Forward NGM Yamaha’s Aleix Espargaro bagged top spot in this afternoon’s second MotoGP free practice session at Assen, using the softer Open class Bridgestone to finish two tenths ahead of reigning champion Marc Marquez.
Espargaro, who was second quickest behind brother Pol this morning, set a 1’33.653 with his penultimate lap and topped the last flying lap of Marquez, who set a 1’33.864. Repsol Honda team-mate Dani Pedrosa pinged his way into third place just as the chequered flag came out, showing the Hondas are still coping better with warmer track temperatures.
Movistar Yamaha’s Jorge Lorenzo ended in fourth place but his quickest time was on the third lap of 19 and he didn’t make any further inroads as the circuit surface got hotter and moved into RC213V territory. However, Lorenzo put in a nice run of 1’34s and shows very dangerous race pace.
Italian Andrea Iannone got a tow from Marquez to bag fifth place on a 1’34.277 while a pull round courtesy of Lorenzo saw Bradley Smith equal the pace of Valentino Rossi, the pair of them on a 1’34.286.
This morning’s quickest man Pol Espargaro could only find an extra half-tenth in the afternoon, so slipped back to eighth place but still ahead of Stefan Bradl and the first of the Ducatis, Andrea Dovizioso.
Alvaro Bautista, on the works Go&Fun Honda, was only a second faster than his Open class team-mate Scott Redding in 11th while the MotoGP rookie outpaced Cal Crutchlow. The works Ducati man ended in 13th and was only just quicker than Yonny Hernandez, who is on last year’s Desmosedici.
Nicky Hayden ended in 17th place, two behind Colin Edwards, while Michael Laverty finished in 21st place and 2.6s off the pace on the PBM Aprilia.
