Marquez leads Mugello MotoGP practice

As the premier class action on the opening day of the 2014 Gran Premio d’Italia TIM concluded at Mugello, light rain restricted the riders’ activity – with Marc Marquez fastest MotoGP rider on Friday courtesy of his FP1 best time.

Marquez commented, “I began with a few questions on my mind after last year – when this track was one of those that I found most difficult – and I saw that things have changed completely after a year of experience. I felt very comfortable on the bike, there was a big difference compared to last year. I’m feeling much better about things and we hope to continue improving.

“The morning went well and the feeling was good, but in the afternoon we didn’t go out as it was raining on-and-off and the surface was neither fit for dry riding nor wet tires.”

Some late timed laps in FP2 for the MotoGP™ riders saw Ducati Team’s test rider and wild card this weekend Michele Pirro top with a 2:05.435 in the mixed conditions, with only Nicky Hayden (Drive M7 Aspar), Alvaro Bautista (GO&FUN Honda Gresini) and Hiroshi Aoyama (Drive M7 Aspar) joining him on a relatively meaningless afternoon timesheet.

If it rains again for FP3 the faster times from FP1 will dictate Q1 and Q2 participation and World Champion Marquez led the way in that morning session with a 1:48.004 best time, from Valentino Rossi (Movistar Yamaha MotoGP) who was second by 0.382s.

“This morning the start was good for me,” Rossi said. “We found already quite a good setting and I felt comfortable on the bike; it was already quite fast. The weather is a shame firstly for the people around the circuit and also as we had something important to try this afternoon so it was important to try to make the test. Unfortunately 10 minutes before the practice it started to rain but not enough for the rain tire so we wasted our time.”

Andrea Iannone (Pramac Racing) and Andrea Dovizioso (Ducati Team) made it three Italians in the FP1 top five, which was completed by Jorge Lorenzo (Movistar Yamaha MotoGP).

“I’m very happy for today because in the first practice I was fast and I’m pleased with my performance,” Iannone said. “I’m also happy with my feeling on the bike. I was disappointed by the second practice because it’s important to ride the bike, as the team and I wanted to change the bike in some small ways. I had a different setting for the second practice but I couldn’t try it.”

The day’s top 10 was completed by Aleix Espargaro (NGM Forward Racing), Stefan Bradl (LCR Honda MotoGP), Cal Crutchlow (Ducati Team), the aforementioned Bautista and Bradley Smith (Monster Yamaha Tech3) courtesy of their respective FP1 times.

Bautista and Pol Espargaro (Monster Yamaha Tech3) both escaped without serious injuries from big turn 1 crashes in FP1, Espargaro still learning his MotoGP lines at Mugello and Bautista high siding as he slowed to avoid contact with Karel Abraham.

In the second Moto2™ practice at the Gran Premio d’Italia TIM on Friday Randy Krummenacher was the quickest performer on a damp track, in front of Johann Zarco and Mika Kallio on the timesheet – with Tito Rabat fastest on Friday courtesy of the best morning time.

The afternoon pace was affected by light rain and a damp track and was around 17s off the morning pace, with Krummenacher (IodaRacing Project) setting a 2:09.070s best lap to lead by 0.110s from Zarco (AirAsia Caterham Moto Racing) and 0.287s from Kallio (Marc VDS Racing Team).

Standings leader Rabat (Marc VDS Racing Team), therefore, ended the day as the fastest Moto2 competitor, with his rapid 1:52.860 coming on used tires at the end of FP1. For comparison, the Moto2 best pole lap at Mugello is a 1:52.369 registered by Pol Espargaro in 2012.

Behind Rabat on Friday’s combined timesheet Sandro Cortese (Dynavolt Intact GP), Thomas Luthi (Interwetten Paddock Moto2), Jonas Folger (AGR Team) and Alex De Angelis (Tasca Racing Moto2) all featured in the overall top five.

In the Moto3™ FP2 session on Friday afternoon Alex Marquez (Estrella Galicia 0,0) registered the best lap of Mugello, followed by Romano Fenati (SKY Racing Team VR46) and Jack Miller (Red Bull KTM Ajo) at the top of the timing screens.

Honda rider Marquez (1:58.713) was top by a 0.001s margin from home rider Fenati on the KTM, with championship leader Miller 0.07s off the top on his KTM as the riders worked on their settings on the first day.

–From motogp.com

MotoGP Practice Results (courtesy Repsol Honda)

{fcomment}