Sepang MotoGP Test – Day Two Times
Note – This report has now been replaced by a newer version (click here) with extensive quotes from the riders and images from day two of testing
A fair bit of action unfolded in the first four hours of the second day of MotoGP Testing at Sepang today.
Danilo Petrucci was the pacesetter on the Octo Pramac Yakhnich Ducati ahead of Avintia Ducati rider Hector Barbera.
Yesterday’s pacesetter Jorge Lorenzo was third quickest by a fraction over Marc Marquez and Scott Redding, the Brit on the second of the Octo Pramac Yakhnich Ducati machines, making it three Ducati Desmosedici in the top five.
Loris Baz crashed heavily a couple of hours in to the session. The crash happened on a straight at 290km/h when the rear of the machine locked up. It seems the culprit could have been a rear tyre failure, possibly caused by too low pressure.
Michelin then stopped the use of the softer option rear tyre as the issue was investigated, and ordered teams to raise the rear tyre pressure to 25psi from the previously recommended 21psi.
Pol Espargaro went down seemingly unhurt on his 14th lap of the day.
Jorge Lorenzo lost the front at turn five on his 17th lap and went down.
Tito Rabat was another faller towards the four hour mark, the Marc VDS Honda hitting the deck on his 28th lap of the day.
Valentino Rossi took a long time to break into the top ten today but with four hours remaining is ninth quickest just ahead of Yonny Hernandez and Casey Stoner, the Australian only putting in 17-laps so far today, his quickest time of 2m01.69 came on his fourth lap out this morning.
In the evening sessions there was a long lull in action before a very busy final hour with riders taking advantage of dropping temperatures. In the back of the minds also is the forecast for a high probability of rain tomorrow.
With 35-minutes remaining Dani Pedrosa went down at turn five.
20-minutes later Yonny Hernandez also went down, quickly followed by Pol Espargaro sliding through the kitty litter for the second time today.
In the closing minutes of the session Jorge Lorenzo lowered his marker to 2m00.15. A fraction behind Petrucci’s 2m00.09 this morning on the softer option tyres.
Cal Crutchlow was another rider to improve this evening, lowering his time to 2m00.899 to go fifth quickest just ahead of Valentino Rossi. Casey Stoner lowered his mark to 2m01.03 to be ninth quickest while Bradley Smith rounded out the top ten. That group of riders from sixth through to tenth were covered by only a single tenth of a second.
Action begins again tomorrow morning but at this stage it is unclear as to whether Casey Stoner will take to the track again tomorrow. The weather forecast also does not look too favourable so if it is dry in the morning expect riders to be getting in as many laps as the can before rain arrives later in the afternoon.
Sepang MotoGP Test Day Two Times
- Danilo Petrucci 2m00.09 (46 laps) Ducati
- Jorge Lorenzo 2m00.15 (32 laps) Yamaha
- Hector Barbera 2m00.38 (32 laps) Ducati
- Marc Marquez 2m00.84 Honda
- Cal Crutchlow 2m00.89 Honda
- Valentino Rossi 2m01.02 Yamaha
- Scott Redding 2m01.04 Ducati
- Andrea Iannone 2m01.05 Ducati
- Casey Stoner 2m01.10 Ducati
- Bradley Smith 2m01.10 Yamaha
- Maverick Vinales 2m01.42 Suzuki
- Dani Pedrosa 2m01.47 Honda
- Yonny Hernandez 2m01.64 Ducati
- Andrea Dovizioso 2m01.72 Ducati
- Pol Espargaro 2m01.99 Yamaha
- Aleix Espargaro 2m02.09 Suzuki
- Tito Rabat 2m02.32 Honda
- Stefan Bradl 2m02.37 Aprilia
- Loris Baz 2m02.61 Ducati
- Katsuyuki Nakasuga 2m02.69 Yamaha
- Alvaro Bautista 2m02.87 Aprilia
