MotoGP rookie Marc Marquez has topped the second MotoGP free practice session at Losail this afternoon, knocking countryman and reigning champion Jorge Lorenzo off the number one spot with his last flying lap.
The Spanish Repsol Honda man went round in 1'56.477, a little over two-tenths faster than Lorenzo, who is testing a new chassis at the desert circuit today, on a circuit that saw the front tyres of most bikes clearing sand even towards of the end of the session.
Nine-time world champion Valentino Rossi had led until nine minutes left with a 1'57.143 but he was deposed by his Factory Yamaha team-mate who went three-tenths quicker. The Doctor upped his game to a 1'56.805 but remained in third place.
Monster Yamaha's Cal Crutchlow continued his impressive work from yesterday and set a 1'57.169 with his last lap to secure fourth place on the sheets, just ahead of LCR Honda's Stefan Bradl, who had been as high as second earlier in the session.
Andrea Dovizioso is proving the works Ducati is working for him over one fast lap, setting the sixth quickest time on a 1'57.833 but Dani Pedrosa, on the second Repsol Honda, is still struggling down in seventh place and 1.4s off the pace.
The tiny Spaniard appears to be having trouble stopping his RCV213V as he has run off track at turn one five times in the first two sessions - and team-mate Marquez has also not been averse to doing the same thing.
Nicky Hayden parked his Desmosedici in eighth place, just ahead of the still-injured Ben Spies in ninth on the satellite Ignite Ducati and both are 1.6s off the pace. Alvaro Bautista, who is carrying a hand injury, rounded out the top ten with Bradley Smith 11th.
Aleix Espargaro is topping the CRT class war in 13th place with PBM's Yonny Hernandez shrugging off an early crash yesterday to go second quickest. Hector Barbera is third with Michael Laverty, on the sister PBM bike which sports a different chassis, bringing up the rear in 24th place.
