MotoGP 2013 – Round Ten – Indianapolis
— Repsol Honda duo lead Indy proceedings
Marc Marquez led a Repsol Honda Team one-two in Friday’s second free practice session for the Red Bull Indianapolis Grand Prix. The championship leader, who had already topped the morning period, maintained first position into the afternoon as teammate Dani Pedrosa and LCR Honda MotoGP’s Stefan Bradl joined him inside the top three.
As Marquez reduced the leading time to 1’39.502, Pedrosa – who briefly held P1 himself – was denied by less than one tenth of a second. Bradl – who suffered a fall this afternoon – jumped ahead of World Champion Lorenzo in the closing moments, who in-turn pipped Monster Yamaha Tech3’s Cal Crutchlow to fourth place. On the second Yamaha Factory Racing machine, Lorenzo’s teammate Valentino Rossi rounded out the first group of six.
There was a welcome return to action for Ignite Pramac Racing’s Ben Spies, all set to start his first race since Austin. The American ended the day in 13th place, whereas Energy T.I. Pramac Racing entrant Andrea Iannone was 14th and also making a return to the championship from injury. Ahead of them, positions seven to ten were occupied by Alvaro Bautista (GO&FUN Honda Gresini), Bradley Smith (Tech3) and Ducati Team duo Nicky Hayden and Andrea Dovizioso.
The field was completed by wildcard rider Blake Young (Attack Performance Racing), while Cardion AB Motoracing’s Karel Abraham was declared fit to continue competing despite suffering contusion of his left shoulder and left foot in a heavy highside crash during the first session; the Czech finished the day in 22nd position. There was a brief red flag stoppage in the afternoon when a marker became dislodged on the entry to Turn 1 – this was swiftly removed by the marshals.
1 Marc Marquez 1’39.502 SPA HONDA Repsol Honda Team
2 Dani Pedrosa 1’39.582 SPA HONDA Repsol Honda Team
3 Stefan Bradl 1’39.681 GER HONDA LCR Honda MotoGP
4 Jorge Lorenzo 1’39.765 SPA YAMAHA Yamaha Factory Racing
5 Cal Crutchlow 1’39.813 GBR YAMAHA Monster Yamaha Tech 3
6 Valentino Rossi 1’40.084 ITA YAMAHA Yamaha Factory Racing
7 Alvaro Bautista 1’40.087 SPA HONDA Go & Fun Honda Gresini
8 Bradley Smith 1’40.240 GBR YAMAHA Monster Yamaha Tech 3
9 Nicky Hayden 1’40.433 USA DUCATI Ducati Team
10 Andrea Dovizioso 1’40.552 ITA DUCATI Ducati Team
11 Aleix Espargaro 1’40.750 SPA ART Power Electronics Aspar
12 Danilo Petrucci 1’41.099 ITA IODA-SUTER Came IodaRacing Project
13 Ben Spies 1’41.145 USA DUCATI Ignite Pramac Racing Team
14 Andrea Iannone 1’41.444 ITA DUCATI Energy T.I. Pramac Racing Team
15 Claudio Corti 1’41.552 ITA FTR-KAWASAKI NGM Mobile Forward Racing
16 Colin Edwards 1’41.588 USA FTR-KAWASAKI NGM Mobile Forward Racing
17 Hector Barbera 1’41.814 SPA FTR Avintia Blusens
18 Randy De Puniet 1’41.956 FRA SUZUKI Suzuki Test Team
19 Yonny Hernandez 1’42.088 COL PBM Paul Bird Motorsport
20 Hiroshi Aoyama 1’42.808 JAP FTR Avintia Blusens
21 Lukas Pesek 1’42.828 CZE IODA-SUTER Came IodaRacing Project
22 Karel Abraham 1’42.927 CZE ART Cardion AB Motoracing
23 Bryan Staring 1’43.253 AUS FTR-HONDA Go & Fun Honda Gresini
24 Michael Laverty 1’43.741 GBR PBM Paul Bird Motorsport
25 Blake Young 1’45.590 USA APR CRT Attack Performance
— Repsol HRC
The first and second placed riders in the MotoGP standings, Marc Marquez and Dani Pedrosa, topped the free practice standings on their return from the summer break. Marquez again showed his great form right from the start of the weekend, adjusting to MotoGP riding at a track where he had won for last two years in Moto2. His teammate, Dani Pedrosa, made improvement as the day progressed, eventually finishing the afternoon session just 80 thousandths of a second down on his teammate and erasing doubts about his fitness.
The tenth round of the MotoGP World Championship kicked off today in America, at what is considered one of the meccas of motorsports: The Indianapolis Motor Speedway. The main protagonist of the day was the rider leading the World Championship, despite this being his first outing at Indy on a MotoGP machine.
Marc Marquez was the fastest rider of the day with a time of 1’39.502, followed by his Repsol Honda teammate, Dani Pedrosa. Sixth in the first session, the man second in the overall standings improved his pace in the second runout and showed that his previously injured left collarbone is in good shape after the summer’s rest. Finally he placed 80 thousandths of a second behind his teammate, concluding the day in second.
Dani Pedrosa – FP1 – 1:41.590, 19 laps, 80 km – FP2 – 1:39.582, 19 laps, 80 km.
“Today we went on track in both sessions, unlike at Laguna Seca. During the first session I felt a little strange when riding and I was a stiff on the bike, but in the second session I went faster because I loosened up a lot. Let’s see if tomorrow we can improve the feel on the bike and take some more off our lap time.”
Marc Marquez – FP1 – 1:40.781, 19 laps, 80 km. – FP2 – 1:39.502, 21 laps, 89 km.
“Today went pretty well. After the break it was important to regain confidence on the bike. The truth is that I felt comfortable almost immediately. I tried to stay calm during the first few laps, as they are the most delicate and I’m happy with how the day went. The track improved a lot in terms of grip from session to session, so tomorrow we will likely see the times come down again. I think we’re going in the right direction, so tomorrow we will continue as we have been doing so far.”
— Yamaha
Yamaha Factory Racing riders Jorge Lorenzo and Valentino Rossi were on track today for the first practice session of the weekend for the Indianapolis Grand Prix on Sunday. After a summer break shortened by a two-day private test at Brno this was the first opportunity for both riders to shake off any cobwebs and get back into a riding rhythm.
Lorenzo continues to improve his fitness following his two collarbone surgeries earlier in the season. The reigning world champion finished the morning practice in third, 0.480 seconds from first then went on to wrap up the afternoon session in fourth, having closed the time gap to first to just 0.263 seconds.
Rossi also made improvements between the two sessions. The nine-time world champion completed the morning session in fifth place 0.766 seconds from the front then worked hard to shave time off in the afternoon, finishing sixth with a gap of 0.582 seconds to first.
Jorge Lorenzo – 4th / 1’39.765 – “The collarbone is feeling good, it’s not 100% yet but it’s close. It doesn’t give me too many problems to ride at a high level. We are still very far from the track record and the track is still quite slippery. Compared to last year I think we are going to have less problems to fight for the podium. I won here in 2009 but usually it’s not so easy for me. Sometimes the other Yamaha riders are faster than me but so far it’s a good start. This morning the track conditions were better than I expected and then improved further over the day, so this afternoon all riders improved their lap times. We still have some problems, especially in braking but I think our margin can be improved quite a bit. We didn’t make so many laps in the afternoon; I wanted to make more but firstly the red flag cost us time and then at the end I found so many CRT bikes there it was hard to get clear laps.”
Valentino Rossi, 6th / 1’40.084 – “Today I had two different bikes to try and improve the feeling in braking and entering. We made two different comparisons and at the end we decided the way to go. Tomorrow we will concentrate on that bike to try to fix some problems with under steer and a bit too much pushing on the front, especially in two or three entries that are very difficult. In general I am quite happy, not so much with sixth position but I am just half a second from pole and I reduced my gap to Marquez and Lorenzo. Together with Cal the three Yamahas are all together. We have to fix some areas and tomorrow we will make another step.”
Crutchlow and Smith make strong start at iconic Indianapolis
The second half of the 2013 MotoGP World Championship got underway at the world famous Indianapolis Motor Speedway today, with Monster Yamaha Tech 3 riders Cal Crutchlow and Bradley Smith making an impressively fast return from a well deserved summer break. Refreshed and raring to go after spending the three-week break relaxing in America, Crutchlow and Smith wasted no time in getting back in the groove on their YZR-M1 machinery to lap inside the top eight today. Crutchlow was second fastest in cool and cloudy conditions in FP1 this morning, with the Indianapolis Motor Speedway’s notorious lack of grip and bumpy surface making it hard to work on a set-up for Sunday’s 27-lap race. With more grip available and track temperatures increasing this afternoon, the British rider was able to improve his pace by 1.3s in FP2 to finish fifth fastest in an incredibly close fought session. Crutchlow’s best lap of 1.39.813 was just 0.311s off the best time set by World Championship leader Marc Marquez and the top 10 were covered by just over a second.
Rookie Smith enjoyed an outstanding return to action at the legendary Brickyard venue today and after impressing with 10th position in FP1, he shone again in the second 45-minute session. Smith capitalised brilliantly on the improved track conditions to shave a massive 2.2s off his best time from this morning and a personal best of 1.40.240 moved him into eighth on the combined rankings. Smith was just over 0.7s off the fastest pace and less than 0.2s behind nine-times World Champion Valentino Rossi’s factory YZR-M1 machine in sixth position.
Cal Crutchlow 5th 1.39.813 – “Overall it has been a good day because we know this is not the easiest track for Yamaha. All of us are quite close but I am sure we can make some improvements for the rest of the weekend. We tried a few different things on the bike and we need to find some more feeling from the front-end but it is a decent start and something to build on for tomorrow. This morning was quite tough because the track was so slippery and the bumps seem to be much worse then when we’ve been here before. And I don’t remember the change in asphalt being so difficult, but it is the same for everybody.”
Bradley Smith 8th 1.40.240 – “It is great to be back on my Monster Yamaha Tech 3 machine again and I definitely felt the benefit of a good summer break with some good training out there today. I feel quite comfortable on this track and I don’t really have too many issues. Our base setting is in the ballpark but we can always make improvements and I am confident we can take some steps tomorrow. We know the track is going to continually improve now for the rest of the weekend, so it will be a case of adapting as the conditions change. But to be eighth is a great start for me and hopefully I can maintain that tomorrow to ensure I go immediately into QP2.”
— LCR Honda
The second half of the season started today at the famous Indianapolis race track with LCR racer Stefan Bradl setting the third fastest lap time of the day (1’39.681) aboard his Red Bull branded RCV. The German – who suffered a fall in the afternoon session – maintains his good form after the summer break and targets another good result after his brilliant performance at the US GP.
Bradl: “The first day was quite good for us: we have a good speed and I feel quite comfortable with the bike. Early in the afternoon session we struggled a bit with the front end and I suffered a little crash. We immediately found a solution and I could go back to my normal pace. Actually the track surface is not as good as it will be tomorrow and on Sunday, so we need to wait until the track is in better conditions. So far we are in the right direction and I am pleased with the 3rd lap time because it’s a good way to start the weekend”.
— Ducati
MotoGP world championship, both Ducati Team riders worked hard to find a good setup for their Desmosedici GP13 race bikes.
Following the summer break, Nicky Hayden and Andrea Dovizioso were quite careful as they took to the track for the first session, due to the tricky condition of the asphalt, but they were more certain in the afternoon, when both managed to improve their times and to finish the day in ninth and tenth places, respectively, approximately one second off leader Marc Marquez’s best time.
Nicky Hayden – Ducati Team, 9th (1:40.433)
“The track definitely came in better on the first day than it has in years past. The lap times are much faster and immediately, we were able to get right into setup. It’s also less abrasive and easier on the tyres. Of course I hoped to be a bit faster, but we know we’re still sorting out some problems. The turning issue is hurting me a lot in some places, and it’s making the bumps worse because I can’t get the bike picked up in time to soak them up. We’ll keep working hard, but today was fairly positive overall.”
Andrea Dovizioso – Ducati Team, 10th (1:40.552)
“The day was so-so, as we’re a way off in terms of pace. It’s always difficult for everyone here because the grip is quite precarious, with unpredictable bumps that are hard to see. We managed to improve over this morning, as the grip got better, while we were also able to take some small steps forward. We have all day tomorrow to work, so we hope to get more good weather so we can improve my bike’s setup. The most important thing is to cut some tenths and not be too far back on the grid Sunday, so we can have some possibility in the race to try to get a good position.”
— Bridgestone Report
Bridgestone slick compounds available: Front: Soft & Hard. Rear: Soft, Medium & Hard (Asymmetric)
Bridgestone wet tyre compounds available: Soft (Main), Hard (Alternative)
Weather: FP1 – Dry. Ambient 20-21°C; Track 25-27°C (Bridgestone measurement)
FP2 – Dry. Ambient 25-27°C; Track 44-47°C (Bridgestone measurement)
Repsol Honda’s Marc Marquez led a Honda 1-2-3 in the first day of practice at Indianapolis MotorSpeedway as the MotoGP rookie set a scorching lap time of 1’39.502 in the afternoon’s Free Practice 2 session.
Marquez’s best time was within half a second of the Circuit Record and just eight-hundredths ahead of second-placed Dani Pedrosa on the other Repsol Honda RC213V. Fresh from his first MotoGP pole position and podium at the last round in Laguna Seca, LCR Honda’s Stefan Bradl was third quickest on the day and a further tenth of a second behind. Power Electronics Aspar’s Aleix Espargaro was the pick of the CRT riders, his best lap time of 1’40.750 putting him within striking distance of the top ten in P11.
The morning Free Practice 1 session took place under cloud cover which kept track temperatures low, so riders chose softer slick options front and rear to get a feel for the grip level of the circuit. Track temperatures were much higher for FP2 and accordingly tyre choice was more varied, with both the softer and harder slick options front and rear being evaluated by riders. Almost all riders set their best time on the softer rear slick, but those riders that assessed the harder rear slick were able to set competitive lap times so further evaluation of this specification is likely to take place in tomorrow’s FP4 session.
Similar weather conditions to today are expected for tomorrow’s qualifying sessions with the MotoGP riders next on track for the final ranked practice session; FP3, at 955 local time (GMT -4).
Masao Azuma – Chief Engineer, Bridgestone Motorsport Tyre Development Department – “Track conditions this morning weren’t the best with low grip levels and cool track temperatures, and as a result some riders experienced graining on their rear tyres but it wasn’t enough to impact tyre performance. The cloud cover from the morning lifted in the afternoon so track temperatures increased and riders were able to assess all the slick options. With different types of tarmac, parts of this circuit are usually quite greasy and that was the case again this morning but this will hopefully improve over the weekend as more sessions take place and rubber is laid down. Tyre performance was very good today and lap times were quite quick with Marc’s best time just 0.5 seconds off the Circuit Record, so qualifying tomorrow should be very exciting.”
— Moto2
Simone Corsi moved atop the timesheets as Moto2™ practice continued at the Indianapolis Motor Speedway on Friday. After a flurry of last-minute lap time improvements, the NGM Mobile Racing rider led championship leader Scott Redding (Marc VDS Racing Team) and Tito Rabat (Tuenti HP 40).
After finishing fourth in the morning, Corsi continued his consistent day to lead with a best effort of 1’43.683. Redding – who at the end of the second session briefly set the pace for the first and only time – ended proceedings almost three tenths of a second slower, while third-placed Rabat narrowly edged out Came Iodaracing Project’s Johann Zarco and Maptaq SAG Zelos Team’s Marcel Schrotter. In sixth was Takaaki Nakagami, who had led the opening period for Italtrans Racing Team.
The talking point of the day was arguably the huge highside from which Pol Espargaro escaped unscathed. The title contender lost the rear end of his Tuenti HP 40 machine at the final corner, with the bike soon cartwheeling towards – but missing – its errant rider who was miraculously able to ride it back to the pit lane for repairs. The Spaniard would finish the day in 15th position, having during the summer break signed a MotoGP™ contract with Monster Yamaha Tech3 for next year.
Mike di Meglio was in the wars in the final minutes, sliding his JiR Moto2 bike off-track at Turn 10, as American wildcard rider James Rispoli completed the day in 28th spot for GPTech. 31st fastest of the 33 runners was Thitipong Warokorn for Thai Honda PTT Gresini Moto2, permanent replacement for fellow Thai countryman Ratthapark Wilairot who has now retired from Grand Prix motorcycle racing.
— Moto 3
Maverick Viñales has set the pace at the end of the Moto3™ summer break, topping Friday’s second practice for the Red Bull Indianapolis Grand Prix. The Team Calvo rider led the way from San Carlo Team Italia’s Romano Fenati and Estrella Galicia 0,0’s Alex Marquez.
Jack Miller (Caretta Technology – RTG) led the way for much of the session, but a late flurry of lap times demoted the Australian to an eventual fourth position. For Viñales, his lap time of 1’48.502 becomes a new Moto3™ benchmark at the legendary Motor Speedway, edging out Fenati’s last-gasp effort by just 39 thousandths of a second. With Marquez third quickest, he and teammate Alex Rins – winner of the last race in Germany – sandwiched Miller into fourth spot.
Mapfre Aspar Team Moto3’s Jonas Folger, who had topped a rain-affected first period in the morning – ended the day in sixth place, narrowly ahead of championship leader Luis Salom (Red Bull KTM Ajo). In opening practice, Ana Carrasco (Team Calvo) had become the first faller of the day, whereas during the afternoon there were incidents for Toni Finsterbusch (Kiefer Racing), Niccolo Antonelli (GO&FUN Gresini Moto3), the aforementioned Miller and Miguel Oliveira (Mahindra Racing).
At Ambrogio Racing, France’s Jules Danilo is riding in place of Danny Webb who is no longer with the team; a permanent replacement rider is yet to be named.
Arthur Sissis – “It was a pretty good first day to the Grand Prix. In the morning practice session I was amongst the top ten from the start and feeling good. It’s a pity that it started to rain and we lost about fifteen minutes of the session. In the last two minutes, it looked like the track was better, but we decided not to go back out..In the second session, we continued the work begun in the morning run and we managed to go faster. The feeling was again good and we remained in the top ten. To begin the weekend as one of the ten fastest riders is a good start, so hopefully I can continue to progress tomorrow.”
