Repsol Honda’s Marc Marquez just headed off a last-lap challenge from Britain’s Cal Crutchlow to lead the second MotoGP free practice times at Austin on track that had dried out by the end of the session.
The surface was damp and patchy as the pitlane light turned green but by the time the leading riders were able to put in any decent times, it was slicks all round and Marquez ended the 45-minute period with a 2’04.835 with Crutchlow’s satellite RC213V 0.327s in arrears.
Crutchlow was in the mix into the final third of the alloted times. He topped the sheet on a 2’05.693 with Marquez just behind him but two minutes later, Marquez was in the lead with a 2’05.390.
Andrea Iannone then slipped into the lead with a 2’05.190 but he was pushed back to second by Marquez’ final run and then another place by Crutchlow whose 2’05.162 was just enough for second. The CWM LCR man was two-tenths up going into the final sector but lost out on the run to the line.
Ecstar Suzuki’s Aleix Espargaro used his soft tyre to bag fourth place on a 2’05.564, set on his 11th lap, while Andrea Dovizioso’s best was a 2’05.646, 0.045s in front of compatriot Valentino Rossi.
Pol Espargaro was the leading satellite Yamaha and at the top of the sheets with 11 minutes to go but slid back to seventh place, one in front of Stefan Bradl on the Open Forward Yamaha. Yonny Herdandez was ninth and Bradley Smith’s 2’06.134 was enough for tenth before he crashed unhurt on the way into turn one.
If it rains tomorrow morning, then the entrants for qualifying one will be set from these times, which is a nightmare for Jorge Lorenzo who ended in 11th place some 1.339s behind Marquez and he had Scott Redding 0.04s behind him. Eugene Laverty finished in 20th, two places ahead of Nicky Hayden.
