Lap times confounded the prophets of doom on the first day of free practice for the first Thai GP on Friday, when factory Yamaha rider Maverick Vinales was fastest in the morning, and a close second in the afternoon.
The prophet in question was Vinales himself, full of gloomy prognosis for the close of the season, after the last round in Aragon set a new 24-race winless record for Yamaha.
Team-mate Valentino Rossi had likewise, on Thursday, said that “on paper this track will not be good for our bike”; but managed to place ninth, only three tenths down on provisional pole-setter Andrea Dovizioso (Ducati).
The MotoGP riders tested at the 4.554-km Chang circuit before the season, but to an extent it was “start-again”, with Michelin furnishing an all-new harder-construction rear tyre after experience high temperatures at the test. Conditions were scorching again today, with track temperature 54 degrees C; but with rain always possible it was important to set a top-ten time to secure a potential place in tomorrow’s senior Q2 qualifying.
Cal Crutchlow (LCR Honda) slotted into third at the end of the session, consigning Marc Marquez (Repsol Honda) to fourth, as the title leader concentrated on a long run on a hard-front/soft-rear tyre combination to check race endurance, rather than fitting a soft front for a single lap time.
Danilo Petrucci (Alma Pramac Ducati) was fifth, with Andrea Iannone (Ecstar Suzuki) next.
Alvaro Bautista (Angel Nieto Ducati) set seventh-fastest time before a slight spill at the end of the session; with testing leader Dani Pedrosa (Repsol Honda) eighth, one slot ahead of Rossi.
Johann Zarco (Monster Yamaha) consigned Jack Miller’s Alma Pramac Ducati to 11th at the end of the session.
Jorge Lorenzo (Ducati), already riding injured, crashed heavily with 15 minutes to go (see separate News story) and ended up 16th.
Moto2
There were few surprises in Moto2, with the usual suspects crowding out the top positions, and 18 within one second of Mattia Pasini, whose Italtrans Kalex led a phalanx of six of the German chassis.
Veteran Pasini was more than a tenth ahead of championship leader Pecco Bagnaia (SKY VR46 Kalex), with EG-VDS Kalex rider Alex Marquez a bit closer in third.
Lorenzo Baldassarri (Pons HP49 Kalex), second VR46 rider Luca Marini and impressive second team Pons rider Augusto Fernandez were next.
Only then the pair of Red Bull KTMs, Brad Binder a couple of hundredths faster than title challenger Miguel Oliveira; with Marcel Schrotter’s Dynavolt Kalex ninth. Speed Up rider Fabio Quartararo completed the top ten, ahead of top rookie Joan Mir (EG-VDS Kalex).
Remy Gardner (Tech 3) was 20th, 1.042 seconds off.
Moto3
Moto3’s first acquaintance with the Chang circuit muddied the waters somewhat, with points leader Jorge Martin and erstwhile title contended Enea Bastianini concentrating on familiarisation. The Honda-mounted pair were 21st and 22nd in a batch of times that put no less than 26 riders within one second.
Czech Redox KTM rider Jakub Kornfiel topped the list, on a morning time, though almost everyone was quicker in the afternoon. Ayamu Sasaki (Petronas Honda) was a close second, just five hundredths down; and Gabriel Rodrigo (RGA KTM) third.
Fears that the long straight would favour the faster KTM over the nimbler Honda proved ill-founded, Fabio Di Giannantonio, Tatsumi Suzuki and Malaysian Adam Norrodin (all Honda) were fourth to seventh; then the KTMs of John McPhee and erstwhile points leader Marco Bezzecchi (still less than three tenths down). McPhee survived a nasty-looking crash at the end, trapped under another rider’s bike.
By Michael Scott
