By Dean AdamsGP of Thailand – Combined Classification after Day 1:
1. Fabio QUARTARARO Petronas Yamaha SRT 1’30.404 (FP2)
2. Maverick VIÑALES Monster Energy Yamaha MotoGP 1’30.597 0.193 / 0.193 (FP2)
3. Franco MORBIDELLI Petronas Yamaha SRT 1’30.625 0.221 / 0.028 (FP2)
4. Jack MILLER Pramac Racing 1’30.698 0.294 / 0.073 (FP2)
5. Valentino ROSSI Monster Energy Yamaha MotoGP 1’30.733 0.329 / 0.035 (FP2)
6. Marc MARQUEZ Repsol Honda Team 1’30.891 0.487 / 0.158 (FP2)
7. Aleix ESPARGARO Aprilia Racing Team Gresini 1’31.007 0.603 / 0.116 (FP2)
8. Andrea DOVIZIOSO Ducati Team 1’31.027 0.623 / 0.020 (FP2)
9. Joan MIR Team SUZUKI ECSTAR 1’31.086 0.682 / 0.059 (FP2)
10. Alex RINS Team SUZUKI ECSTAR 1’31.094 0.690 / 0.008 (FP2)
11. Danilo PETRUCCI Ducati Team 1’31.115 0.711 / 0.021 (FP2)
12. Francesco BAGNAIA Pramac Racing 1’31.154 0.750 / 0.039 (FP2)
13. Cal CRUTCHLOW LCR Honda CASTROL 1’31.344 0.940 / 0.190 (FP2)
14. Takaaki NAKAGAMI LCR Honda IDEMITSU 1’31.424 1.020 / 0.080 (FP2)
15. Pol ESPARGARO Red Bull KTM Factory Racing 1’31.499 1.095 / 0.075 (FP2)
16. Andrea IANNONE Aprilia Racing Team Gresini 1’31.512 1.108 / 0.013 (FP2)
17. Karel ABRAHAM Reale Avintia Racing 1’31.588 1.184 / 0.076 (FP2)
18. Tito RABAT Reale Avintia Racing 1’31.932 1.528 / 0.344 (FP2)
19. Miguel OLIVEIRA Red Bull KTM Tech 3 1’31.936 1.532 / 0.004 (FP2)
20. Jorge LORENZO Repsol Honda Team 1’31.949 1.545 / 0.013 (FP2)
21. Mika KALLIO Red Bull KTM Factory Racing 1’31.991 1.587 / 0.042 (FP2)
22. Hafizh SYAHRIN Red Bull KTM Tech 3 KTM 1’32.584 2.180 / 0.593 (FP2)
MotoGP
Fabio Quartararo (Petronas Yamaha SRT) was up to his usual timesheet-topping tricks on Day 1 of the PTT Thailand Grand Prix, leading a Yamaha 1-2-3 but nearly two tenths clear at the top. Maverick Viñales (Monster Energy Yamaha MotoGP) was second overall after topping FP1, with Franco Morbidelli (Petronas Yamaha SRT) completing the top three. But Yamaha’s pace – Valentino Rossi (Monster Energy Yamaha MotoGP) made it all Iwata machines in the top five on Friday – wasn’t the only headline at Buriram, with reigning Champion Marc Marquez (Repsol Honda Team) taking a huge tumble in FP1.
Initially, the number 93 seemed to hold all the cards as action opened in the stifling heat, but towards the end of FP1 the Spaniard had only recently exited pitlane when he suffered a huge crash at Turn 7. From there Marquez headed to the circuit Medical Centre for a first check up before he was taken to Buriram hospital for further examination. Ultimately, the reigning Champion was declared fit and suffered no fractures – even heading back out in the afternoon. He wasn’t quite able to get into the top five, however, ending the day just behind Rossi, in P6.
There was one man who managed to fight off the Yamaha lockout in the top five though: Jack Miller (Pramac Racing). Fresh from the podium at Aragon, the Australian put in another impressive performance to end the first day in fourth, just pipping Rossi by 0.035. Miller was also within three tenths of Quartararo, no mean feat when the Frenchman’s advantage over second is already 0.193, and he makes it an impressive three Independent Team riders in the top four.
Aleix Espargaro (Aprilia Racing Team Gresini), meanwhile, also shone on Day 1. The Spaniard kept the momentum from his impressive performance at MotorLand to go seventh quickest on Friday and was only a tenth off Rossi – that at a venue he said in the Press Conference would be tougher going. It was tight in the fight for P7, however, with Andrea Dovizioso (Ducati Team) losing out by just 0.020 as he was shuffled down to eighth.
Team Suzuki Ecstar completed the top ten, with rookie Joan Mir impressing to get the better of his more veteran teammate Alex Rins in Thailand so far – although just 0.008 was the final gap between the two Hamamatsu factory machines. Will Rins turn the tables on Saturday?
That leaves Danilo Petrucci (Ducati Team), currently only a point behind Rins in the standings, outside the top ten after the opening day, which could be a worry for the Italian come qualifying. The weather has so far played ball, but the forecast remains far from guaranteed and if rain comes down in FP3, the Mugello winner will definitely be heading through Q1. And he could be joined by Cal Crutchlow (LCR Honda Castrol) after the Brit was 13th fastest on Friday.
Pol Espargaro (Red Bull KTM Factory Racing), meanwhile, took P15 as he returns – and continues to impress – just a couple of weeks after fracturing his wrist.
What will Saturday bring? Rain? Shine? Shocks? Comebacks? Find out who’s heading through to Q2 at 9:55 local time (GMT+7) as FP3 begins, before qualifying from 14:10 for the spectacular PTT Thailand Grand Prix.
Repsol Honda
Marquez shakes off crash to challenge for top spot on Friday in Thailand
An unfazed Marc Marquez recovered from his biggest crash of the year to challenge for the top spot while teammate Jorge Lorenzo made constant improvements around Buriram.
Dark clouds in the morning had many expecting rain at the Buriram Circuit, but fortunately none came. Riders were still tasked with beating the blazing Thailand heat; ambient temperature reaching 31°C and 61% humidity.
The Thai GP weekend began well for MotoGP World Championship leader Marc Marquez, immediately fast in Free Practice 1 with a healthy advantage over his rivals. Unfortunately, Marquez suffered a heavy fall at Turn 7 with just a few minutes of the FP1 session remaining. The reigning World Champion was declared fit after a trip to the local hospital for further scans. Despite some pain in his lower back, hip and leg, Marquez returned to the Buriram Circuit to ride in Free Practice 2. Within just a few laps Marquez set a 1’30.891 – the fastest lap of the weekend until that point. Eventually finishing in sixth, Marquez concluded the day pleased with the progress made after the fall and continued to focus his attentions on Sunday’s race.
Jorge Lorenzo was pleased with what he achieved during FP1, lapping consistently and ending the session in 18th. Setup changes did not produce the desired jump in lap time for Free Practice 2 in the afternoon’s warmer conditions but Lorenzo was still able to improve his time by almost a second. While the position is not ideal, Lorenzo feels he will be able to continue his improvements tomorrow to close the gap to the front.
Saturday begins with Free Practice 3 at 09:55 Local Time followed by Qualifying at 14:10 Local Time.
Marc Marquez
6th 1’30.891
“We started the day well but in the last run we had a big crash on our out lap. I was feeling OK when I arrived in the medical centre but we followed the doctor’s procedures and went for some checks. The most important thing is I am OK, I’m in some pain but OK. In the afternoon I was able to ride well and I am happy with what we achieved. We only had to modify our plan a little bit but I was able to be fast immediately.”
Jorge Lorenzo
20th 1’31.949
“This morning I was quite satisfied with what we did because we did a lot of laps with good pace. In the afternoon we changed the setting but it didn’t work as well as we had wanted in the warmer temperature. The position in the end isn’t great but our distance to the front isn’t too bad. Tomorrow our goal is to get within one second of the front.”
Ducati
Thailand Grand Prix: Andrea Dovizioso eighth and Danilo Petrucci eleventh at the end of Day 1 of free practice at Buriram
After the first two free practice sessions for the Thailand GP, which will be held this weekend at the Buriram International Circuit, the provisional classification sees Andrea Dovizioso in eighth place, while Danilo Petrucci finished the day in eleventh.
This morning both Ducati Team riders completed FP1 inside the top 10, with Dovizioso fourth and Petrucci eighth, but in the afternoon the rider from Umbria slipped outside the provisional top 10 by just a fraction, despite improving on his morning time by more than four-tenths of a second.
Andrea Dovizioso (#04 Ducati Team) – 1’31.027 (8th)
“Today I had a good feeling and we did a good job with the set-up: we also tested something important and it went well. We are consistent but there are a lot of quick riders and it’s still difficult to see how everyone is really going on the track. As I said however, I’m happy with the bike and also the tyres are performing well: unfortunately, I have a neck problem and also a sore throat, so I’m taking antibiotics, and in this heat I’m physically struggling a bit, but I hope I won’t suffer too much in the next couple of days”.
Danilo Petrucci (#9 Ducati Team) – 1’31.115 (11th)
“It has been quite a positive day because we understood a few things, even though I’m not entirely happy about missing out on the top 10 by just a few thousandths of a second. I’m pretty relaxed about everything and focussed on tomorrow because we can surely improve. My pace isn’t bad and I’ve got a good feeling with the bike so I’m optimistic and confident I can do a good qualifying session”.
The Ducati riders will return to the track tomorrow, Saturday 5th October, at 09.55 local time (04.55 CET) for the third free practice session, while qualifying will get underway after FP4, starting from 14.10 local time (09.10 CET).
LCR
Free practice for the Grand Prix of Thailand got underway on Friday in sweltering conditions at the Chang International Circuit. LCR Honda IDEMITSU rider Takaaki Nakagami found the going tough in the opening two sessions as he ended the day in 14th, but is confident of improving as the weekend goes on.
With humidity levels oppressively high on the track in Buriram, the Japanese star struggled to find the rhythm he wanted during FP1 as he went 14th fastest. In the afternoon, Taka tried out the carbon swing arm on his RC213V and was pleased with the results. He improved by half a second in FP2 as he maintained his position and is now looking forward to Saturday’s qualifying.”
Takaaki Nakagami – 14th
(1’31.424 – lap 20 of 21)
“It was really tough conditions today, especially in FP2 it was really hot and I struggled to keep the pace. We tried to make a step forward between FP1 and FP2 and in FP2 it was the first time we used the carbon swing arm and there were some positive feelings with it. We know that this is the right way for tomorrow and Sunday, and we need to find a good set-up with it. The grip level was not bad, but in each sector we were generally losing two or three tenths so we need to understand why that is. We’ll look at Marc’s data and then see how we can improve tomorrow.”
The 2019 flyaway races got off to a hot and humid start on Friday as free practice for the Grand Prix of Thailand commenced at the Chang International Circuit. LCR Honda CASTROL rider Cal Crutchlow – who is sporting the oil manufacturer’s green colour on his bike this weekend – finished the day in 13th on the timesheets as he worked hard to find the best settings for his RC213V.
With humidity making life difficult on the track, the Briton ended FP1 down in 18th place. However, he improved by over a second in the afternoon’s FP2 session to close in on the top 10 and is hopeful of making further progress ahead of Saturday’s qualifying.
Cal Crutchlow – 13th
(1’31.344 – lap 18 of 20)
“Today was not a fantastic day, we tried all the rear tyres and all the front tyres today, so it was a case of making sure we got some information from the tyres. I struggled a little bit with the setting of the bike, but we hope to improve that tomorrow. Tonight, we’ll work very hard on making a plan for tomorrow’s sessions and we’ll see if we can close the gap to the guys at the front.”
Suzuki
Team Suzuki Press Office – October 4.
Joan Mir: 9th – 1:31.086 (+ 0.682)
Alex Rins: 10th – 1:31.094 (+ 0.690)
• Rookie Joan Mir makes impressive start at Buriram.
• Alex Rins makes his way into important Top 10.
• Team re-familiarising themselves with Thai track.
Team SUZUKI ECSTAR are back on track for the first in a series of ‘fly-away’ races in Asia. The Chang International circuit in Thailand promises mixed conditions for the race weekend, meaning Friday’s times could be more crucial than usual.
Alex Rins and Joan Mir took this into account from FP1 onwards as they aimed to place themselves into the Top 10 and ensure strong pace for the coming sessions. Having only ridden at Buriram for the first-time last year, the pair spent time reacquainting themselves with the technical Thai track. For Mir, FP1 marked his first time at the circuit on the GSX-RR. The rookie took 9th, while Rins was 11th.
The afternoon’s FP2 session went smoothly for the team, with both riders showing consistent and strong pace whilst also trying out different settings and tyre options. Mir and Rins spent the majority of the session within the Top 10, and they closed Friday in 9th and 10th respectively.
Davide Brivio – Team Manager:
“It was important for us to have both riders in the Top 10 today in case the conditions change for FP3 tomorrow, that was our target and we met it. It’s been a positive day; Alex has good and consistent pace and Joan was also impressive with his lap times. We want to improve on a few things and keep working for tomorrow and Sunday, but we’re pleased with today’s work and progress.”
Joan Mir:
“Today our goal was to get into provisional top 10, and we managed that in both sessions, so that was really good. We also spent some time working on settings and general pace for the race on Sunday. I feel happy with the progress so far, and tomorrow I hope to be in Q2 and then I will aim for the front two rows. At the moment my pace isn’t far from the top.”
Alex Rins:
“I’m pretty happy because we’ve done a good job today. I struggled a bit in FP1, but I felt better in FP2. I tried a new swing-arm attachment, it gave me positive feelings so we will continue testing tomorrow to double-check also from the data if we will adopt it definitively. I’m looking forward to tomorrow, it will be tough to stay in the top 10 because all the riders will improve the lap time, but I really want to be in Q2 and get a good grid spot.”
GP of Thailand – Combined Classification after Day 1:
1. Fabio QUARTARARO Petronas Yamaha SRT 1’30.404 (FP2)
2. Maverick VIÑALES Monster Energy Yamaha MotoGP 1’30.597 0.193 / 0.193 (FP2)
3. Franco MORBIDELLI Petronas Yamaha SRT 1’30.625 0.221 / 0.028 (FP2)
4. Jack MILLER Pramac Racing 1’30.698 0.294 / 0.073 (FP2)
5. Valentino ROSSI Monster Energy Yamaha MotoGP 1’30.733 0.329 / 0.035 (FP2)
6. Marc MARQUEZ Repsol Honda Team 1’30.891 0.487 / 0.158 (FP2)
7. Aleix ESPARGARO Aprilia Racing Team Gresini 1’31.007 0.603 / 0.116 (FP2)
8. Andrea DOVIZIOSO Ducati Team 1’31.027 0.623 / 0.020 (FP2)
9. Joan MIR Team SUZUKI ECSTAR 1’31.086 0.682 / 0.059 (FP2)
10. Alex RINS Team SUZUKI ECSTAR 1’31.094 0.690 / 0.008 (FP2)
11. Danilo PETRUCCI Ducati Team 1’31.115 0.711 / 0.021 (FP2)
12. Francesco BAGNAIA Pramac Racing 1’31.154 0.750 / 0.039 (FP2)
13. Cal CRUTCHLOW LCR Honda CASTROL 1’31.344 0.940 / 0.190 (FP2)
14. Takaaki NAKAGAMI LCR Honda IDEMITSU 1’31.424 1.020 / 0.080 (FP2)
15. Pol ESPARGARO Red Bull KTM Factory Racing 1’31.499 1.095 / 0.075 (FP2)
16. Andrea IANNONE Aprilia Racing Team Gresini 1’31.512 1.108 / 0.013 (FP2)
17. Karel ABRAHAM Reale Avintia Racing 1’31.588 1.184 / 0.076 (FP2)
18. Tito RABAT Reale Avintia Racing 1’31.932 1.528 / 0.344 (FP2)
19. Miguel OLIVEIRA Red Bull KTM Tech 3 1’31.936 1.532 / 0.004 (FP2)
20. Jorge LORENZO Repsol Honda Team 1’31.949 1.545 / 0.013 (FP2)
21. Mika KALLIO Red Bull KTM Factory Racing 1’31.991 1.587 / 0.042 (FP2)
22. Hafizh SYAHRIN Red Bull KTM Tech 3 KTM 1’32.584 2.180 / 0.593 (FP2)
