Andrea Iannone tops Mugello MotoGP Day One
With only 14 riders having set times in Free Practice 1, the second session of the day was actually the first time on track at Mugello for several riders. The start of the Gran Premio d’Italia TIM had been hit by rain, but there were no such issues in Free Practice 2. Yonny Hernandez (Aspar Team MotoGP) had been the fastest rider in FP1 but his 1’54.199 was quickly demolished.
All the MotoGP World Championship riders were able to improve their times considerably in the session. Quickest of them all was Andrea Iannone (Ducati Team) who set a 1’47.696 to end 0.461s ahead of second place. He might be off to Team Suzuki Ecstar in 2017, but Ducati and Iannone still have business to finish in 2016. Mugello in 2015 was the scene of Iannone’s first MotoGP World Championship pole position and he could easily achieve a second premier class pole if his form continues.
Jorge Lorenzo (Movistar Yamaha MotoGP) was immediately up to speed after sitting out Free Practice 1. He set a 1’48.157 to edge within half a second of Iannone. Lorenzo once again tried a new version of his helmet with an extended rear section.
Wildcard Michele Pirro (Ducati Team) was again up towards the sharp end, ending as the third fastest rider of the day. A slipstream behind Lorenzo assisted his time, but Pirro often produces his best results in front of the hoards of Italians who fill the hills of Mugello.
Aleix Espargaro (Team Suzuki Ecstar) concluded Friday as the fourth fastest rider, just over a tenth off Jorge Lorenzo. Marc Marquez (Repsol Honda Team) was the leading Honda in fifth. Starting somewhat down the order is not unusual for Marquez who has often struggled at the circuit, having won just once in the premier class.
The distance from second to sixth was nail bitingly close, never more than a tenth of a second splitting two riders. 0.644s off Iannone’s time, but only two tenths from second, Valentino Rossi (Movistar Yamaha MotoGP) started his home round well and is already up to speed with his rivals.
Maverick Viñales (Team Suzuki Ecstar), Scott Redding (Octo Pramac Yakhnich), Cal Crutchlow (LCR Honda) and Pol Espargaro (Monster Yamaha Tech 3) were all inside the top ten. Despite Iannone’s considerable lead, they all managed to end within a second of his time.
Having just announced his contract extension with Honda, Dani Pedrosa’s (Repsol Honda Team) weekend got off to a less than ideal start as he finished 11th. The Italian GP is also Pedrosa’s 250th Grand Prix start, the Spaniard aiming to celebrate the achievement with a bang. Andrea Dovizioso (Ducati Team) also had a rough start to the weekend with the 13th fastest time. Fortunately conditions are looking good for Saturday and Sunday, giving both a chance to improve.
Conscious of his recent injury problems, Australian Miller opted to sit out this morning’s session to adopt a risk-free start to round six of the 2016 World Championship campaign. Miller finished just one place and 0.050s behind Rabat but his second practice session was spent searching for improved handling in Mugello’s fast changes of direction.
Jack Miller – 18th – 1’49.698
“Unfortunately it has been a difficult start to the weekend and I’m struggling with the bike setting. You need a stable bike for the fast and flowing sections here and we are lacking a little bit of handling in the changes of direction. Each time I change direction the rear just steps out on me, but we have got some ideas on how to improve for tomorrow.”
MotoGP 2016 – Round Six Mugello – Day One Results
- A. IANNONE DUCATI TEAM 1’47.696
- J. LORENZO MOVISTAR YAMAHA MOTOGP 1’48.157
- M. PIRRO DUCATI TEAM 1’48.245
- A. ESPARGARÒ TEAM SUZUKI ECSTAR 1’48.270
- M. MARQUEZ REPSOL HONDA TEAM 1’48.290
- V. ROSSI MOVISTAR YAMAHA MOTOGP 1’48.340
- M. VIÑALES TEAM SUZUKI ECSTAR 1’48.345
- S. REDDING OCTO PRAMAC YAKHNICH 1’48.406
- C. CRUTCHLOW LCR HONDA 1’48.458
- P. ESPARGARÒ MONSTER YAMAHA TECH3 1’48.470
- D. PEDROSA REPSOL HONDA TEAM 1’48.713
- D. PETRUCCI OCTO PRAMAC YAKHNICH 1’48.752
- A. DOVIZIOSO DUCATI TEAM 1’48.816
- Y. HERNANDEZ ASPAR TEAM MOTOGP 1’48.832
- B. SMITH MONSTER YAMAHA TECH3 1’49.199
- H. BARBERA AVINTIA RACING 1’49.234
- T. RABAT ESTRELLA GALICIA 0,0 MARC VDS 1’49.648
- J. MILLER ESTRELLA GALICIA 0,0 MARC VDS 1’49.698
- E. LAVERTY ASPAR TEAM MOTOGP 1’49.852
- A. BAUTISTA APRILIA RACING TEAM GRESINI 1’49.913
- S. BRADL APRILIA RACING TEAM GRESINI 1’50.368
- L. BAZ AVINTIA RACING 1’51.055
Improvements continue in Mugello as Zarco leads on Friday
Improved conditions brought improved times as the intermediate class upped the pace with Zarco ending fastest ahead of Cortese and Nakagami
The Moto2 World Championship was the only class with two sessions where slicks were appropriate to use. As a result they did not experience the dramatic drop in times like the lightweight and premier classes, times instead steadily improving during the session. As in the previous two classes, all riders would eventually set their best times of the day during the second session.
A rapid final lap of 1’52.944 rocketed Johann Zarco (Ajo Motorsport) to the top of Free Practice 2, the Frenchman controlling both sessions at the Italian GP on Friday. His time in the second session was over half a second quicker than in the morning session, the reigning Moto2™ World Champion back to his best after a tough home weekend.
Having missed the French GP due to injury, Sandro Cortese (Dynavolt Intact GP) made a superb return to action as he wrapped up Friday as the second fastest rider. The German was only 0.049s slower than Zarco’s best time. Cortese, like several other riders, had his final lap time cancelled for exceeding track limits. Fortunately this was not his fastest time.
Takaaki Nakagami (Idemitsu Honda Team Asia) again started the weekend well, 0.065s behind Zarco and only 0.016s behind Cortese in second place. The slipstream proved to be a helpful tool to gain several vital tenths at the end of a lap.
Franco Morbidelli (Estrella Galicia 0,0 Marc VDS) ended fourth having made progress with his Kalex during a test in Misano ahead of the weekend. Hafizh Syahrin (Petronas Raceline Malaysia) also started the weekend off on the right foot as he ended fifth and a mere 0.125s back on Zarco.
Lorenzo Baldassarri (Forward Team), Xavier Simeon (QMMF Racing Team), Luca Marini (Forward Team), Sam Lowes (Federal Oil Gresini Moto2) and Alex Marquez (Estrella Galicia 0,0 Marc VDS) completed the top ten.
Championship leader Alex Rins (Paginas Amarillas HP 40) finished the day in 11th ahead of fellow front runner Tom Luthi (Garage Plus Interwetten). From Zarco in first to Danny Kent (Leopard Racing) in 20th, there was just one second dividing all the riders.
Simone Corsi (Speed Up Racing) was an early faller in the session as he came off his Speed Up at Turn 2. He was immediately on his feet and picking up his bike.
Ono ends Friday in control as Mugello dries
A hot track produced some hot lap times as Ono leads Free Practice 2 in the lightweight class ahead of Bagnaia and Di Giannantonio
After spending Free Practice 1 on a damp and cold Mugello circuit, riders in the Moto3™ World Championship were pleased to see the sun as Free Practice 2 began. It came as no surprise that times improved dramatically from the morning session, Khairul Idham Pawi (Honda Team Asia) leading FP1 with a 2’09.992, but the sun rapidly dried and warmed the 5.245 kilometres of the Mugello circuit.
Improving his time by over ten seconds, Hiroki Ono (Honda Team Asia) continued to show well in Mugello. A 1’58.489 saw the Japanese rider lead the day overall at one of his favourite circuits. In 2015 Ono stared from second on the grid, his first, and so far only, front row start in the World Championship.
Not known for their top end speed, Mahindra proved Mugello isn’t all about the straight as Francesco Bagnaia (Aspar Mahindra Team Moto3) produced a 1’58.760 to end second. Bagnaia has been strong in almost every round of the year so far and will no doubt be in the podium hunt again.
Rookie Fabio Di Giannantonio (Gresini Racing Moto3) was able to end the session in third place after Jorge Martin (Aspar Mahindra Team Moto3) had his lap time cut for running wide at Turn 5. Di Giannantonio arrives in Mugello fresh off a private test in Misano.
Brad Binder (Red Bull KTM Ajo) was immediately up to speed having only done a handful of laps in FP1. All of the top four were able to lap in the 1’58s. His championship rival Jorge Navarro (Estrella Galicia 0,0) ended right behind him in fifth.
Romano Fenati (SKY Racing Team VR46), Juanfran Guevara (RBA Racing Team), Niccolo Antonelli (Ongetta-Rivacold) and Nicolo Bulega (SKY Racing Team VR46) were all inside the top ten.
Enea Bastianini (Gresini Racing Moto3) had his first run on track after breaking his wrist before Le Mans, ending 10th with his wrist suffering.
