Photo: motogp.com
It looks like Assen history repeating at Sachsenring as far as the first practice sessions are concerned, with NGM Forward Yamaha rider Aleix Espargaro being the fastest rider around the German track. The elder of the Espargaro brothers went out with the softer tire compound for the morning session and was clocked with 1’22.170, followed at 0.253 by Jorge Lorenzo and Valentino Rossi, 0.296 adrift.
In FP2 Aleix Espargaro had 4 outings and he also used a bike similar to that of his team mate’s, Colin Edwards. That is an M1-powered machine but sporting a Forward chassis. Needless to say, the young Spaniard was faster on the Yamaha-framed bike. Even more, both he and his team acted out in a very smart manner. Knowing that Espargaro is usually faster on the final laps, the last run was made with the Yamaha chassis, resulting in an even better lap time and putting him on the first position in FP2, even though Marquez led the session for quite a long time.
FP2 saw MM93 0.117 slower than Aleix Espargaro, followed by Lorenzo with the session’s third best time, Stefan Bradl and Alvaro Bautista. Valentino Rossi was the only rider who did not improve his FP1 time.
The last Friday before the summer break has the following top 10: Aleix Espargaro, Marquez, Lorenzo, Bradl, Bautista, Rossi, Iannone, Pol Espargaro, Dovizioso and Dani Pedrosa. Some specks of rain showed up in the middle of the second Free Practice, but the warm track and light winds dried out the asphalt, despite the fact that most riders went to the pits to swap for wet tires.
With weather in Germany possibly changing over the weekend, if the FP3 takes place in the wet tomorrow and Aleix Espargaro keeps up the pace, we might see him clawing his second pole of the career. Both Repsol Honda riders have crashed, Marquez in FP1 and Dani Pedrosa in FP2, but neither of them has sustained injuries and both were able to return to the track on their second bikes. MotoGP action kicks off tomorrow morning at local time 09:55 (GMT+2).
FP2 saw MM93 0.117 slower than Aleix Espargaro, followed by Lorenzo with the session’s third best time, Stefan Bradl and Alvaro Bautista. Valentino Rossi was the only rider who did not improve his FP1 time.
The last Friday before the summer break has the following top 10: Aleix Espargaro, Marquez, Lorenzo, Bradl, Bautista, Rossi, Iannone, Pol Espargaro, Dovizioso and Dani Pedrosa. Some specks of rain showed up in the middle of the second Free Practice, but the warm track and light winds dried out the asphalt, despite the fact that most riders went to the pits to swap for wet tires.
With weather in Germany possibly changing over the weekend, if the FP3 takes place in the wet tomorrow and Aleix Espargaro keeps up the pace, we might see him clawing his second pole of the career. Both Repsol Honda riders have crashed, Marquez in FP1 and Dani Pedrosa in FP2, but neither of them has sustained injuries and both were able to return to the track on their second bikes. MotoGP action kicks off tomorrow morning at local time 09:55 (GMT+2).
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