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MotoGP Japan: Yamaha's Lorenzo fastest in crash-filled practice two

Reigning MotoGP champion Jorge Lorenzo finished second practice for the Japanese Grand Prix at Motegi on top for Yamaha

Lorenzo set his fastest time after the chequered flag to lead Ducati's Andrea Dovizioso, Suzuki's Maverick Vinales and championship leader Marc Marquez following a dramatic conclusion to the session.

UPDATE: Pedrosa to miss Japanese GP after crash

Marquez started it all with six minutes to go, when he lost the front end of his Honda at the Turn 10 hairpin, staying with his bike and stopping in the middle of the track but able to remount and ride away.

Moments later, his team-mate Dani Pedrosa had a massive highside at Turn 11 and Aspar Ducati rider Eugene Laverty crashed heavily at the high-speed Turn 6.

Both riders were taken to the medical centre for checks, Pedrosa wary of his right collarbone and Laverty conscious but initially on a stretcher, while Marc VDS Honda's Jack Miller then also crashed at Turn 3.

At the medical centre, Pedrosa was diagnosed with a fracture in his right collarbone.

On the timesheets, practice one pacesetter Dovizioso led the way into the closing stages with a time of 1m45.737s, 0.007 seconds clear of Marquez, who was fastest early on.

Dovizioso improved twice more on his final run, to a 1m45.489s and then 1m45.204s, but he did not finish on top of the order.

When the chequered flag was shown Vinales was fastest with a 1m45.248s, before Lorenzo recorded a 1m45.151s.

While Dovizioso's final effort was good enough for second, 0.053s slower than Lorenzo, Vinales lost three tenths in the last sector and did not improve, and he had to settle for third.

Marquez made it four different manufacturers inside the top four, finishing ahead of LCR Honda's Cal Crutchlow, Suzuki's Aleix Espargaro and Yamaha's Valentino Rossi in a top seven split by 0.381s.

Danilo Petrucci was eighth for Pramac Ducati, ahead of Pedrosa, Pol Espargaro and Aprilia pair Stefan Bradl and Alvaro Bautista, with Espargaro and Bradl both coming unstuck in the first half of the session.

Laverty was 13th from Hector Barbera, on the second factory Ducati for the weekend in Andrea Iannone's absence.

Returning Tech3 Yamaha rider Bradley Smith remained 21st and 3.746s off the pace, while Mike Jones made steady progress during his first day on a MotoGP bike - Barbera's regular Avintia Ducati - a further 2.058s adrift.

SECOND PRACTICE RESULTS:

Pos Rider Team Time Gap Laps
1 Jorge Lorenzo Yamaha 1m45.151s - 17
2 Andrea Dovizioso Ducati 1m45.204s 0.053s 16
3 Maverick Vinales Suzuki 1m45.248s 0.097s 20
4 Marc Marquez Honda 1m45.303s 0.152s 20
5 Cal Crutchlow LCR Honda 1m45.501s 0.350s 18
6 Aleix Espargaro Suzuki 1m45.513s 0.362s 19
7 Valentino Rossi Yamaha 1m45.532s 0.381s 21
8 Danilo Petrucci Pramac Ducati 1m46.172s 1.021s 17
9 Dani Pedrosa Honda 1m46.227s 1.076s 15
10 Pol Espargaro Tech3 Yamaha 1m46.245s 1.094s 9
11 Stefan Bradl Aprilia 1m46.367s 1.216s 18
12 Alvaro Bautista Aprilia 1m46.834s 1.683s 18
13 Eugene Laverty Aspar Ducati 1m46.853s 1.702s 14
14 Hector Barbera Ducati 1m46.876s 1.725s 16
15 Yonny Hernandez Aspar Ducati 1m46.981s 1.830s 14
16 Scott Redding Pramac Ducati 1m47.032s 1.881s 17
17 Katsuyuki Nakasuga Yamaha 1m47.135s 1.984s 19
18 Jack Miller Marc VDS Honda 1m47.244s 2.093s 13
19 Tito Rabat Marc VDS Honda 1m47.972s 2.821s 22
20 Loris Baz Avintia Ducati 1m48.669s 3.518s 17
21 Bradley Smith Tech3 Yamaha 1m48.897s 3.746s 15
22 Mike Jones Avintia Ducati 1m50.955s 5.804s 21


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