GoPro Motorrad Grand Prix Deutschland

FIM MotoGP World Championship

Sachsenring, Germany

June 30, 2017

Free Practice Two Results (wet conditions, all on Michelin tires):

1. Hector BARBERA, Spain (DUCATI), 1:28.115

2. Marc MARQUEZ, Spain (HONDA), 1:28.178

3. Dani PEDROSA, Spain (HONDA), 1:28.468

4. Danilo PETRUCCI, Italy (DUCATI), 1:28.468

5. Aleix ESPARGARO, Spain (APRILIA), 1:28.527

6. Cal CRUTCHLOW, UK (HONDA), 1:28.616

7. Andrea DOVIZIOSO, Italy (DUCATI), 1:28.753

8. Jonas FOLGER, Germany (YAMAHA), 1:28.988

9. Sam LOWES, UK (APRILIA), 1:28.994

10. Jorge LORENZO, Spain (DUCATI), 1:29.017

11. Alvaro BAUTISTA, Spain (DUCATI), 1:29.076

12. Pol ESPARGARO, Spain (KTM), 1:29.321

13. Loris BAZ, France (DUCATI), 1:29.364

14. Mika KALLIO, Finland (KTM), 1:29.446

15. Valentino ROSSI, Italy (YAMAHA), 1:29.549

16. Jack MILLER, Australia (HONDA), 1:29.586

17. Karel ABRAHAM, Czech Republic (DUCATI), 1:29.774

18. Johann ZARCO, France (YAMAHA), 1:29.927, crash

19. Bradley SMITH, UK (KTM), 1:29.972

20. Maverick VIÑALES, Spain (YAMAHA), 1:30.017

21. Scott REDDING, UK (DUCATI), 1:30.017

22. Alex RINS, Spain (SUZUKI), 1:30.342

23. Tito RABAT, Spain (HONDA), 1:30.508

24. Andrea IANNONE, Italy (SUZUKI), 1:30.559

More, from a press release issued by Aprilia Gresini Racing:

A FANTASTIC START FOR APRILIA IN THE MOTOGP WEEKEND

IN GERMANY ESPARGARÓ IS FOURTH ON THE DRY TRACK AND FIFTH IN THE WET

IN FP2, FOR THE FIRST TIME, APRILIA PLACES TWO RIDERS IN THE TOP TEN THANKS TO SAM LOWES’ NINTH PLACE

Aprilia started off well in the MotoGP weekend that will lead up to the German GP, scheduled for Sunday on the Sachsenring. In the first free practice session (FP1), which was held on a perfectly dry track, Aleix Espargaró stayed consistently in the top end of the rankings, battling with the best and finishing with an excellent fourth place (1’21.832, just over two tenths of a second behind the leader) which, as confirmation of the great progress the RS-GP has made, is the best placement the Italian bike has made in a session valid for deciding the starting grid order.

The second session, on the other hand, was held on a wet track due to the rain which, faithful to the weather forecast, fell before and during the session. But even in these conditions, the RS-GP demonstrated the great balance it has achieved and, ridden by Aleix, took a final fifth place with a time of 1’28.527. Also showing his stuff in the session was Sam Lowes who, after showing progress on the dry track (he had finished FP1 in 15th place), took an excellent ninth place time (1’28.994) that gives Aprilia Racing Team Gresini two riders in the top ten in a single session, a first for the 2017 season.

ALEIX ESPARGARO’

“I am very happy. I don’t really love the layout of this circuit, but I’ve always benn fast here and once again today I was fast both on the dry track and in the wet. This morning we tried to do as much work as possible with the tyres. Given the risk of rain, it was important to gather information, and I was competitive with the various combinations. The new asphalt has really good grip. We’ll see what the weather is like tomorrow, but I can say that I am satisfied with what we have demonstrated thus far.”

SAM LOWES

“I came here with some doubts, because this circuit has given me problems in the past, but already in FP1 I felt good. I lapped fast, without making mistakes, with a good feeling and improving consistently. In the wet things also went well. I am able to ride well and set a good pace from the early laps. I am feeling positive. I am growing continuously and I feel like the RS-GP is more and more mine.”

More, from a press release issued by Movistar Yamaha:

MOVISTAR YAMAHA START SACHSENRING WEEKEND WITH MIXED FP SESSIONS

Two eventful free practice sessions on the first day of the GoPro Motorrad Grand Prix Deutschland resulted in Movistar Yamaha MotoGP‘s Maverick Viñales and Valentino Rossi taking second and sixteenth place respectively in the combined free practice timesheets.

Sachsenring (Germany), 30th June 2017

The Movistar Yamaha MotoGP Team completed their first laps around the resurfaced Sachsenring circuit today, with Maverick Viñales and Valentino Rossi showing an encouraging pace in FP1. Showers in the afternoon meant they couldn’t improve on their morning’s times and saw them hold second and sixteenth place respectively in the combined free practice timesheets.

Viñales made good on his words from the pre-event press conference and showed he was able to find a good pace right from the start of the German round. He was quick to get a steady rhythm around the resurfaced Sachsenring circuit, as he tried multiple tyres. Exuding great confidence on his YZR-M1, he repeatedly topped the FP1 rankings and set a personal fastest lap of 1’21.637s, but was ultimately pushed down to second place, just 0.038s from first.

The Spaniard was eager to show the same strong pace in the afternoon, but was cautious not to get caught out on the slippery surface after showers hit the track. Despite the sun being out frequently, there was barely a dry line forming as rain returned for a couple of minutes, making it impossible for the Yamaha rider to better his morning effort. Nevertheless, Viñales braved the conditions to get a feel for the wet track and set the 20th fastest time, 1.902s from first.

Rossi had a challenging start to the German Grand Prix. Though he carried a competitive pace on his opening laps, the tide turned when he encountered a technical issue on his first bike, losing him valuable time in the first free practice session. The Italian quickly returned to the box to head back out on track on his second bike and posted a best lap of 1’22.535s, for 16th place, 0.936s from the top.

The Doctor‘s misfortunes continued in the afternoon. He had hoped for a dry FP2 in order to better the time and position he obtained in FP1, but quite the opposite was the case. As it soon became clear the completely wet session wouldn‘t allow him to breach into the top-10 of the combined timesheets, he focused on fine-tuning his bike‘s settings. With the final ten minutes of the session spent under bright sunshine, he set the 15th fastest time on his final lap, 1.434s from the front.

MASSIMO MEREGALLI

TEAM DIRECTOR

Sachsenring is always one of the more challenging tracks for us on the MotoGP calendar and today we were faced with some extra obstacles. Maverick is feeling very confident in the dry conditions, which he showed this morning. The rain in the afternoon was a pity because we could have used another dry session to work on the bikes‘ settings and get some extra track data for the race, should it be dry on Sunday – it‘s still unsure. A dry FP2 would also have allowed Valentino to better his time and position after this morning‘s practice session, but it wasn‘t to be. Nevertheless, the first day gave us a good indication in which areas we need to improve, especially in the wet. We got some good feedback on the tyres that we used this morning and we were also able to complete the compulsory five laps on the hardest specification. We will try to prepare some solutions for tomorrow’s Free Practice 3 session.

MAVERICK VIÑALES

In the afternoon we didn‘t feel as good as we did this morning, we didn‘t find a good set-up. I was struggling on the wet and we have to try to work really hard to improve the bike‘s set-up, especially for tomorrow, considering that it might rain during the race. Anyway, we know we can work on it. In the morning it was quite good. I tried many tyres, I felt quite strong on the bike and I have a good potential to improve, so for me it was a good day, even if we weren‘t the best in the afternoon. I look forward to continue working on the bike in FP3 tomorrow.

VALENTINO ROSSI

It was a difficult day, because I was slow in all the conditions. I think that especially in the wet we suffer very much. I think we’re not good with the balance of the bike. In the dry I think our pace is a bit better, but anyway it’s nothing fantastic. Unfortunately, on the last run in FP1 I didn’t have any feeling with the front tyre and I wasn’t able to make a good lap time to enter the top-10. As I’m not in the top-10, we hope that tomorrow we can have a dry session in FP3. If not, it will be very difficult because starting from behind is a nightmare for everybody. We have to try to improve the bike’s balance in the wet, because with the new asphalt the bike is very difficult to ride and usually in the wet we are stronger, but today we’re are quite far from the top, so we have to try to modify something.

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

GoPro Motorrad Grand Prix Deutschland – Sachsenring – Free Practices

Precious double Top 10 finish on the 1st day of the #GermanGP: Petrux 8th and Scott 10th

The week end of the #GermanGP has started in a promising way for Octo Pramac Racing, that finishes Friday’s free practices with both riders in the Top 10. A very important result that could allow both Scott and Petrux to qualify directly in Q2 in case of rain tomorrow.

Danilo Petrucci lapped consistently throughout the all day of activity at the Sachsenring circuit. The rider from Terni did well in FP1 with dry conditions ending with a lap time of 121.992, only 3 tenths of a second from the best lap of Andrea Dovizioso. Petrux was very fast also in wet-FP2 remaining in the top positions, ending up with the fourth position but with the same lap time of Pedrosa (3rd).

For Scott it was a very good start of the journey with a lap time of 1’22.075 that allowed him to end in the Top 10, 4 tenth of a second behind Andrea Dovizioso. Unfortunately, a crash in the last lap of FP1 didn’t allowed him to use the bike-1 in FP2. In the afternoon the English rider couldn’t find the ideal condition to express himself and he preferred not to risk.

8th – Danilo Petrucci – 1’21.992

“I’m happy for today as we have been fast in both dry and wet conditions even if with the rain I managed to be a little more competitive. I have to say that bike is working very well. In dry conditions we did many tests, also with tires. The good aspect is that I am quite fast in both conditions. I am also satisfied because we didn’t have to make many changes. We have great confidence”.

10th – Scott Redding – 1’22.075

“The FP1 went well even though we had to be very careful in the first laps to try the new asphalt and get some confidence. It was a pity for the crash at the end of the session because, if I have to be honest, I was not pushing hard and the crash was quite unexpected. For this reason I must say that it was a very strange crash. In the afternoon I had only one bike and I could not find the best feeling. Tomorrow will depend very much on climatic conditions”.

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

Bautista makes top five start

Pull&Bear Aspar just two tenths off the top on first day of practice at Sachsenring, with team-mate Karel Abraham only a second behind in eighteenth

The MotoGP riders were given twenty minutes more than usual in free practice today as they got to grips with a new track surface at Sachsenring, with the fastest lap time of the day going to Ducati rider Andrea Dovizioso, the Italian continuing the good form that saw him take two wins from the last three races, at Mugello and Barcelona. Maverick Viñales and Dani Pedrosa completed the top three fastest lap times, which were set this morning after a downpour shortly before the second session prevented any improvements in the afternoon. The ‘king of Sachsenring’ Marc Márquez was three tenths off Dovizioso in sixth and amongst the riders ahead of him is Pull&Bear Aspar man Álvaro Bautista, who kicked off the ninth round of the season with the fifth fastest time.

Bautista made sure of a top five spot overnight for the Pull&Bear Aspar Team despite a crash this morning, which he explained was due to overconfidence in the front end at the notorious turn eleven. The Spaniard still has some decisions to make about which tyre he wants to run on Sunday, a task that was not made easier by the heavy rainfall this afternoon. His team-mate Karel Abraham was happy with the work he was able to do on his return to Sachsenring, where he has not ridden since 2014, after lapping just a second shy of Dovizioso’s benchmark in the opening session of the weekend.

5th Álvaro Bautista 1:21.840 (43 laps):“I felt good in the dry this morning. We tried some different tyre options but on this new asphalt with the improved grip it is difficult to know which works best. Also I crashed in turn eleven, I got overconfident and lost the front. Maybe we need to leave a bit more margin for error in this corner. The objective in the afternoon was to test tyre durability but the downpour just before second free practice made that impossible. I didn’t feel comfortable when we first went out in the wet but we made some changes to the bike that improved it. We still have some homework to do on which tyre we want to use in the race and how long it will last.”

18th Karel Abraham 1:22.612 (38 laps): “Today has been quite positive. We tried the new asphalt this morning and also for me it was my first time riding this track for three years so I had to remind myself how it looks around here. We worked really hard, we had a couple of issues in the morning but we knew how to resolve them for the afternoon. I got faster every lap in the wet, trying to lap on my own. In the end the 29.7 I set was behind Viñales but I don’t think that being behind any rider at that point was a good option because I was getting faster on my own. Anyway, we are seventeenth this afternoon and I am quite happy with that. We have to work hard tomorrow because it looks like it’s going to rain all day.”

More, from a press release issued by Repsol Honda:

Positive start for Repsol Honda Team in mixed conditions at Sachsenring

The opening day of the German GP at the Sachsenring was marked by a range of weather conditions spanning from cold but completely dry in the morning, to full wet in the afternoon.

Dani Pedrosa and Marc Marquez started the weekend well, securing top-10 places in the combined classification, which would grant them direct passage to Q2 should rain affect tomorrow’s FP3 session.

Dani set the third-fastest time in the dry FP1 session and the third-best in wet FP2, with Marc in sixth and second, respectively. Both riders have been consistently fast throughout the two sessions and look forward to continuing to improve their pace and their bike setup.

As previously decided in case of rain today, a new schedule has been issued for tomorrow, providing for 10 minutes of extra time in the FP3 session.

Dani Pedrosa

3RD (FP2 COMBINED CLASSIFICATION)

“We’ve had a positive start to the weekend. We had the opportunity to ride in the dry and in the wet, and we were able to lap well enough in both conditions. I’m happy with this but we still have work to do on the bike’s setup and on the tyres, to understand which one will be better for Sunday. We expected the weather to stay dry in the afternoon but that wasn’t the case, so we weren’t able to continue our work. Hopefully tomorrow we’ll be luckier with the weather. Anyway, at least I had the chance to lap at length in the rain and the feeling was good, as the new asphalt was quite grippy in those conditions.”

Marc Marquez

6TH (FP2 COMBINED CLASSIFICATION)

“Today was really positive. I felt good and strong in the dry this morning and also in the wet this afternoon. That’s important, as here you never know which conditions you’ll have to face. It now seems that it will be dry tomorrow and Sunday, but we can’t know for certain. We started from a good base with the setup, and I felt comfortable. Now we must pay attention to keep improving along with the track conditions; I think the new asphalt will get better step by step, and that could change everything. In the wet the grip was already amazing, and we were able to be around four seconds faster than last year. In the dry I think the potential is there, but with the asphalt still very new, it was a bit slippery. Anyway, we’ll see what the weather is like tomorrow, but we know that we’re already good enough in every condition.”

More, from a press release issued by Dorna:

Championship leader fastest on Friday at the German GP

As well as leading the MotoGP™ World Championship for the first time, Andrea Dovizioso (Ducati Team) topped Day 1 at the GoPro Motorrad Grand Prix Deutschland to stake an early claim on the top spot this weekend after going quickest in FP1 before rain fell in the afternoon. The Ducati rider was a frontrunner throughout the first session before moving down the order until a final push saw the rider from Forli back on top. The margin over the second fastest man on track – Maverick Viñales (Movistar Yamaha MotoGP) – was only 0.038 as the two currently at the top of the standings dueled it out, setting the scene for a competitive push for Q2 on Saturday morning. Third fastest was one of the Sachsenring’s most successful riders, Repsol Honda Team’s Dani Pedrosa, who was another tenth back as he shot back up the timesheets after a more difficult Dutch GP.

Fourth fastest overall in the dry was Aleix Espargaro (Aprilia Racing Team Gresini), with the Granollers native also showing pace to place in the top five in the wet. Alvaro Bautista (Pull&Bear Aspar Team) was fifth quickest on combined times for a solid Day 1, with Marc Marquez (Repsol Honda Team) completing the top six.

Johann Zarco (Monster Yamaha Tech 3) was P7 on Day 1 but crashed FP2 in the wet – rider ok – with Jack Miller (EG 0,0 Marc VDS) on solid top ten form in ninth, just ahead of Scott Redding (Octo Pramac Racing) despite a crash in FP1 for the Brit.

The fastest fifteen overall were completed by home hero Jonas Folger (Monster Yamaha Tech 3), Jorge Lorenzo (Ducati Team), Cal Crutchlow (LCR Honda), Hector Barbera (Reale Avintia Racing) and Sam Lowes (Aprilia Racing Team Gresini).

After the rain came down just ahead of FP2, no times were improved and it was Hector Barbera who was quickest in the wet. Reigning Champion Marquez, winner for the last seven years he’s competed at the track, shone to go second quickest in the rain, ahead of another solid performance from teammate Dani Pedrosa – the only man to have placed in the top three in both the wet and dry.

It was an interrupted first session for the ‘Doctor’ Valentino Rossi, as the Italian suffered an issue on track and ended the day in P16 as the rain prevented anyone improving laptimes.

FP3 sees the MotoGP™ field head back out on Saturday morning to decide entry to Q2, before qualifying begins from 14:10 (GMT +2).

Lüthi and Schrötter lead the charge at the Sachsenring

Swiss veteran tops the timesheets as the German GP dries out

After torrential rain in MotoGP™ FP2, the second session of the day for the intermediate class saw completely dry conditions by the end of practice, with Tom Lüthi (CarXpert Interwetten) bettering his FP1 time to go fastest overall from home hero Marcel Schrötter (Dynavolt Intact GP). Red Bull KTM Ajo rider Miguel Oliveira was third quickest with his time set in the morning in FP1, which was dry throughout.

Championship leader Franco Morbidelli (EG 0,0 Marc VDS) was the fourth quickest rider on Friday, just ahead of another impressive performance from fastest rookie Francesco Bagnaia (Sky Racing Team VR46). Takaaki Nakagami (Idemitsu Honda Team Asia) followed up his podium form at Assen to go sixth quickest on Day 1 of the German GP.

Schrötter’s teammate Sandro Cortese (Dynavolt Intact GP) was another who shone on home turf on Day 1 to complete a double top ten on Friday for the team, beating Simone Corsi (Speed Up Racing) to seventh.

Previous Sachsenring winner Dominique Aegerter (Kiefer Racing) was ninth fastest on Friday, with Alex Marquez (EG 0,0 Marc VDS) tenth after a crash in the morning for the 2014 Moto3™ World Champion.

Hafizh Syahrin (Petronas Raceline Malaysia) took P11, ahead of an impressive performance for Remy Gardner (Tech 3 Racing) in twelfth. Jorge Navarro (Federal Oil Gresini Moto2), Xavier Simeon (Tasca Racing Scuderia Moto2) and Andrea Locatelli (Italtrans Racing Team).

Locatelli’s teammate – Mugello winner Mattia Pasini – was another who crashed in the morning, and ended the day in P17.

Moto2™ qualify on Saturday from 15:05 (GMT +2).

Mir back in command, Martin declared unfit after crash

Championship leader clear of the field in FP2 to go fastest on Day 1

Points leader Joan Mir (Leopard Racing) bounced back from a more difficult Dutch GP in style on Day 1 at the Sachsenring, topping the timesheets by more than half a second from closest challenger and key title rival Romano Fenati (Marinelli Rivacold Snipers). The weather stayed dry for Moto3™, under grey skies.

The headline of the day was the Red Flag interruption in FP2 after a crash for title challenger and third fastest on Friday Jorge Martin (Del Conca Gresini Moto3). The Spaniard suffered a highside in the afternoon and was then taken to the Medical Centre at the circuit. He has been declared unfit for the rest of the event with a fractured right ankle and a second break in the same leg.

P4 overall was another strong showing from home hero Philipp Oettl (Südmetall Schedl GP Racing), after the German showed great pace in FP1 and FP2. Livio Loi (Leopard Racing) was fifth fastest on Day 1 as the Belgian rider got back into the top echelons of the timesheets, ahead of Red Bull KTM Ajo rider Bo Bendsneyder, who set his fastest lap in FP1.

Sky Racing Team VR46’s Nicolo Bulega followed up a promising morning with almost the exact same laptime in the afternoon for P7 on combined timesheets, with Marcos Ramirez (Platinum Bay Real Estate) showing more good form to go eighth and slot in behind the Italian on Day 1. Enea Bastianini (Estrella Galicia 0,0) was P9 in a solid opening day at the Sachsenring, just ahead of teammate Aron Canet, who completed the top ten.

Jakub Kornfeil (Peugeot MC Saxoprint) was P11, with Ayumu Sasaki (SIC Racing Team) was twelfth overall on Day 1 and fastest rookie as he got the German GP off to a flier. Fabio Di Giannantonio (Del Conca Gresini Moto3) took thirteenth. Tony Arbolino (SIC58 Squadra Corse) was another flying the rookie flag in fourteenth, and Malaysian Adam Norrodin (SIC Racing Team) completed the fastest fifteen on Friday.

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

Confident start for Tech3 duo despite contrasting weather on day 1 at Sachsenring

The Monster Yamaha Tech3 pair hit the track at full throttle today as they began the German GP with encouraging starts. Johann Zarco concluded the day in 7th overall, and only 0.184 from third after a solid opening run in FP1. The rain fell in the afternoon, and despite a small crash, he continued his preparation for any weather condition on Sunday. Meanwhile, home hero Jonas Folger finished 11th in the combined standings and under six tenths of a second from the leading bike. The motivated young German confidently ended up 8th in the wet FP2 session and now looks on to tomorrow’s action, which begins at 09:55 in Saxony.

Johann ZARCO

Position: 7th – Time: 1’21.973 – Laps: 55

“I am pleased with how the first day went for us in Germany. This morning, I was happy about learning the track on the MotoGP bike and in the end, I finished 7th whilst using the soft tyre. This means that if it rains tomorrow, I will already be in QP2 and that is pleasing. In addition, the grip level was quite good here when it was dry. In the afternoon, the session started damp but it began to dry before it then rained again. Here, I went out on the track in order to get a feel for the asphalt and the grip is amazing when it’s wet, so I needed to make some references. I have to say that it was awesome to feel how much you can push the bike here in these conditions. Unfortunately, I had a crash, but these things happen sometimes, yet luckily I am ok and there is no pain anywhere. After that, I went back out on my second bike so that I could move on from my crash and get some confidence back. I accomplished this and that is the most important thing, even if I am a bit further back on the time sheet from where I would like to be.”

Jonas FOLGER

Position: 11th – Time: 1’22.175 – Laps: 54

“I am really happy about what we achieved on the first day here in Germany. FP1 went quite well and we used the hard tyre, which a lot of people didn’t and ultimately, I finished only 0.576 back from the top. Then in the afternoon it rained, but it was incredible to see how much grip this track has when it is wet and honestly, I couldn’t believe it. However, it was hard to find the limit, and in Assen it was the opposite. As I result, I think I took the feeling from the last race to here, and I needed some time to get the confidence back so that I could make the most of the really good grip in the rain. In the end, we changed the bike setting a little bit and tried to improve the front, but we were quite fast when we did this. So overall, we did a solid job on day one and I’m excited for more tomorrow.”

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

Miller secures crucial top 10 in Germany practice

Team Estrella Galicia 0,0 Marc VDS rider Jack Miller closed out the opening day of practice at Germany’s tight and twisty Sachsenring track with a potentially crucial top 10 position on the combined leader board.

With heavy rain badly disrupting FP2 and more wet weather predicated for tomorrow, Miller’s charge to ninth on the newly resurfaced Sachsenring in dry but cool conditions this morning could have already clinched the Australian one of the all-important top 10 places required to advance straight into Q2.

Miller finished less than 0.5s off the best pace in FP1 on a busy opening day in Germany, with the field given an extra 20 minutes on track today to assess the new surface. Both practice sessions were extended by 10 minutes to provide crucial feedback to Michelin on grip levels and tyre endurance, with an extra medium front and an additional hard rear compound added to the standard allocation for the weekend.

Constantly changing conditions in FP2, which was punctuated by spells of heavy rain, glorious sunshine and strong winds prevented any additional testing of the increased slick tyre allocation. But Miller was still impressively fast using a full wet weather configuration on his Honda RC213V machine and rain or shine tomorrow he is expecting to compete for a top 10 grid position ahead of Sunday’s 30-lap showdown.

The cool but dry conditions this morning meant Spaniard Tito Rabat preferred to gradually build up his rhythm while he got accustomed to the different performance of Sachsenring’s new asphalt.

In an incredibly tight FP1, he finished just over a second off the best pace set by World Championship leader Andrea Dovizioso. The rapidly changing weather didn’t help Rabat establish a consistent pace in FP2, but he was happy with progress made and more confident on a fully wet surface than he was last weekend in Assen.

Jack Miller: 9th – 1’22.068

“This afternoon was not the easiest session and I was out when the track was at its wettest. Each time a dry line started to appear I didn’t want to take any big risks. At the time I came in when the track was drying and improving, I was one of the fastest out there, so I know my potential in wet conditions. I had a good feeling in the wet and it wasn’t worth concentrating too much on playing with the set-up for the bike when the track is half wet and half dry. I’m happy in full wet conditions but if I could improve in one area it would be to have a little bit better turning. We made some steps forward in that area but I still feel like we can make even more progress. All we can do now is wait and see what the weather will do tomorrow. With rain predicted for FP3, it was very important to get into the top 10 this morning because this morning’s session could decide Q1. I wanted to be in that top 10 and managed that, so we accomplished one of today’s big goals. There are some big names that didn’t make it into the top 10, so it could be quite difficult to come out of Q1 if it’s wet in the morning.”

Tito Rabat: 20th – 1’22.745

“This morning was quite difficult because the track was dry but it was very cold and complicated to understand the performance of the new asphalt. You must be careful, particularly at turn 11, so I left some margin in FP1 rather than pushing over the limit. This afternoon the rain made it difficult to find any kind of rhythm but I felt like I did a good job and was more comfortable on the bike in the wet than in Assen last weekend.”

Ramon Aurin: Jack Miller Chief Engineer

“The rain this afternoon meant we had to change the plan. We wanted to run the hardest slick for Michelin to give them some information but just when we were about to go out and assess it the rain came. The new asphalt means we have had to change the set-up compared to last year by quite a lot but I think Jack was looking very strong in full wet conditions. He stopped when the track was drying out because he could already feel the rear tyre was overheating as the conditions improved, so we definitely didn’t show our full potential in those mixed conditions at the end of the session. The big positive today is that Jack made it into the top 10 in FP1, which could be crucial for qualifying if FP3 tomorrow morning is wet as we expect.”

More, from a press release issued by Ducati Corse:

Andrea Dovizioso tops the timesheets at the end of day 1 of free practice for the German GP at the Sachsenring. Jorge Lorenzo in twelfth place

Andrea Dovizioso of the Ducati Team led the way at the end of the opening day of practice for the German GP, which is being held this weekend at the Sachsenring circuit near Chemnitz. The German track has recently been resurfaced so today’s two practice sessions were extended to 55 minutes, ten more than usual, to allow all the riders to try out the various tyre solutions made available by Michelin for this race.

The Italian rider set the quickest time of 1’21.599 on his fourth run in this morning’s FP1 session, while FP2 in the afternoon took place on a wet surface and not one rider was able to improve.

Twelfth place went to Jorge Lorenzo, who finished the morning session with a time of 1’22.209, just over six-tenths slower than his team-mate, while in the afternoon the Spanish rider ended the session in tenth, less than three-tenths off Dovizioso’s time in seventh.

Andrea Dovizioso (Ducati Team #04) – 1’21.599 (1st)

“In general today was a positive day: I’m very pleased with the way we started this morning and in the dry we confirmed the positive trend of the last few races. In the afternoon, on a wet track, we struggled a bit like the start of the session at Assen and so we still have to work a bit there. At any rate we managed to improve during the session and in the end, when I pushed hard, I was lapping just like the fastest riders but I still don’t have the feeling at the front that I had last year.”

Jorge Lorenzo (Ducati Team #99) – 1’22.209 (12th)

“This morning in the dry I focussed on continuing to adapt to the bike and get the best out of it, and this is my objective at this moment. The new surface offers a lot of grip, both in the wet and the dry, and this is positive. In the afternoon, in the rain, I was feeling pretty good at the start of the session but afterwards I had a small problem with the carbon brakes that didn’t get up to temperature and I lost the chance to improve my lap times at the end. Tomorrow, if it’s dry, we’ll have to try and do a good FP3 in order to gain access directly into Q2.”

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

Barbera leads the pack in the rain at Sachsenring

Reale Avintia Racing rider Hector Barbera dominated the second free practice session in wet conditions this afternoon at the resurfaced Sachsenring circuit. The Spaniard was on top throughout the session and in his last run improved his lap times in each lap to finish first with 0.038s advantage over Marc Marquez, who has been second.

In the morning in dry conditions, his feeling had been quite good also, but Barberá hadn’t been able to put a fast lap together and he was 14th in the combined time sheets at the end of the day, just 0.737s adrift of the fastest pace set by world championship leader Andrea Dovizioso.

For Loris Baz, the wet session in the afternoon also was better than FP1. In dry conditions, he struggled to find good feelings with the bike and the tyres and he finished 22nd. In the wet afternoon, he managed to go much faster to finish 13th. But the Reale Avintia Racing French rider of is not so happy with his dry settings and he hopes to improve his feelings tomorrow.

Hector Barbera | 1’22.336 | P14

“We started well because we had the opportunity to ride in the dry and in the wet and the sensations have been good in both conditions. We were seven tenths of a second behind in the dry and we finished way back in the time sheets, but once again, all the times are very close together. Tomorrow, more rain is expected and it was important to put in a fast lap on a dry tarmac to make it to QP2 directly, but it wasn’t meant to be. Maybe I didn’t take enough risks or I didn’t find the right moment to attack, but I am still happy with what we achieved. On a wet track in the afternoon, I immediately had a good feeling. I was within the top five all the time and in the end I was fastest. I really like the new tarmac, the grip is good in wet and in dry conditions. Tomorrow I will pull all stops trying to qualify as well as possible for the race!”

Loris Baz | 1’22.989 | P22

“Things went quite well today. It was a bit difficult this morning, because it’s always a bit tough for me to ride fast on this circuit and I didn’t manage to string a good lap together. Looking at my ideal time, I would have been much higher up in the time sheets and therefore I think we have to try and make the bike easier to ride and if it doesn’t rain tomorrow, we will be much better. In the afternoon, my feeling with the bike was much better. The grip on the new asphalt is incredible, much better than at Assen. My feeling was good and since I didn’t want to take too many risks this afternoon, I still have something up my sleeves if it rains again tomorrow!”

More, from a press release issued by LCR Honda:

CRUTCHLOW CONFIDENT IN ALL CONDITIONS IN GERMANY

The first day of practice for the German Grand Prix at Sachsenring saw two practice sessions in completely different conditions, making it a challenging Friday for the LCR Honda MotoGP Team and their rivals. An extended morning practice was on a cool but dry track, with the afternoon session taking place in heavy rain followed by warm sunshine.

Cal Crutchlow looked set to book his spot in the top ten in the dry, as he rounded the twisting venue for the final time in the morning. However, a big crash for fellow Brit Scott Redding forced Cal to sit up, meaning he ended play in 13th place. Crutchlow was quick later on in the rain, ending the 55-minute second practice in sixth place.

That means he and the team will need to pray for a dry morning on Saturday, so that they can take the opportunity to skip a potentially tricky first qualifying session, with some big names also joining Cal outside the top ten overall after day one.

Cal Crutchlow – 13th

(1’22.240 – lap 23 of 25)

“Today I’m very disappointed to be 13th overall, through no fault of my own. I was on a fantastic lap that would have put me in the top three, and then Scott Redding unfortunately crashed in front of me – no fault of his – and that meant I had to shut the throttle and I lost six-tenths, which would have put me inside the top three.

“This is racing though. We have to make a plan, and I feel really good in both the wet and the dry. Hopefully tomorrow morning we get a dry session so we don’t get forced into preliminary qualifying, although the forecast doesn’t look great sadly. Otherwise, we’ll have to go into Q1, but let’s hope we get our other chance to avoid it first.”

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

 TOUGH CONDITIONS AFFECT FIRST DAY IN GERMANY

Team Suzuki Press Office – June 30.

Alex Rins: P19 – 1’22.642 +1.043 (combined)

Andrea Iannone: P24 – 1’23.299 +1.700 (combined)

The Sachsenring circuit in Germany welcomed Team SUZUKI ECSTAR with a tough day, with both riders struggling to find a good setup to perform well. The combined classification reflects the morning session, as it was the only one raced in dry conditions, and sees Alex Rins in 19th place with his best lap of 1’22.64 and Andrea Iannone in 24th place with 1’23.299.

The dry weather in the morning allowed Rins to get back on his bike and look to regain his feel for the MotoGP machine. He was able to consistently improve his lap time and start working on the setup. In the afternoon, in heavy rain, he was able to improve his riding skills in wet conditions, which is valuable in the process of his development.

Iannone is still dealing with some difficulties in finding a good feel with the bike, especially when it comes to braking. This is preventing him from pushing the bike as hard as he would like, and the good lap times that should follow. He had a crash in the morning, which luckily did not result with any physical consequences.

Davide Brivio – Team Manager

“We arrived in Sachsenring and we are facing some unexpected difficulties because Andrea had a lot of problems in braking. He is struggling to stop the bike and this issue created a lot of problems. We don’t have big issues in going through the corners, cornering speed, or acceleration, but the braking creates a lot of problems both in wet and dry conditions. We will keep pushing forward and working to resolve this problem and hopefully tomorrow we will improve. Andrea does not have the confidence and can’t push the bike enough; the lap time does not come by itself. On the other hand, Alex was not too bad because it is just Friday, the first day. The dry conditions were not bad for him. On wet surfaces he kept calm and was cautious. He is improving step by step, and in case of rain, it will prove to be a good challenge. This evening we will work hard to deal with the situation and we hope to make considerable improvement by tomorrow.”

Alex Rins

“It’s been complicated to get here and ride first on a dry track and then on wet one. Anyway, I am enjoying the positive vibes I got this morning with the dry setup. I felt good about the bike and we managed to improve the feel a little, and start to make some modifications. If I had more time on a dry track, I’d probably improved the lap time, as we had already come up with a couple of ideas that could make us perform better. Anyway it was also good to test out the bike in wet conditions, just in case the race is rainy. For the moment I am pretty satisfied. Let’s hope for a more stable weather tomorrow.”

Andrea Iannone

“Sincerely, I faced too many difficulties today, and the timesheets spoke for themselves. I struggled a lot and I hope to change something radically for tomorrow morning and be able to take some steps forward because obviously I don’t like to be in this situation at all. Getting nervous it’s not best way to solve the problems, so we need to work to understand what’s happening. We have to face the situation, move forward together with my team, my people, and the bike and try to improve. I’m struggling a lot to brake on the bike and we need to figure out this issue.”