Ducati’s Andrea Iannone left his best lap until last and toppled a dominant Movistar Yamaha’s Jorge Lorenzo from the top of the third free practice MotoGP timesheets at Le Mans.
A 1’32.528, which was only five tenths of a second off the out-right circuit record, was good enough to place Iannone P1 going into qualifying this afternoon. Both the Ducati rider and Lorenzo were on the softer tyre compounds on their fastest laps, with Lorenzo missing out on taking the free practice spoils by a tiny 0.005s margin.
Monster Yamaha’s Pol Espargaro went third fastest with a 1’32.662, with Repsol Honda’s Marc Marquez fourth quickest. The former champ was unable to reach the top of the timing-screens throughout the whole session and was two tenths off the time set by Iannone.
Vinales and Pedrosa completed the top six, with Movistar Yamaha’s Valentino Rossi making his way safely into the top ten fastest times, and into Q2 with a 1’33.012, which placed the multiple champ seventh fastest overall. The Italian is joined in Q2 by fellow countryman Dovizioso and British rider’s Monster Yamaha’s Bradley Smith and LCR Honda’s Cal Crutchlow.
Smith made it into Q2 on his very last rotation, and Crutchlow’s penultimate lap pushed him from outside the top ten to tenth. OCTO Pramac Ducati’s Scott Redding was up to seventh fastest, but in the final minutes of the session fell back to twelfth, and is joined in Q2 by Aspar’s Eugene Laverty. The pair will have to fight it out for a top two place in Q1 to make it though to the second qualifying outing later today.
Suzuki Ecstar's Aleix Espargaro crashed unhurt with 31 minutes remaining to the session and managed to push his bike back to pit lane and to his garage, but he fell out of the top ten and has to battle his way out of Q1 later this afternoon. Tito Rabat was another faller, who crashed at the Dunlop Chicane on the twenty minute mark, and was another racer unable to get into Q2.
