Pedrosa tops wet Day 1 at Aragon

Teammates Pedrosa and Marquez almost collide in the wet
Repsol Honda Teammates Pedrosa and Marquez almost collide in the wet

Dani Pedrosa (Repsol Honda Team) is the man with a target on his back after Day 1 at the Gran Premio Movistar de Aragon, as the 2012 winner at the track went fastest in FP2 to top the combined timesheets on – the only man under the two minute barrier after weather affected track time for the premier class. Jorge Lorenzo (Ducati Team) was second quickest after similarly striking late on in the second session, ahead of rookie Johann Zarco (Monster Yamaha Tech 3).

FP1 was fully wet and saw reigning Champion Marc Marquez (Repsol Honda Team) hit the ground running to go quickest, and the local rider was fourth overall after FP2. The skies were largely dry for the second session, but riders remained on rain tires with some parts of the track much wetter than others and spray kicking up. That’s when Pedrosa and Lorenzo shone and laptimes improved, with the man in fifth also impressing – Pull&Bear Aspar Team’s Karel Abraham.

The biggest story of the day, however, belonged to Valentino Rossi (Movistar Yamaha MotoGP), who ventured out in the wet in FP1 to put in some laps and test his fitness, then managing another 13 laps in FP2. The ‘Doctor’ suffered one run off but did over 20 laps on Day 1 as he attempts to race in the Aragon GP after missing only Misano due to his broken leg.

Cal Crutchlow (LCR Honda) had a good first day to go P6, ahead of compatriot Sam Lowes (Aprilia Racing Team Gresini) in an impressive seventh – the man who won the intermediate class race at the track last season. Championship challenger Andrea Dovizioso (Ducati Team) had a more muted Day 1 on the timesheets for eighth overall, just ahead of the second Aprilia of Aleix Espargaro. His brother Pol Espargaro (Red Bull KTM Factory Racing) was another top performer on Day 1, locking out the top ten on the KTM.

Alvaro Bautista (Pull&Bear Aspar Team), Jack Miller (EG 0,0 Marc VDS), Bradley Smith (Red Bull KTM Factory Racing), Andrea Iannone (Team Suzuki Ecstar) and wildcard KTM test rider Mika Kallio (Red Bull KTM Factory Racing) – who was fifth in the wetter FP1 session – completed the top fifteen on combined times for Friday.

With weather set to change for tomorrow – and improve – it’s now all eyes on the sky for FP3 and direct entry to Q2, and then qualifying from 14:10 (GMT + 1).

Friday Results

Pos. Rider Num Nation Team Constructor Time/Gap
1 PEDROSA Dani 26 SPA Repsol Honda Team Honda 1'59.858
2 LORENZO Jorge 99 SPA Ducati Team Ducati 0.214
3 ZARCO Johann 5 FRA Monster Yamaha Tech 3 Yamaha 0.462
4 MARQUEZ Marc 93 SPA Repsol Honda Team Honda 0.601
5 ABRAHAM Karel 17 CZE Pull&Bear Aspar Team Ducati 0.613
6 CRUTCHLOW Cal 35 GBR LCR Honda Honda 0.624
7 LOWES Sam 22 GBR Aprilia Racing Team Gresini Aprilia 0.727
8 DOVIZIOSO Andrea 4 ITA Ducati Team Ducati 1.104
9 ESPARGARO Aleix 41 SPA Aprilia Racing Team Gresini Aprilia 1.157
10 ESPARGARO Pol 44 SPA Red Bull KTM Factory Racing KTM 1.184
11 BAUTISTA Alvaro 19 SPA Pull&Bear Aspar Team Ducati 1.245
12 MILLER Jack 43 AUS Team EG 0,0 Marc VDS Honda 1.291
13 SMITH Bradley 38 GBR Red Bull KTM Factory Racing KTM 1.492
14 IANNONE Andrea 29 ITA Team Suzuki Ecstar Suzuki 1.613
15 KALLIO Mika 36 FIN Red Bull KTM Factory Racing KTM 1.634
16 REDDING Scott 45 GBR Octo Pramac Racing Ducati 1.658
17 VINALES Maverick 25 SPA Movistar Yamaha MotoGP Yamaha 1.774
18 FOLGER Jonas 94 GER Monster Yamaha Tech 3 Yamaha 1.887
19 PETRUCCI Danilo 9 ITA Octo Pramac Racing Ducati 1.952
20 ROSSI Valentino 46 ITA Movistar Yamaha MotoGP Yamaha 2.059
21 RINS Alex 42 SPA Team Suzuki Ecstar Suzuki 2.219
22 RABAT Tito 53 SPA Team EG 0,0 Marc VDS Honda 2.534
23 BAZ Loris 76 FRA Reale Avintia Racing Ducati 2.819
24 BARBERA Hector 8 SPA Reale Avintia Racing Ducati 3.077