MotoGP Rio Hondo: Aleix Espargaro fastest again for Suzuki
Aleix Espargaro kept Suzuki on top in the second practice session for MotoGP's Argentinean Grand Prix at Termas de Rio Hondo
Espargaro had given Suzuki the first session-leading result of its MotoGP comeback in the morning, and suggested that was not just a fluke in dirty track conditions as he led the afternoon too.
The Suzuki's best lap of 1m38.776s came on the medium tyre available to teams with concessions, as did second-placed Andrea Iannone's time on the Ducati.
Marc Marquez was the leading runner on hard tyres in third place for Honda, six tenths down on Espargaro.
Cal Crutchlow used the extra-hard tyre to go fourth on the LCR Honda, with a lap that could have been better still had he not encountered the slower bike of Alex de Angelis in the final sector.
The second Ducati of Andrea Dovizioso completed the top five.
Yamaha's Jorge Lorenzo and Valentino Rossi were only sixth and ninth respectively.
They were split by the Tech 3 Yamaha of Pol Espargaro and Marc VDS Honda's Scott Redding, who spent a while in first place with a rapid late lap on extra-hards.
The final top 10 place went to Yonny Hernandez on the Pramac Ducati.
A brief rain shower threatened to spoil the session halfway through, but the rain passed without ever amounting to more than light drizzle.
FREE PRACTICE TIMES:
| Pos | Rider | Team | Bike | Time | Gap |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Aleix Espargaro | Suzuki | Suzuki | 1m38.776s | - |
| 2 | Andrea Iannone | Ducati | Ducati | 1m39.311s | 0.535s |
| 3 | Marc Marquez | Honda | Honda | 1m39.336s | 0.560s |
| 4 | Cal Crutchlow | LCR | Honda | 1m39.403s | 0.627s |
| 5 | Andrea Dovizioso | Ducati | Ducati | 1m39.434s | 0.658s |
| 6 | Jorge Lorenzo | Yamaha | Yamaha | 1m39.463s | 0.687s |
| 7 | Pol Espargaro | Tech 3 | Yamaha | 1m39.648s | 0.872s |
| 8 | Scott Redding | Marc VDS | Honda | 1m39.892s | 1.116s |
| 9 | Valentino Rossi | Yamaha | Yamaha | 1m39.947s | 1.171s |
| 10 | Yonny Hernandez | Pramac Racing | Ducati | 1m40.088s | 1.312s |
| 11 | Maverick Vinales | Suzuki | Suzuki | 1m40.126s | 1.350s |
| 12 | Bradley Smith | Tech 3 | Yamaha | 1m40.195s | 1.419s |
| 13 | Danilo Petrucci | Pramac Racing | Ducati | 1m40.438s | 1.662s |
| 14 | Nicky Hayden | Aspar | Honda | 1m40.522s | 1.746s |
| 15 | Karel Abraham | AB Motoracing | Honda | 1m40.586s | 1.810s |
| 16 | Hector Barbera | Avintia Racing | Ducati | 1m40.626s | 1.850s |
| 17 | Stefan Bradl | Forward Racing | Yamaha Forward | 1m40.672s | 1.896s |
| 18 | Eugene Laverty | Aspar | Honda | 1m40.846s | 2.070s |
| 19 | Jack Miller | LCR | Honda | 1m40.864s | 2.088s |
| 20 | Alex de Angelis | IodaRacing Project | ART/Aprilia | 1m41.152s | 2.376s |
| 21 | Hiroshi Aoyama | Honda | Honda | 1m41.380s | 2.604s |
| 22 | Alvaro Bautista | Aprilia Gresini | Aprilia | 1m41.490s | 2.714s |
| 23 | Mike Di Meglio | Avintia Racing | Ducati | 1m41.531s | 2.755s |
| 24 | Marco Melandri | Aprilia Gresini | Aprilia | 1m41.576s | 2.800s |
| 25 | Loris Baz | Forward Racing | Yamaha Forward | 1m41.784s | 3.008s |
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