Lorenzo Leads the Way In Aragon FP1

Sep 25, 2015
4 min read

Jorge Lorenzo started off his Aragon Grand Prix weekend with a devastating performance in the opening free practice session to set the early pace. The Spaniard took his YZR-M1 Yamaha to a 1:48.249 on his 5th tour of the circuit, beating the race record by three tenths despite the cool track temperatures.

Yamaha have conducted two private test days at Aragon this season, electing the circuit as a result of their difficulties in previous years. Mechanical grip has been the bike's biggest issue at the Spanish track, but it appears that they have been able to get a hold of that for this year's race. It was here also that they first ran wings on the bike, but they were absent in FP1.

Lorenzo trails team-mate Valentino Rossi by 23 points after a disastrous San Marino Grand Prix and must deploy his searing pace this weekend to try and close the gap heading into the flyaway races. A series of low 1:48s in his second and third runs firmly places Lorenzo as the pacesetter heading into FP2 later today.

Rossi ended the morning 3rd fastest on a 1:48.824, some six tenths off of his championship rival. Something that was evident in San Marino was that Rossi was able to set quicker laps later in stints than Lorenzo, so if he can close the gap to his team-mate further then he may have a shot at beating him on Sunday.

Marc Marquez was sandwiched between the Yamaha duo having posted a fastest lap of 1:48.739. The Spaniard has nothing but wins on his agenda for the remaining races which will be of some concern to Lorenzo, because if the Honda can keep him behind then that brings Rossi into play. Team-mate Dani Pedrosa was 4th on a 1:49.050.

Scott Redding impressed in 5th on the satellite Marc VDS Honda. The Briton has been exuding confidence since his 6th place at Silverstone and podium in Misano, and looks like he might be a threat to Bradley Smith's usual spot as top satellite rider. The Tech 3 rider dropped to 7th at the chequered flag, but was inside the top five earlier in the session. Cal Crutchlow was 9th as he looks to close the gap to the privateer bikes in front this weekend.

Ducati feel fairly confident about their chances this weekend, the power nature of the circuit playing into their hands. But still lacking something with their chassis and tyre longevity, it will be hard to to climb onto the rostrum. Andrea Dovizioso hovered on the cusp of the top ten for much of the session until a last-gasp effort of 1:49.628 saw him leap up to 6th. Team-mate Iannone struggled with his dislocated shoulder sustained in a training accident prior to this weekend. The Italian has already dislocated his shoulder after a huge crash in a test at Mugello earlier in the year, and this second incident has led to his shoulder becoming very weak which will require surgery after the Valencia race. Despite his woes, the Italian completed the top ten with a best lap of 1:50.131.

There were a number of very notable performances just outside the top ten. Eugene Laverty ended the session a very impressive 11th having set a lap just a couple of hundredths shy of Iannone. The Northern Irishman has prior knowledge of the Aragon circuit and reckons the sweeping corners should suit the RC213V-RS a lot better. Jack Miller was just over a tenth off of Laverty in 15th, setting up a very interesting production Honda battle.

Aprilia are running a new swinging arm this weekend aimed at bringing them more stability over race distance. The new upgrade allows them to run a slightly longer wheelbase which should keep the tyre in good shape for longer. Stefan Bradl and Alvaro Bautista clearly have found a benefit with it, the pair finishing the morning 12th and 14th respectively.

Suzuki endured a horrible morning after Espargaro and Vinales were only 16th and 19th. Their lack of horsepower and seamless gearbox is really holding them back here, and even points seem a tough ask.

Toni Elias rounded out the field in 25th as he takes over from Claudio Corti at Forward Racing for the remainder of the season.

Hector Barbera was the only faller in the session. The Spaniard, who made his Ducati début at this race one year ago, lost the front of his GP14.1 going through turn two with seven minutes left on the clock. Despite a nasty thwack with the ground, he walked away unscathed.

FP1 Result:

1st Jorge Lorenzo, Movistar Yamaha MotoGP, 1:48.249

2nd Marc Marquez, Repsol Honda Team, 1:48.739

3rd Valentino Rossi, Movistar Yamaha MotoGP, 1:48.824

4th Dani Pedrosa, Repsol Honda Team, 1:49.050

5th Scott Redding, EG 0,0 Marc VDS Honda, 1:49.354

6th Andrea Dovizioso, Ducati Team, 1:49.628

7th Bradley Smith, Monster Yamaha Tech 3, 1:49.790

8th Pol Espargaro, Monster Yamaha Tech 3, 1:49.868

9th Cal Crutchlow, LCR Honda, 1:50.008

10th Andrea Iannone, Ducati Team, 1:50.131

11th Eugene Laverty, Aspar MotoGP Team Honda, 1:50.158