Jerez, MotoGP, FP3: Quartararo 3rd in a crazy session led by Petrucci!

The first lesson brought by the first day of the Spanish Grand Prix in Jerez was that of a new surface much faster than the old one. We actually drove yesterday a good half-second faster than last year, and the provisional poleman was already only 3 tenths away from the absolute track record.

In terms of the forces present, Honda has, as expected, raised the bar after a disastrous Grand Prix of the Americas, and proudly places its 5 machines in the Top 9. Marc Márquez is the fastest representative, even if he hid his game a little with a completely offbeat tire strategy that of all his adversaries.

With the two official GP19s in the Top 3, the pleasant surprise comes of Ducati which prove to be very competitive on a circuit which was hardly favorable to them in the past.

Conversely, the Official Yamaha suffered somewhat in the afternoon on the Andalusian track at over 45°, as they have accustomed us to for two full seasons now. Special mention, however, to fabio quartararo, author of the 3rd absolute time of the day, even if it was ultimately not counted.

Small disappointment also at Suzuki after the victory in the USA, since no GSX–RR is in the top 10 at the end of a first day where only Danilo Petrucci, Marc Márquez, Andrea Dovizioso, Jorge Lorenzo, Cal Crutchlow, Maverick Viñales, Takaaki Nakagami, Fabio Quartararo, Stefan Bradl and Jack Miller are currently pre-qualified for Q2

Unexpectedly, the weather conditions have changed, with a few very fine drops of rain falling last night, certainly quickly drying but still threatening as reminded this morning by a very heavy sky which no longer has anything to do with the immaculate one of yesterday .

The temperatures of 18 degrees in the air and 22 degrees on the ground nevertheless remain excellent and should allow an improvement in the MotoGP times in this last 45-minute session potentially providing direct access to Q2.

Jerez MotoGP™	2018 (old bitumen)	2019
FP1	1'39.268 Andrea Dovizioso (See here)	1'37.921 Marc Márquez (See here)
FP2	1'38.614 Cal Crutchlow (See here)	1'37.909 Danilo Petrucci (See here)
FP3	1'37.702 Marc Márquez (See here)	1'36.957 Danilo Petrucci
FP4	1'38.444 Andrea Iannone (See here)
Q1	1'38.074 Andrea Dovizioso (See here)
Q2	1'37.653 Cal Crutchlow (See here)
warm up	1'38.687 Marc Márquez (See here)
Course	Marquez, Zarco, Iannone (See here)
All time lap record	1'37.653 Cal Crutchlow (2018)

When the track opens, Jorge Lorenzo does not allow anyone the privilege of having free rein in front of them.

As it is increasingly a trend with Michelin , the tire options chosen by pilots are very varied.

At the end of the first flying round, ÁLex Rins achieves 1'38.353, which allows him to enter the top 10 in the combined ranking before improving to 1'37.840, thus granting himself provisional pole position in less than 10 minutes.

The Suzuki rider's first run ends with an altercation with Jorge Lorenzo who was stuck on the trajectory.

In his 4nd flying lap, Valentino Rossi reassures his fans by seizing 4th position in the session and also integrating the top 10 in the combined ranking to the detriment of Jack Miller.

The first quarter of an hour ends with the takeover of power Marc Márquez, in 1'37.712, ahead Álex Rins, Andrea Dovizioso, Valentino Rossi, Jorge Lorenzo, Danilo Petrucci, Fabio Quartararo, Jack Miller Johann and Aleix Espargaró.

In 23rd position, the situation still seems difficult for Johann zarco.

On resumption, Cal Crutchlow, who was in the process of improving his time, lost his Honda's grip on the curb at turn 9. The British driver immediately got up to get his second machine.

A few moments later, Stefan bradl improves strongly and moves to 6th position, followed in the ranking by Joan mir 2 minutes later.

18 minutes from the checkered flag, Jack Miller, equipped with soft tires, returns to a top 10 in the general classification of which is no longer part fabio quartararo.

The red flag was then waved where the French driver set off on soft tires because we noticed that the fall of Cal Crutchlow had caused the puncture of an Airfence.

After repairing the inflatable element, the drivers set off again for the last 1/4 hour, mostly equipped with a soft rear tire with the notable exceptions of Marc Marquez, Francesco Bagnaia, Johann Zarco and Tito Rabat which are equipped with hard rubber.

Jorge Lorenzo, who started first, lit the first 3 sectors in red and crossed the finish line achieving the best time of the weekend, in 1'37.684, on his birthday.

2 minutes later, however, it's a stunner Fabio Quartararo who took command in 1'37.683. The French driver had already shown his full potential yesterday with the 3rd virtual time…

Things do not stop there, and the command returns successively to an equally very surprising Takaaki NakagamiAnd then Danilo Petrucci in 1'37.547.

More fabio quartararo regains leadership on the next pass in 1'37.485, a new absolute circuit record!

Less than 10 minutes from the checkered flag, the pre-qualifiers for Q2 are Fabio Quartararo, Danilo Petrucci, Takaaki Nakagami, Franco Morbidelli, Andrea Dovizioso, Valentino Rossi, Jorge Lorenzo, Jack Miller, Marc Márquez and Álex Rins.

For the last 5 minutes, everyone is now on soft tires at the rear and we are waiting for the reaction of Marc Marquez who is currently only qualified in 9th position.

The Honda driver does not hesitate and immediately lights the first sector in red while Valentino Rossi takes provisional pole position. At the end of his quick turn, Marc Márquez lowers the circuit record in 1'37.018 ahead Takaaki Nakagami, Cal Crutchlow and Franco Morbidelli.

Ducati then makes the powder speak by breaking the 1'37 mark, in 1'36.957, in a completely crazy session where the ranking continues to explode at every moment.

In extremis, fabio quartararo, who had already left the top 10, returned to 3rd position while Valentino Rossi, in pole position 5 minutes before, will have to go through the repechage.

16 drivers are in the same second.

 

FP3 Ranking MotoGP Spanish Grand Prix in Jerez: 

Credit rankings and photo: MotoGP.com