Small problems hamper the potential of the Repsol Honda team in Indonesia
Pol Espargaro et Marc Márquez opened the weekend at Mandalika with a morning in mixed conditions, before scorching afternoon temperatures and incredibly tight times posed a new challenge, with small issues ultimately hiding the true speed of both drivers.
The long-awaited return of MotoGP to Indonesia finally began on Friday March 18 with free practice in Lombok. Overnight showers left the circuit damp in the morning, but intense sunshine improved conditions for the afternoon sessions. As always, the margins in MotoGP are among the tightest ever seen, with just 1,6 seconds difference between the 24 riders on the grid.
Pol Espargaro picked up where he left off during the test, with the Repsol Honda team rider taking the lead in the first free practice session with a gap of 0.044. As FP1 ended, all MotoGP riders strived for a fast final time as track conditions continued to improve. With a 1'33.499 as the benchmark for the morning, Espargaró left the garage confident for the afternoon session. With a track temperature 14°C higher, the Mandalika circuit presents a series of new challenges, but the #44 driver manages to place himself in the top 5 as the session progresses. Unfortunately, a front brake problem during his final run prevented Espargaró from improving his best time.
Friday in Indonesia was just as productive for Marc Márquez and his Repsol Honda Team, especially in the morning. Finishing FP1 in third, less than a tenth of a second behind Espargaró, the new RC213V continued to perform well as Márquez struggled to find his limits here in Indonesia. The second free practice session saw the #93 make a quick fall at turn 11, avoiding any major injury but not returning to the circuit for the final minutes of the session. Like his teammate, the premature fall and the tightening of the times in MotoGP meant that Márquez will be provisionally in Q1. He hopes, like many others, that the sun will be out tomorrow morning.
Saturday morning, the session will be crucial for the two Repsol Honda team drivers, who will try to climb into the top 10 to go directly to Q2. Rain will of course be a factor to watch out for on Saturday and Sunday, with current forecasts suggesting a bleak outlook. Whatever the conditions, the Repsol Honda Team is preparing for a busy evening in order to be ready and return to the front no matter what happens.
Pol Espargaro: « When you look at the day as a whole, it's a good day. We started well with a first place in the morning, then in the afternoon our speed was not too bad. There was a problem with the front brake during our run with the soft tire, so I couldn't improve as I wanted, but before that we were able to run in the top 5. There was the potential to be in the top five and unfortunately these kinds of problems can happen, but we are not worried about it. The important thing is that the timer comes, and when I want to push, I can push and get the lap time. Tomorrow is a new day and I hope the morning will be dry so we can progress to Q2, I have the speed needed. »
Marc Marquez: « Today in the morning we were able to do pretty well but then in the afternoon we had a crash when it wasn't the time to have a crash. This can happen when you're trying to do a quick ride. We still need to work on which tire will be best for the race, that will be the main goal for tomorrow. Before the accident everything was fine, but we will have to see what happens tomorrow. I'm not happy with the result and hope conditions will be dry tomorrow morning. »
Indonesia MotoGP Grand Prix FP2 Results at Mandalika Circuit:
Classification credit: MotoGP.com
