The second MotoGP test session of the season saw the fall of Maverick Vinales as well as satellite drivers, seasoned or Rookies, in no way impressed by their factory colleagues.
However, if Scott Redding, Jonas Folger and Johann Zarco were able to stand out, the times achieved remained below those of Thursday evening.
Will this FP3 make it possible to lower the 2017 times? And above all, who will be able to place in the Top 10, in case it rains later? For the moment, this is expected tomorrow evening…
Because of the rain this morning, the track seems a little slower than during FP1 but the weather is still favorable with 22° in the air and on the ground.
|
Losail – Qatar – MotoGP |
2016 |
2017 |
| FP1 | 1'55.440 Jorge Lorenzo | 1'54.316 Maverick Vinales |
| FP2 | 1'55.388 Andrea Iannone | 1'55.085 Scott Redding |
| FP3 | 1'54.639 Andrea Iannone | |
| FP4 | 1'55.301 Jorge Lorenzo | |
| Q1 | 1'55.291 Cal Crutchlow | |
| Q2 | 1'54.543 Jorge Lorenzo | |
| Warm Up | 1'55.400 Marc Marquez | |
| Course | Lorenzo Dovizioso Marquez | |
| All time lap record | 1'53.927 Lorenzo 2008 |
The session begins with the Danilo Petrucci's minor fall at turn 10 followed, immediately after by that of Jonas Folger at turn 4. Meanwhile, Scott Redding loses part of his fairing, visibly poorly fixed by its mechanics.
The first run does not bring any change to the list of drivers automatically qualified for Q1: Vinales, Marquez, Redding, Dovizioso, Folger, Pedrosa, Zarco, Rossi, Bautista and Lorenzo.
During the second run, we see that the drivers are fine-tuning their settings and the times rarely drop below 1'57 and no driver improves their best time, apart from Bradley Smith who remains last. Marc Márquez takes the opportunity to use a hard tire at the front while the majority of drivers run on medium/medium. Alex Rins, however, stands out with a soft tire at the front, as do Jorge Lorenzo, Pol Espargaro, Hector Barbera and Sam Lowes with a soft tire at the rear.
For the spectator, the interesting things start in the last 10 minutes, when the drivers put on new tires. Valentino Rossi draws first with a pair of brand new softs. He is followed on the track by Marc Márquez in hard front/soft rear. Rossi does not improve and quickly returns to the box seven minutes before the checkered flag to change his shock absorber.
Five minutes before the end of the session, Cal Crutchlow managed to improve and was positioned eighth. Johann Zarco in Soft/Soft also improves but remains seventh before having to give this place back to Crutchlow.
Andrea Dovizioso gained one place and is positioned third while Johann Zarco clocks a 1'55.008 which places him on third place of the provisional podium. He confirms with a very fast mini run which bodes well for the future...
Meanwhile, Scott Redding falls without gravity and Andrea Iannone emerges from his box to snatch second place. Cal Crutchlow falls without gravity at turn #2.
The qualified are therefore Vinales, Iannone, Marquez, Zarco, Dovizioso, Redding, Pedrosa, Folger, Crutchlow and Rossi, While Jorge Lorenzo will therefore have to go through the draft.
FP3 ranking compiled by our friends at crash.net:
1. Maverick Vinales ESP Movistar Yamaha MotoGP (YZR-M1) 1m 54.834s [Lap 17/17] 340km/h (Top Speed)
2. Andrea Iannone ITA Team Suzuki Ecstar (GSX-RR)
1m 54.848s +0.014s [16/17] 338km/h
3. Johann zarco ENG Monster Yamaha Tech 3 (YZR-M1)*
1m 55.008s +0.174s [15/17] 341km/h
4. Andrea Dovizioso ITA Ducati Team (Desmosedici GP17) 1m 55.042s +0.208s [13/15] 348km/h
5. Dani Pedrosa ESP Repsol Honda Team (RC213V) 1m 55.113s +0.279s [15/16] 344km/h
6. Cal Crutchlow GBR LCR Honda (RC213V) 1m 55.211s +0.377s [15/16] 340km/h
7. Marc Marquez ESP Repsol Honda Team (RC213V) 1m 55.296s +0.462s [14/15] 343km/h
8. Danilo Petrucci ITA Octo Pramac Racing (Desmosedici GP17) 1m 55.435s +0.601s [15/16] 345km/h
9. Jorge Lorenzo ESP Ducati Team (Desmosedici GP17)
1m 55.461s +0.627s [14/15] 349km/h
10. Alex Espargaro ESP Factory Aprilia Gresini (RS-GP) 1m 55.634s +0.800s [16/16] 345km/h
11. Alvaro Bautista ESP Aspar MotoGP Team (Desmosedici GP16) 1m 55.676s +0.842s [17/17] 347km/h
12. Jonas Folger GER Monster Yamaha Tech 3 (YZR-M1)*
1m 55.713s +0.879s [13/14] 338km/h
13. Valentino Rossi ITA Movistar Yamaha MotoGP (YZR-M1) 1m 55.790s +0.956s [15/15] 343km/h
14. Karel Abraham CZE Aspar MotoGP Team (Desmosedici GP15) 1m 56.095s +1.261s [14/16] 346km/h
15. alex rins ESP Team Suzuki Ecstar (GSX-RR)* 1m 56.249s +1.415s [16/17] 341km/h
16. Tito Rabat ESP Estrella Galicia 0,0 Marc VDS (RC213V) 1m 56.617s +1.783s [14/15] 340km/h
17. Scott Redding GBR Octo Pramac Racing (Desmosedici GP16) 1m 56.662s +1.828s [9/14] 343km/h
18. Jack Miller AUS Estrella Galicia 0,0 Marc VDS (RC213V) 1m 56.692s +1.858s [14/17] 342km/h
19. Sam Lowes GBR Factory Aprilia Gresini (RS-GP)*
1m 56.854s +2.020s [11/13] 336km/h
20. Loris Baz FRA Reale Avintia Racing (Desmosedici GP15) 1m 56.935s +2.101s [4/15] 338km/h
21. Hector Barbera ESP Reale Avintia Racing (Desmosedici GP16) 1m 57.005s +2.171s [12/12] 346km/h
22. Espargaro Pol ESP Red Bull KTM Factory Racing (RC16) 1m 57.630s +2.796s [15/17] 340km/h
23. Bradley Smith GBR Red Bull KTM Factory Racing (RC16) 1m 57.654s +2.820s [10/18] 337km/h
