The Phillip Island Grand Prix Circuit has once again been swept with intermittent morning rain, giving teams and riders a headache as they search for the best set-up to dial their bikes into the fast and flowing 4.44km circuit.
While the rain held off throughout the final free practice session for the Moto 2 competitors, constant rainfall during the morning has left the track surface struggling to attract the much-needed layer of rubber for higher grip levels and faster lap times.
Yesterday’s fastest Moto2 rider, Darren Binder (Red Bull KTM Ajo), was an early casualty, crashing out of the session after posting a time good enough for just 27th on the timesheets (1m36.785s).
Marcel Schrotter (Dynavolt Intact GP/Kalex) posted a time of 1m34.143s to continue his run at the top end of the field. Alex Marquez (Marc VDS/Kalex) was second fastest with a 1m34.375s lap, closely followed by Miguel Oliveira (Red Bull KTM Ajo) 1m34.644s.
Things appear to be on the improve for Aussie teammates Remy Gardner and Bryan Staring (Tech 3 Racing). Staring bounced back from yesterday’s FP2 crash to improve his best time by half a second (1m35.969s), finishing the session 24th overall.
Moto2 regular, Remy Garnder, also improved on his FP2 time, stopping the clock at 1m35.009s for 12th fastest of the session.
Teams will now try to second-guess the changing weather conditions, and find at set up for the all-important 45-minute qualifying session this afternoon.
Photo GnG
