Marquez fastest on day one at the Red Bull GP of the Americas

Marc Marquez
Marc Marquez

Marc Marquez (Repsol Honda Team) took back the top of the timesheets at the Circuit of the Americas in Austin, Texas, as the number 93 put in a late charge on soft rubber to go fastest on Friday with a 2:04.061 – 0.296 clear of an incredible performance from Monster Yamaha Tech 3 rookie Johann Zarco. Championship leader Maverick Viñales (Movistar Yamaha MotoGP) was third quickest on combined times after topping FP1.

Nine-time World Champion Valentino Rossi (Movistar Yamaha MotoGP) shot up into the top five late in the day as riders put in some time attacks, taking P4 by 0.005 from Repsol Honda’s Dani Pedrosa.

Andrea Dovizioso (Ducati Team) was sixth quickest as he looks to put his bad luck in the Americas behind him, ahead of LCR Honda rider Cal Crutchlow – who also suffered a crash in FP1.

FP2 was punctuated by a big crash for Pull&Bear Aspar Team’s Karel Abraham down the road from T11, with the Czech rider up and headed to the Medical Centre thereafter. Abraham has suffered a small fracture in his ankle and will be reviewed again on Saturday. Loris Baz (Reale Avintia Racing) was another crasher at T1, rider ok, and there was a mechanical problem for Team Suzuki Ecstar rookie Alex Rins early in the second session of the day – with the Spaniard back out soon after on the second bike.

Jonas Folger (Monster Yamaha Tech 3) was second fastest rookie in an impressive eighth, ahead of Octo Pramac Racing’s Scott Redding and Team Suzuki Ecstar’s Andrea Iannone, who completed the top ten.

Jorge Lorenzo (Ducati Team) just missed that top ten in eleventh, with Danilo Petrucci (Octo Pramac Racing), Jack Miller (Estrella Galicia 0,0 Marc VDS), Aleix Espargaro (Aprilia Racing Team Gresini) and Hector Barbera (Reale Avintia Racing) completing the top fifteen.

One big talking point on Friday afternoon saw Red Bull KTM Factory Racing unveil their first “aero-fairing" of the season, with Pol Espargaro finding the positives with the new design and nothing negative to report as the Austrian factory look to continue their progress following their first points in Argentina.

FP3 lets the grid shoot it out for direct entry to Q2 at 9:55 local time (GMT -5) on Saturday, with qualifying then beginning from 14:10.

Results

Pos. Rider Num Nation Team Constructor Time/Gap
1 MARQUEZ Marc 93 SPA Repsol Honda Team Honda 2'04.061
2 ZARCO Johann 5 FRA Monster Yamaha Tech 3 Yamaha 0.286
3 VINALES Maverick 25 SPA Movistar Yamaha MotoGP Yamaha 0.390
4 ROSSI Valentino 46 ITA Movistar Yamaha MotoGP Yamaha 0.745
5 PEDROSA Dani 26 SPA Repsol Honda Team Honda 0.750
6 DOVIZIOSO Andrea 4 ITA Ducati Team Ducati 0.769
7 CRUTCHLOW Cal 35 GBR LCR Honda Honda 0.944
8 FOLGER Jonas 94 GER Monster Yamaha Tech 3 Yamaha 0.972
9 REDDING Scott 45 GBR Octo Pramac Racing Ducati 1.055
10 IANNONE Andrea 29 ITA Team Suzuki Ecstar Suzuki 1.081
11 LORENZO Jorge 99 SPA Ducati Team Ducati 1.221
12 PETRUCCI Danilo 9 ITA Octo Pramac Racing Ducati 1.223
13 MILLER Jack 43 AUS Team EG 0,0 Marc VDS Honda 1.402
14 ESPARGARO Aleix 41 SPA Aprilia Racing Team Gresini Aprilia 1.407
15 BARBERA Hector 8 SPA Reale Avintia Racing Ducati 1.523
16 BAUTISTA Alvaro 19 SPA Pull&Bear Aspar Team Ducati 1.541
17 RABAT Tito 53 SPA Team EG 0,0 Marc VDS Honda 1.882
18 RINS Alex 42 SPA Team Suzuki Ecstar Suzuki 2.094
19 BAZ Loris 76 FRA Reale Avintia Racing Ducati 2.297
20 ESPARGARO Pol 44 SPA Red Bull KTM Factory Racing KTM 2.442
21 ABRAHAM Karel 17 CZE Pull&Bear Aspar Team Ducati 2.648
22 LOWES Sam 22 GBR Aprilia Racing Team Gresini Aprilia 2.680
23 SMITH Bradley 38 GBR Red Bull KTM Factory Racing KTM 3.373