Obviously, we started again with a good FP2 inside the top 10. We did a decent job today, understanding the new asphalt, the tyres, so it was quite interesting to go and really feel this new tarmac. Despite the small issue we had this morning, I could do well on each lap. It was just a matter of understanding what could be our pace, but anyway we know, the lap times will drop tomorrow, so we have to keep focused on trying to find more speed in order to be in Q2 directly tomorrow morning after FP2.”
Hafizh Syahrin
Position: 21st
Time: 2:02.417
Laps: 30
“The first day was quite ok. We know that we can still improve our speed, which we were missing a little bit. Also, my position on the bike is not really comfortable at the moment, especially the elbow, which I bruised at the last race. The two big crashes in Austria didn’t help my confidence at all, so I tried to gain this back. In FP2 it was not so bad, but tomorrow is another day, where we aim to improve our lap time and our general pace. At least, I didn’t do any mistakes, the bike was working well and I was working on myself, which I’ll continue on Saturday.”
More, from a press release issued by Aprilia Gresini:
GOOD START AT SILVERSTONE FOR APRILIA
ALEIX JUST MISSES THE TOP 10, ANDREA WITH GOOD SENSATIONS
The English weekend got off on the right foot for Aprilia. Aleix Espargaró just missed a top-10 spot in the combined standings of today’s two sessions, finishing twelfth at less than 7 hundredths from a virtual spot in Q2 and with good sensations on the new Silverstone asphalt.
Andrea Iannone demonstrated good consistency in race practice with the harder tyre compound. The Italian rider had a bit of difficulty exploiting the soft tyre in his time attack at the end of FP2, but he says he is pleased with the work done today on his RS-GP.
ALEIX ESPARGARO’
“Today went rather well. I worked with two different bikes in terms of settings, but I was comfortable with both of them. We had a technical problem in FP2, but we were still able to do a good job. Staying in the top 10 here will not be simple. We will have to give it our all. The track has improved greatly compared to last year. There are not many tracks like Silverstone and the new asphalt does it justice.”
ANDREA IANNONE
“It was a good day overall in terms of feeling, especially in race pace practice with hard tyres. I was unable to fully exploit the soft at the end of FP2 and that’s a shame. We could have had a chance at the top 10 today. In any case, we still have margin to work with to improve for tomorrow. My compliments for the new asphalt. They really did a good job in favour of safety and entertainment.”
More, from a press release issued by LCR Honda Idemitsu:
SOLID START FOR NAKAGAMI AT SILVERSTONE
Japanese star Takaaki Nakagami set the 11th fastest time overall on the first day of practice at the British Grand Prix at Silverstone. Under sunny skies at the Northamptonshire track, the LCR Honda IDEMITSU man was in the top five throughout much of the afternoon session, and at one point thought he had lost his fast lap due to exceeding track limits, before it was reinstated by race direction on closer inspection.
Nakagami dubs the British track his favourite on the MotoGP World Championship calendar, having scored three podiums in the past including a Moto2 win in 2017, and with a newly laid asphalt he found going tough to find the best lines in the morning practice. However, having seen a massive jump in performance in the afternoon, the LCR Honda IDEMITSU Team will hope for even more on qualifying day on Saturday.
Takaaki Nakagami – 11th
(2’00.492 – lap 16 of 16)
“I didn’t know that they’d taken my last lap away, because that was my best time. It was ninth in the afternoon, but when I came back to the box I saw I was in 14th! Race direction had cancelled it, but I was sure I was inside the track. It wasn’t just me, others had the same issue. So I’m glad it was reinstated”.
“It was a bit of a struggle for me in the morning, especially on exiting the corner. We knew that we would improve in the afternoon, and the set-up got much better later on. We made a two-second improvement, so I’m quite happy about how the first day has finished. Let’s see tomorrow, I think the time will come and I think it will be a good day”.
More, from a press release issued by LCR Honda Castrol:
CRUTCHLOW IN THE MIX AT HOME RACE
Cal Crutchlow set the fifth fastest time on day one of the British Grand Prix in perfect conditions at the Silverstone circuit today. The LCR Honda CASTROL man has the weight of the home fans on his shoulders as the only Brit in the premier class of MotoGP this season, and made significant progress in the afternoon session when times in general were harder to come by than in the cooler morning practice.
The Isle of Man-based 33-year-old was running in second through the majority of FP2, before a flurry of lap times right at the end of the session bumped him down to fifth overall. As a previous pole-holder at his home event, Crutchlow will be hoping for more of the same in Saturday’s qualifying, with the weather set fair for the entire weekend.
Cal Crutchlow – 5th
(1’59.993 – lap 16 of 16)
“I’m happy to be here in Silverstone at the British GP, it’s always special and always a pleasure to ride, but it’s definitely hard work. I’m trying my best and felt quite good this afternoon, although I’m not as strong over one fast lap as I was in previous years, when it was one of my strong points. I think age must be setting in, I take time to get going!”
“The new track surface seems good, although there are still a few bumps out there. We have to give the circuit credit though, they have done a good job”.
“We need to be on the front two rows tomorrow in qualifying. I know how long the race is and how it works. They will all be going hard in the first laps as the grip is there for us to do it, so you need to be there in case it breaks up. We’ll give it a go tomorrow and see how we get on.”
More, from a press release issued by Monster Energy Yamaha:
SPEEDY START TO SILVERSTONE WEEKEND FOR MONSTER ENERGY YAMAHA MOTOGP
Silverstone (UK), 23rd August 2019
GRAND PRIX OF GREAT BRITAIN
FREE PRACTICE
Monster Energy Yamaha MotoGP’s Maverick Viñales showed good pace in the first practice sessions ahead of Sunday’s GoPro British Grand Prix, finishing 3rd in the combined standings. Valentino Rossi initially ended the day in 17th after his fastest time was cancelled due to exceeding track limits, but later his best lap was reinstated by Race Direction, earning the Italian fourth place in today‘s rankings.
3rd MAVERICK VIÑALES 1’59.765 (FP2) / 16 + 17 LAPS
4th VALENTINO ROSSI 1’59.937 (FP2) / 18 + 17 LAPS
Monster Energy Yamaha MotoGP’s Maverick Viñales and Valentino Rossi made a solid start to this weekend’s GoPro British Grand Prix, giving positive feedback on the resurfaced Silverstone Circuit. The Factory Yamaha duo wrapped up Day 1 in third and fourth place respectively in the combined free practice results.
Viñales started his first run of the weekend with great motivation, eager to find out how the improved grip of the new tarmac would gel with the YZR-M1‘s smooth handling. He was soon settled inside the top 4 in the provisional rankings and then got to work, changing his bike‘s set-up. A small crash in Turn 7 halfway through the session lost the Spaniard a bit of time, but he was back on track and setting multiple fast laps in the final stages. His best time, a 2‘00.692s put him in third place, 0.740s from first.
The Spaniard stuck on some medium-medium tyres in the afternoon and rode a long first run in preparation for Sunday’s race, as the weather forecast is predicting similar hot and sunny conditions. He made the required changes to his bike before putting in a late charge on his third run. Having switched to a soft rear tyre, he banked two 1‘59s laps showing competitive speed. With his first hot lap, a 1‘59.765s, he earned third place, with a 0.540s gap to P1.
Rossi likes the style of the Silverstone track a lot, and it showed as the Yamaha man gradually upped his pace in FP1, featuring inside the top 10 for most of the time. He quickly got familiar with the new tarmac, finding its grip improved and its surface smoother than previous years. As the competition heated up slightly in the final stages, the nine-time World Champion also put his head down and moved up to seventh in the rankings with a 2‘01.298s fastest lap, 1.346s from the top.
The Doctor switched to hard-hard tyres in the afternoon and got in a good number of laps before fitting a soft front tyre for the mini time attack. In the final minutes he put in a superb 1‘59.937s lap, but it was instantly cancelled by Race Direction. After a photo-review, his best lap time was reinstated, earning Rossi fourth position in the FP2 and combined free practice results, 0.712s from the top.
MASSIMO MEREGALLI
TEAM DIRECTOR
“First of all, we had a decent start today. We wanted to pick up the good momentum where we had left off at the previous race weekend, though the situation here is very different. We know the lay-out of this circuit suits our bike and the new surface provides good grip, so we see a lot of potential here for a positive weekend. Vale and Maverick had a good feeling in the morning and they noticed that the track is smoother. There are still some bumps in sector four, but there are definitely less on the track overall. Maverick had a small crash, but he was OK and quickly got back out there again. In the afternoon both riders were able to put in some really fast laps at the end of the FP2 session. Initially Race Direction had cancelled Vale‘s best time, but this was later corrected, so we are quite pleased to finish the first day with a third and fourth place and with some ideas of where we can improve tomorrow.”
MAVERICK VIÑALES
“I think the new surface is much better, we are riding much faster. The bumps are nearly all gone. There are just a couple in the last sector, but the rest of the track is really good. I had a small issue with the front tyre in FP1, which resulted in a crash, but we understood it pretty fast, so the problem is now solved. We need to keep working on the electronics to make them more consistent. Getting on the front row tomorrow in qualifying will be very important, so I expect to be close to it and start the race from one of those front places.”
VALENTINO ROSSI
“It‘s a good start, it‘s a good Friday, because in both sessions I had a good pace and good feeling with the bike. At the end I did a good lap, but I was really on the limit with the white line, but from the bike I had the feeling that anyway I touched it. In fact, they had to review the image and then they gave me back my lap time, which is very important for tomorrow morning. We need to work to improve, but it looks like we‘re in good shape. Being in P4 is not too bad and the track is great. They did a very good job with the asphalt, there are fewer bumps and more grip, so it‘s a great pleasure and we will try to continue riding like this.”
More, from a press release issued by Pramac Racing:
#BritishGP FP. Positive start to Silverstone week end for Pramac Racing. Jack and Pecco enthusiastic about the new asphalt
FP1 (Practice conditions: Dry. Air 18°. Ground 23).
P10 Jack Miller (2’01.535, + 1.583 from P1)
P14 Francesco Bagnaia (2’01.852, + 1.900 from P1)
FP2 (Practice conditions: Dry. Air 25°. Ground 40°)
P7 Jack Miller (2’00.428, +0.916 from P1)
Following a good time attack, the Australian conquers the 7th position (P9 in the combined standings) that would allow him to qualify directly to Q2 in case of rain tomorrow morning.
P15 Francesco Bagnaia (2’00.788, +1.312 from P1)
Pecco is incisive on the race pace with the rear hard tyre and in the time attack he lowers his time set in FP1 by more than a second despite finding traffic in the second flying lap. The Top 10 is very close – less than 2 tenths of a second.
P16 – Pecco Bagnaia
First of all I would like to congratulate Silverstone on the new asphalt. The circuit is practically a billiards and it is nice for us rider to have this feeling. I am also satisfied with what we have done today. We worked well on the set up and with the tyres.
P9 – Jack Miller
We did a good job today especially on the race pace and exploring many combinations of tires. I am satisfied with the way things went. In tomorrow morning’s FP3 we will focus on the time attack to try to qualify directly for Q2. The asphalt? They did a really great job.
More, from a press release issued by PETRONAS Yamaha SRT:
Superb start at Silverstone for Quartararo and Morbidelli
PETRONAS Yamaha SRT rider Fabio Quartararo smashes the lap record to top opening day as team-mate Franco Morbidelli comes home in 7th
British GP – 23 August 2019
The PETRONAS Yamaha Sepang Racing Team pair of Fabio Quartararo and Franco Morbidelli made a superb start to the British Grand Prix, with Quartararo smashing the Silverstone absolute lap record to end the opening day fastest overall and with Morbidelli finishing close behind in seventh place.
Quartararo set the quickest time of the day in the final minutes of FP2, taking nearly three quarters of a second off the previous record to end the day in P1. Initially docked the lap time for exceeding track limits, he had a nervous few minutes until race control reinstated it and returned him to the top spot. In fantastic shape for tomorrow’s qualifying session, Quartararo is raring to go on the newly-resurfaced Silverstone track.
Morbidelli worked hard for Sunday’s race during practice, concentrating on addressing some of the issues with the rear tyre that he faced last time out at the Austrian Grand Prix. Confident that he and his team have made a big step forwards, he’s delighted with what they’ve achieved so far and confident that he can continue to make improvements tomorrow.
Practice continues tomorrow at 0955 local time (1655 Malaysian time), before qualifying at 1400 local time (2100 Malaysian time) and the 20-lap race on Sunday at 1300 local time (2000 Malaysian time).
Franco Morbidelli 7th
“Today we’ve worked to improve the amount of feedback I’m getting from the rear tyre. There’s still room to improve, but for the first day it’s gone really well. I hope that I can improve some more tomorrow, because there’s still a few areas where I don’t feel great. My speed is already good with both used and new tyres, but we can do better still. The new surface is quite nice; it’s smooth and nice to ride because you can really enjoy it now that there’s no bumps.”
Fabio Quartararo 1st
“The lap was really good and I’m pleased with the result – I gave it everything on the lap and I’m glad they gave both Valentino [Rossi] and I back our times. You can always go faster and there was a rider in front of me on my fastest lap, so we can go even quicker in qualifying. I think it’ll be possible to set the first 1’58 lap. The new asphalt is really flat and smooth and has a lot of grip; they’ve done a really good job with it.”
More, from a press release issued by Team Suzuki ECSTAR:
STEADY START TO SILVERSTONE FOR SUZUKI
Alex Rins: 15th – 2:00.666 (+ 1.563)
Sylvain Guintoli: 20th – 2:02.240 (+ 3.015)
• Rins shows early form, focuses on set-up.
•Guintoli makes his return to racing to replace Joan Mir.
•Team looking ahead to dry and bright race.
Team SUZUKI ECSTAR took to the newly resurfaced Silverstone circuit for Round 12 of the 2019 MotoGP World Championship. Friday’s warm conditions helped the riders to assess the feel of the new asphalt.
Alex Rins used this opening day to work on settings and try different tyre options, as is often his plan on a Friday. Despite this, he steadily improved his lap time during FP1 and placed 4th at the end of the session. He was also the second fastest rider through Sector 2.
Sylvain Guintoli, who replaces Joan Mir this weekend while the rookie continues his convalescence, headed out on the Silverstone circuit just days after riding at the brand new KymiRing. The Frenchman had a small crash at Turn 14, but it was without consequence.
In the afternoon’s FP2, Rins was holding provisional Q2 pace for the majority of the session. But as the Spaniard continued to focus on set-up ahead of tomorrow’s qualifying sessions, he slipped down the order to 15th. Nevertheless, Rins reported good feelings on the new asphalt with his GSX-RR.
Guintoli spent FP2 working on settings, without pushing for a fast lap time. He aims to use tomorrow’s sessions to put in a string of quicker laps, whilst also continuing to give valuable feedback.
Davide Brivio – Team Manager:
“It’s been a positive day. We needed to collect a lot of information to do with tyres and set-up, and we’ve managed to do that. We’re focusing on the race. Alex had good pace all day, even though we’re outside the Top 10. Sylvain has also been collecting information in regard to the race, and his performance has not been too bad today. We’re happy with how things are going.”
Alex Rins:
“I feel very good, they’ve done a really great job with the asphalt. This morning I was focusing on set-up, and this afternoon on tyres. Here we have four different tyre options so we wanted to try all of them and try to understand what will be best. Tomorrow morning I’ll try and improve my pace to get into Q2.”
Sylvain Guintoli:
“Today was interesting, the track is really nice. The tarmac is beautiful to ride in the dry at least, there aren’t many bumps and it’s a pleasure to be riding here – especially with the good weather! Today I didn’t try for a ‘hot lap’, I was just evaluating and working on tyre choice and set-up. Tomorrow I’ll have lots of tyres to work with, so I’ll try to push for a quick time. This morning I had a little off, but it’s almost year since my last crash, so I was due one! Luckily it was a very slow and small crash.”
More, from a press release issued by Repsol Honda:
Marquez under Silverstone lap record as Lorenzo returns
Marc Marquez made the most of a newly resurfaced Silverstone to go under the old lap record while Jorge Lorenzo returned to riding the Repsol Honda Team RC213V for the first time since Assen.
2018’s torrential rain was nowhere to be seen as the opening day of practice began at Silverstone for round 12 of the 2019 MotoGP World Championship. The round marked a return to action for Jorge Lorenzo while Marc Marquez continued 2019’s theme of working towards race day during Friday sessions. Track temperature increased to 40°C as the day went on and fans were treated to a classic British summer’s day.
The newly resurfaced Silverstone circuit was immediately fast, Marquez able to consistently lap in the mid-2’00s throughout Free Practice 1. A harmless crash at Turn 8 during FP2 saw the championship leader miss just a few minutes of the session as he quickly returned to work. Taking advantage of the super-smooth Silverstone circuit and the hot afternoon conditions, Marquez improved on his own lap record to set a lap of 1’59.476 to end Friday practice second overall and put the crash behind him.
A recovering Jorge Lorenzo took a cautious approach to the opening day of practice but was still able to improve his lap times by close to one and a half seconds between FP1 and FP2. Ending the day 21st in FP2 and 22nd overall, Jorge Lorenzo is looking to make the most of his British GP weekend but knows it will be a balancing act between maintaining his physical condition and pushing to be closer to the front.
Home hero Cal Crutchlow posted the fifth fastest time aboard his LCR Honda machine.
A positive weekend forecast means riders should be greeted with sunshine when they head out for FP3 at 09:55 local time tomorrow, Saturday August 24. Qualifying begins later in the day at 14:10 for the MotoGP class.
Marc Marquez
2ND 1’59.476
“As soon as I went out this morning I felt like it was another track! I enjoyed riding it a lot more and I think so did everyone else. Last year we complained, but this year we have to say congratulations to the circuit because they did a great job. The lap times are coming, we are working in a good way and did one very good lap. But as always the most important thing is that we keep trying everything we need to. I had a small crash in my first run in FP2 because I am pushing and I couldn’t quite save this one! Aside from this it was a very good day.”
Jorge Lorenzo
22ND 2’02.907
“Today it has been a hard day, but I guess that little by little I will get my pace back and I will feel better on the bike. It’s been very tough, because I still feel a lot of pain in my back and I’m missing a lot of the habits of riding. I lost a lot of muscle mass and being on the bike is very physically demanding, so it makes it difficult to be competitive. Regarding the new surface, I’m very happy.”
More, from a press release issued by Ducati:
Andrea Dovizioso sixth and Danilo Petrucci tenth on the first day of free practice for the British GP at Silverstone
After the first two free practice sessions for this weekend’s British GP at the Silverstone circuit, both Ducati Team riders were classified inside the top ten, with Dovizioso in sixth place and Petrucci tenth.
Dovizioso, also sixth in the morning’s FP1 session, improved his time in the afternoon to lap in 2’00.110 and confirm his position. Petrucci, ninth in the morning, set a time of 2’00.428 in FP2 to conclude the opening day in tenth place.
Andrea Dovizioso (#04 Ducati Team) – 2’00.110 (6th)
“It’s nice to race here at Silverstone with the new asphalt and now the track is in a much better condition than last year. I’ve got a good feeling with my Desmosedici GP but we’ve still got a lot of work to do. In the afternoon the temperature went up considerably and it looks like tomorrow and Sunday it could be even warmer so it’ll be important to understand tomorrow what tyre choice to make. Today we focussed mainly on set-up work: we’ve improved some aspects but I’m sure there’s still some more margin. As I expected, there are a lot of quick riders out there, with a fast pace as well, but it’s still too early to see who is looking good for the race.”
Danilo Petrucci (#9 Ducati Team) – 2’00.428 (10th)
“I’m quite satisfied, above all for the feeling that I had this morning. The track with the new asphalt is in an excellent condition, and in the afternoon we did some tyre testing to see which direction to take tomorrow and Sunday. Unfortunately, at the end of the session I wasn’t able to make the best use of the soft tyre to do a better lap time, unlike the other riders. We’ve still got some work to do to finalize a few details and above all see which tyre to choose for the race, but all in all it’s been a positive start.”
The Ducati riders will be back out on track tomorrow, Saturday 24th August, at 10.55 (CET) for the third free practice session, while qualifying will be held after FP4 starting from 15.10 (CET).
More, from a press release issued by Dorna:
Quick out the blocks: Quartararo crucifies the lap record on Day 1
French rookie in a class of his own on Friday as we see scorching times set at Silverstone
Friday, 23 August 2019
Fabio Quartararo’s (Petronas Yamaha SRT) savage 1:59.225 was allowed to stand to give the rookie phenomenon the advantage on Friday at the GoPro British Grand Prix with a brilliant new lap record, after the lap was initially disallowed before a photo review. The Frenchman was also fastest in FP1 to make it a full house on Friday, with a significant advantage in both sessions. Marc Marquez (Repsol Honda Team) sits as Quartararo’s closest challenger, 0.251 back, with Maverick Viñales (Monster Energy Yamaha MotoGP) completing the top three as Yamaha stormed the timesheets.
FP1 started under cloudy Silverstone skies as the MotoGP™ riders got their first taste of the new asphalt, and it was Quartararo who came into FP2 with a half-second advantage over the rest. Marquez was again his nearest rival in the opening session and it was the number 93 who instantly led FP2, cutting Quartararo’s advantage to two-tenths on the overall timesheets. Other early improvers were home hero Cal Crutchlow (LCR Honda Castrol), the British rider dipping into the 2:00s, while Pol Espargaro (Red Bull KTM Factory Racing), Miguel Oliveira (Red Bull KTM Tech 3) and Crutchlow’s teammate Takaaki Nakagami (LCR Honda Idemitsu) climbed into the top 10 as well.
Temperatures in England – believe it or not – were soaring and it seemed the riders were struggling to improve their times from FP1 at first, with Marquez’ benchmark putting him over seven tenths clear of the field for the first half of FP2. However, it wasn’t plain sailing for the seven-time Champion as at the Vale complex, Marquez crashed for the first time since Le Mans Q2 – but rider instantly up and ok. FP1 P4 finisher Alex Rins (Team Suzuki Ecstar) then moved into second in the session, but then came Quartararo to cut the gap.
With eight minutes left, the timesheets lit up as fresh Michelin rubber was slotted in for a thrilling time attack. Riders like Jack Miller (Pramac Racing) – 10th in FP1 – had slipped down to the lower ends of the timing screens, but the Australian soon jumped up to fourth overall and the two Yamahas were on barnstormers. Valentino Rossi (Monster Energy Yamaha MotoGP) looked set to go top overall and he did so with a new lap record, but ‘The Doctor’ didn’t stay there long as rookie Quartararo then hammered in his stunning 1:59.225: the quickest ever lap we’ve seen around Silverstone.
Viñales then got overhauled by Marquez as he beat his compatriot with a 1:59.476, with Rossi’s time putting him in fourth. Crutchlow and Andrea Dovizioso (Ducati Team) moved up into fifth and sixth respectively, with Franco Morbidelli (Petronas Yamaha SRT) strong on fresh tyres to end the day seventh on the combined times.
Oliveira once again impressed to lead the KTM charge in P8, the Portuguese rider improving from P16 in the opening 45 minutes, with Miller’s aforementioned time enough to give him ninth overall. Danilo Petrucci (Ducati Team) took tenth.
Takaaki Nakagami, another who had their laptime reinstated, ended the day in P11, just ahead of Aleix Espargaro. Espargaro just missed out after the laptime reinstatements despite managing to get back out on his Aprilia Racing Team Gresini machine after first one completely cut out heading into Brooklands corner, and he ends the day in P12. Pol Espargaro, teammate Johann Zarco and Alex Rins (Team Suzuki Ecstar) completed the fastest fifteen.
A fast and furious couple of sessions on Friday now sets us up nicely for Saturday. FP3 should be dry, so there’s still time for the top 10 to change ahead of qualifying. Tune in for a crucial session at 09:55 local time (GMT+1).
Friday’s fastest:
1 – Fabio Quartararo* (FRA – Yamaha) 1’59.225
2 – Marc Marquez (SPA – Honda) +0.251
3 – Maverick Viñales (SPA – Yamaha) +0.540
4 – Valentino Rossi (ITA – Yamaha) +0.712
5 – Cal Crutchlow* (GBR – Honda) +0.768
*Independent Team rider
Navarro puts Speed Up in the driving seat at Silverstone
Spaniard leads Gardner and Fernandez on Friday
Campetella Speed Up’s Jorge Navarro went one better than he did in FP1 to finish Friday at the GoPro British Grand Prix as the fastest man in Moto2™, setting a new lap record of 2:04.993 to edge out Remy Gardner (ONEXOX TKKR SAG Team) and FlexBox HP 40’s Augusto Fernandez on Day 1.
FP1 saw Navarro and teammate Fabio Di Giannantonio sit pretty at the top of the times as Speed Up got off to a perfect start at Silverstone, but it was Navarro who came out all guns blazing in FP2 as he went 0.8 quicker than the fastest FP1 time with 33 minutes left on the clock. And that was all she wrote in the fight for P1 on Friday.
Gardner and Fernandez moved up the timesheets later, with Lorenzo Baldassarri (Flexbox HP 40) ultimately completing the top four ahead of a solid showing from home hero Sam Lowes (Federal Oil Gresini Moto2) in P5. The Brit has been on pole at Silverstone twice before.
Championship leader Alex Marquez (EG 0,0 Marc VDS) ended the day in sixth despite a tip off, rider ok, with Austria polesitter Tetsuta Nagashima (ONEXOX TKKR SAG Team) for close company. Marquez’ key title rival Tom Lüthi (Dynavolt Intact GP) was P8, ahead of Austria winner Brad Binder (Red Bull KTM Ajo) and veteran Mattia Pasini (Tasca Racing Scuderia Moto2).
High profile replacement rider Bradley Smith put his Petronas Sprinta Racing machine in P27 on Day 1, but the Brit cut 1.3 seconds off his laptime from FP1 and there’ll surely be more to come on Saturday…
The times in Moto2™ were blindingly fast as the intermediate class rip around the newly surfaced Silverstone, but will the top 14 change on Saturday morning? The automatic Q2 places are still up for grabs so don’t miss the action at 10:55 local time (GMT+1).
Friday’s fastest:
1 – Jorge Navarro (SPA – Speed Up) 2’04.993
2 – Remy Gardner (AUS – Kalex) +0.129
3 – Augusto Fernandez (SPA – Kalex) +0.289
4 – Lorenzo Baldassarri (ITA – Kalex) +0.314
5 – Sam Lowes (GBR – Kalex) +0.328
Arbolino sets a benchmark to stay ahead of the chasing pack
Italian fastest overall on Friday thanks to a new lap record in FP1
Tony Arbolino (VNE Snipers) set a new fastest-ever lap of Silverstone Circuit on Friday at the GoPro British Grand Prix, putting in 2:12.008 in FP1 and remaining unassailable come the end of FP2. The Italian’s half a second advantage was halved in the afternoon, however, thanks to Sama Qatar Angel Nieto’s Albert Arena as the Spaniard went quickest in FP2. Championship leader Lorenzo Dalla Porta (Leopard Racing) was third quickest, just 0.028 off Arenas.
Sunny skies at Silverstone saw everyone able to stretch their legs, and most riders improved in the afternoon. Darryn Binder (CIP – Green Power) was one of those who took the biggest leap forward, with the South African ending the day fourth overall as he cut more than two and a half seconds off his laptime. Tatsukia Suzuki (SIC58 Squadra Corse) also made big gains and completed the top five, just ahead of title contender Aron Canet (Sterilgarda Max Racing Team).
Kaito Toba (Honda Team Asia) was the second rider in the top ten, alongside Arbolino, who didn’t improve in the afternoon but he ends Day 1 in seventh, just 0.007 ahead of Austria winner Romano Fenati (VNE Snipers).
Replacement rider Jeremy Alcoba (Kömmerling Gresini Moto3) impressed to end Friday in ninth, 0.014 off Fenati, with Stefano Nepa (Reale Avintia Arizona 77) another impressive performer on Day 1 as he took tenth.
Niccolo Antonelli (SIC58 Squadra Corse), Ayumu Sasaki (Petronas Sprinta Racing), and Andrea Migno (Bester Capital Dubai) were next up, ahead of home hero John McPhee (Petronas Sprinta Racing), who also renewed his contract on Friday. Jakub Kornfeil (Redox PrüstelGP) locked out the fastest fifteen.
McPhee and Kornfeil both crashed in the morning, and there was an incident that saw Kazuki Masaki (BOE Skull Rider Mugen Race) hit Dennis Foggia (Sky Racing Team VR46) in FP1. Raul Fernandez (Sama Qatar Angel Nieto Team) and Makar Yurchenko (BOE Skull Rider Mugen Race) also went down in the afternoon.
FP3 gets in gear at 9:00 local time (GMT +2) on Saturday to decide the direct entrants to Q2. Can the lap record get beaten again even before qualifying 12:35 (GMT +1)?
Friday’s fastest:
1 – Tony Arbolino (ITA – Honda) 2’12.008
2 – Albert Arenas (SPA – KTM) +0.216
3 – Lorenzo Dalla Porta (ITA – Honda) +0.244
4 – Darryn Binder (RSA – KTM) +0.279
5 – Tatsuki Suzuki (JPN – Honda) +0.407