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Dovizioso Tops Motegi Friday, Pedrosa Does an Insane Stoppie

Ducati is off to a good start in the first two Free Practice sessions ahead of this year’s 15th round, the Motul Grand Prix of Japan. The Twin Ring of Motegi saw Jorge Lorenzo posting the best lap time in FP1, followed by Marc Marquez and Andrea Dovizioso, a surprisingly fast Yonny Hernandez on his Ducati and Valentino Rossi in the 5th position.
Dani Pedrosa's ultra high-speed stoppie at Motegi, in FP1 2014 12 photos
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Marc Marquez lost it in FP1 and was unable to break in time ahead of Turn 5. He went straight into the gravel pit and crashed, but he had already managed to slow down enough to avoid injuries. He was back on the bike and went for the first outing’s second best time. Even though he improved his lap times in FP2, so did most of the riders on the track and he was 6th, a position he still holds in the combined Friday time sheets. The riders who were slower in FP2 are Nicky Hayden, Alex de Angelis, Yonny Hernandez and Yamaha’s test rider Katsuyuki Nakasuga, who will make a wildcard appearance in this round.

Dovizioso is THE Ducati rider

FP2 saw Dovi squeezing ahead of Jorge Lorenzo after improving his time by around a second and. The Spaniard was 0.440s adrift, followed very closely by Stefan Bradl who was only 57 thousandths of a second slower. Pedrosa and Rossi rounded up the top 5, with Marquez in the 6th position as we already mentioned.

Funny or not, Ducati begins to show some real nerve in the final stage of the 2004 season and it looks like the improvements Gigi Dall’Igna has made to the Desmosedici are paying off. Truth be told, Dovizioso has been using the extra soft tire compound and this provided his bike with an extra edge at Motegi, but even so, we’re definitely looking at a much better Ducati machine than we’ve seen in the last three seasons. If you are wondering why Ducati is still allowed to use extra soft tires despite three podiums, check out this motogp story.

Action movie-style stoppie from Dani Pedrosa

Repsol Honda’s Dani Pedrosa had a breathtaking moment in the first Free Practice earlier today. He came in much too hot at Turn 11, and had to brake very hard to avoid running off the track and into the gravel pit, with potentially serious consequences.

Those attending the FP1 could see a masterclass brake from Pedrosa, who pushed the limits of his bike much further than what we’re used to see in a race. He sent his bike into a hundred feet (or even longer) stoppie, while his rear wheel appears to have lifted more than 10 inches (25 cm) off the Motegi asphalt. Pedrosa safely landed his bike’s rear and was able to carry the right speed through Turn 11, adding one more amazing memory to the sport’s history.

We remind you that this weekend Marc Marquez could clinch his second world title in the premier class, but you must check out this MotoGP article to learn how things really are.

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