For their last weekend face to face on identical Yamahas, Jorge Lorenzo and Valentino Rossi dominated the first free practice session, ahead of Marc Marquez and Andrea Dovizioso.
|
Valencia MotoGP |
2015 |
2016 |
| FP1 | 1'31.250 Marc Marquez | 1'31.045 Jorge Lorenzo |
| FP2 | 1'31.111 Jorge Lorenzo | |
| FP3 | 1'30.925 Andrea Iannone | |
| FP4 | 1'31.203 Marc Marquez | |
| Q1 | 1'31.409 Alex Espargaro | |
| Q2 | 1'30.011 Jorge Lorenzo | |
| Warm Up | 1'31.062 Marc Marquez | |
| Course | Lorenzo Marquez Pedrosa | |
| All time lap record | 1'30.011 Jorge Lorenzo |
From the start of the session, Valentino Rossi experienced a technical problem with his Yamaha. An incomprehensible message had appeared on his dashboard and he preferred to return to his stand, from which he left shortly after with his second M1. His teammate Jorge Lorenzo took first place in 1'31.841 half an hour from the checkered flag, 0.05 ahead of Marc Marquez, 0.2 ahead of Maverick Vinales and 0.4 ahead of Andrea Iannone. Valentino Rossi made up for lost time by taking eighth position. Several pilots tried the asymmetric before. This is the third time that Michelin has offered an asymmetric tire before this year, after the German and Australian GPs.
The Invincible Spanish Armada had things in hand midway through the session, with Lorenzo preceding Marquez. But the Italian red flame shone with Andrea Dovizioso third and Andrea Iannone fourth. Mika Kallio's KTM was in twentieth position, out of twenty-two participants. The Suzukis were well placed, with Maverick Vinales fourth and Aleix Espargaro sixth. Loris Baz had a little difficulty in twenty-second position.
Marc Marquez took command in 1'31.702, 0.08 ahead of Pol Espargaro and 0.1 ahead of Lorenzo. Valentino Rossi's Yamaha now seemed to be working correctly after resetting its on-board electronics. Marquez progressed to 1'31.442 with 15 minutes remaining. His lead over Pol Espargaro increased to 0.3. Espargaro had turned in 1'31.7 and his next year's KTM in 1'33.9 in the hands of Mika Kallio. Dani Pedrosa was riding without painkillers. Cal Crutchlow, then thirteenth, experienced brake problems with his LCR Honda.
Lorenzo took the best time in 1'31.072 with 3 minutes remaining, faster than the lap record. He improved on the next lap in 1'31.045. Only 0.03 separated him from the absolute circuit record set by himself in qualifying. He was ahead of his teammate Rossi at the checkered flag, followed by Marquez and Dovizioso. Loris Baz was twenty-first ahead of Mika Kallio.
FP1 ranking, compiled by our friends at crash.net
1. Jorge Lorenzo ESP Movistar Yamaha MotoGP (YZR-M1) 1m 31.045s [Lap 19/21] 318km/h (Top Speed)
2. Valentino Rossi ITA Movistar Yamaha MotoGP (YZR-M1) 1m 31.432s +0.387s
[18/18] 315km/h
3. Marc Marquez
ESP Repsol Honda Team (RC213V) 1m 31.442s +0.397s [14/20] 314km/h
4. Andrea Dovizioso ITA Ducati Team (Desmosedici GP) 1m 31.532s +0.487s [20/20] 320km/h
5. Pol Espargaro ESP Monster Yamaha Tech 3 (YZR-M1) 1m 31.785s +0.740s [12/22]
316km/h
6. Maverick Vinales ESP Team Suzuki Ecstar (GSX-RR) 1m 31.926s +0.881s
[14/21] 319km/h
7. Alex Espargaro
ESP Team Suzuki Ecstar (GSX-RR) 1m 31.942s +0.897s [17/20] 315km/h
8. Jack Miller
AUS Estrella Galicia 0,0 Marc VDS (RC213V) 1m 32.155s +1.110s [16/19] 314km/h
9. Scott Redding GBR Octo Pramac Yakhnich (Desmosedici GP15) 1m 32.212s +1.167s
[18/19] 315km/h
10. Andrea Iannone ITA Ducati Team (Desmosedici GP) 1m 32.265s +1.220s [12/21] 322km/h
11. Hector Barbera ESP Avintia Racing (Desmosedici GP14.2) 1m 32.285s +1.240s
[24/25] 319km/h
12. Dani Pedrosa ESP Repsol Honda Team (RC213V) 1m 32.453s +1.408s [7/16] 318km/h
13. Danilo Petrucci ITA Octo Pramac Yakhnich (Desmosedici GP15) 1m 32.479s +1.434s
[13/19] 316km/h
14. Cal Crutchlow GBR LCR Honda (RC213V) 1m 32.576s +1.531s [6/19] 315km/h
15. Tito Rabat
ESP Estrella Galicia 0,0 Marc VDS (RC213V)* 1m 32.637s +1.592s [20/23] 312km/h
16. Stefan bradl
GER Factory Aprilia Gresini (RS-GP) 1m 32.845s +1.800s [11/21] 316km/h
17. Álvaro Bautista ESP Factory Aprilia Gresini (RS-GP) 1m 32.924s +1.879s
[16/21] 317km/h
18. Bradley Smith GBR Monster Yamaha Tech 3 (YZR-M1) 1m 33.056s +2.011s
[14/19] 315km/h
19. Yonny Hernandez COL Aspar MotoGP Team (Desmosedici GP14.2) 1m 33.161s +2.116s
[18/18] 318km/h
20. Eugene Laverty IRL Aspar MotoGP Team (Desmosedici GP14.2) 1m 33.349s +2.304s
[16/19] 317km/h
21. Loris Baz
FRA Avintia Racing (Desmosedici GP14.2) 1m 33.506s +2.461s [15/21] 311km/h
22. Mika Kallio
END KTM MotoGP Factory Racing (RC16) 1m 33.985s +2.940s [7/19] 313km/h
