Jerez MotoGP: Three from three for Yamaha's Lorenzo in practice
Jorge Lorenzo made it three out of three as he went fastest again in Saturday morning practice for MotoGP's Spanish Grand Prix at Jerez
The Yamaha rider's best Friday lap remained sufficient to keep him in the top seven on combined times for much of the session while he focused on long runs again.
When he went into qualifying simulation mode right at the end, Lorenzo was able to pop back to the top with a 1m38.493s amid a flurry of quick-fire position changes.
It was a Yamaha one-two, but the second man was Tech 3 rider Pol Espargaro, who had been quickest for a spell before Lorenzo's late lap and was only beaten by 0.054 seconds.
An unwell Cal Crutchlow had been fastest in the opening minutes and got back to third for LCR Honda late on, lapping just 0.082s off Lorenzo.
Aleix Espargaro completed a top four covered by 0.160s on his Suzuki.
Marc Marquez, who was concerned that his injured hand might become more painful through exertion as the weekend progressed, topped most of the session but fell to seventh amid the softer-tyre runs at the end.
That put him behind Andrea Dovizioso on the best of the Ducatis, and championship leader Valentino Rossi - who had struggled on Friday.
Factory Ducati rider Andrea Iannone and British pair Bradley Smith and Scott Redding were the final men to secure top 10 places and therefore automatic Q2 spots.
Suzuki's second rider Maverick Vinales and Ducati privateers Danilo Petrucci and Yonny Hernandez will be the leading contenders to come through Q1 into the pole shootout, as practice ended with the top 13 covered by just 0.819s. Vinales was only 0.045s shy of a guaranteed Q2 place.
Eugene Laverty was unhurt in the session's only crash, when he lost the front end of his Aspar Honda.
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PRACTICE THREE TIMES:
Pos | Rider | Team | Bike | Time | Gap |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
1 | Jorge Lorenzo | Yamaha | Yamaha | 1m38.493s | - |
2 | Pol Espargaro | Tech 3 | Yamaha | 1m38.547s | 0.054s |
3 | Cal Crutchlow | LCR | Honda | 1m38.575s | 0.082s |
4 | Aleix Espargaro | Suzuki | Suzuki | 1m38.653s | 0.160s |
5 | Andrea Dovizioso | Ducati | Ducati | 1m38.728s | 0.235s |
6 | Valentino Rossi | Yamaha | Yamaha | 1m38.767s | 0.274s |
7 | Marc Marquez | Honda | Honda | 1m38.860s | 0.367s |
8 | Andrea Iannone | Ducati | Ducati | 1m38.876s | 0.383s |
9 | Bradley Smith | Tech 3 | Yamaha | 1m38.924s | 0.431s |
10 | Scott Redding | Marc VDS | Honda | 1m39.151s | 0.658s |
11 | Maverick Vinales | Suzuki | Suzuki | 1m39.196s | 0.703s |
12 | Danilo Petrucci | Pramac Racing | Ducati | 1m39.229s | 0.736s |
13 | Yonny Hernandez | Pramac Racing | Ducati | 1m39.312s | 0.819s |
14 | Hector Barbera | Avintia Racing | Ducati | 1m39.582s | 1.089s |
15 | Alvaro Bautista | Aprilia Gresini | Aprilia | 1m39.724s | 1.231s |
16 | Karel Abraham | AB Motoracing | Honda | 1m39.824s | 1.331s |
17 | Mike Di Meglio | Avintia Racing | Ducati | 1m39.840s | 1.347s |
18 | Stefan Bradl | Forward Racing | Yamaha Forward | 1m39.882s | 1.389s |
19 | Eugene Laverty | Aspar | Honda | 1m40.088s | 1.595s |
20 | Hiroshi Aoyama | Honda | Honda | 1m40.149s | 1.656s |
21 | Loris Baz | Forward Racing | Yamaha Forward | 1m40.354s | 1.861s |
22 | Jack Miller | LCR | Honda | 1m40.486s | 1.993s |
23 | Nicky Hayden | Aspar | Honda | 1m40.499s | 2.006s |
24 | Alex de Angelis | IodaRacing Project | ART/Aprilia | 1m41.049s | 2.556s |
25 | Marco Melandri | Aprilia Gresini | Aprilia | 1m41.433s | 2.940s |
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