Reigning MotoGP World Champion Marc Marquez ended the first day of Phillip Island free practice at the top of the timesheets with a fast last run which saw him set a 1’29.383 in a frantic final five minutes which laptimes drop by three-quarters of a second from the morning session.
Marquez came out of the pits with six minutes left and immediately jumped from fifth to second behind fellow Spaniard Jorge Lorenzo, who was on top with a 1’30.082 before Britain’s Cal Crutchlow blitzed everyone with a 1’29.579 to go almost half a second clear of the field using the Bridgestone aysmmetric front he didn’t try last year.
He was followed into second place by Pramac Ducati’s Yonny Hernandez just seconds later but then the big boys began their final runs. Lorenzo’s Movistar Yamaa hit the top with a 1’29.433 before Marquez set the quickest time of the weekend so far to seal top spot. Valentino Rossi, who had been second for a majority of the session, put in his best time of 1’30.041 which at that point was good enough for fifth place.
With just two minutes left, Maverick Vinales charged into third place using a medium rear with a 1’29.518 and Andrea Iannone put his double-winged works Ducati hopped into fourth on a 1’29.544 which pushed Crutchlow down to fifth place. Dani Pedrosa, who won last time out in Japan, moved from outside the top ten into sixth with his last lap of 1’29.876 which moved Petrucci to seventh.
Monster Yamaha’s Bradley Smith spent much of the session outside the top 15 but then leapt into seventh with seven minutes left, then bettered his time to a 1’30.032 but slipped back a place. Rossi couldn’t improve and found himself down in ninth, on the cusp of leaving the top ten and an automatic place in qualifying one should it rain in the morning but The Doctor spent much of the session working on race setup. Aleix Espargaro’s just squeaked into the top ten.
Local hero Jack Miller has been as high as fifth in the session on his Open Honda but was just moved outside the top ten by Smith’s last effort. Nicky Hayden ended in 12th, just ahead of Hector Barbera. Andrea Dovizioso is struggling on the second works GP15 down in 14th but is only a second off the pace.
Scott Redding is having zero fun in 17th place on his satellite RC213V and is just one place ahead of Eugene Laverty.
FP2 lap analysis:
Marquez put in four laps in the 1’29s bracket with four in the 1’30s. Lorenzo did two 1’29s and seven 1’30s. Pedrosa did one 1’29 and five 1’30s. Rossi did no 1’29s but 11 laps in the 1’30s.
