Yamaha strike back on Friday at the Motul TT Assen, with the Spaniard leading Iannone’s Suzuki after FP2
Maverick Vinales came shimmering back to the top on the first of two days of practice for Sunday’s Dutch TT, the Movistar Yamaha rider putting the difficulties of his season-so-far behind him at the classic circuit.
Vinales’s time of 1’33.378 was less than a second slower than the pole record, closer than any of the other classes.
But this was on a soft tyre, for a flash lap time.
More impressive was Marc Marquez. He was only eighth-fastest. But he alone was using the hardest of three tyre specs, without changing for fresh rubber during the full session. The championship leader’s rhythm and race pace spoke volumes for when the times really matter.
Marquez, Dutch MotoGP 2018
Assen was basking in solid sunshine, a far cry from the usual changeable weather in the far north of the Netherlands; and more of the same was forecast for the rest of the weekend. Marquez has tomorrow morning to consolidate his place in the top ten, to avoid having to go through Q1, as he did for the second time in his career at the last round in Catalunya.
Times were close, with the top 13 inside one second. Andrea Iannone (Ecstar Suzuki) again showed good one-lap pace to slot into second, ahead of Team Alma Pramac’s Danilo Petrucci, best of the Ducatis.
Last year’s race winner Valentino Rossi (Movistar Yamaha) was a close fourth, ahead of Cal Crutchlow (Castrol Honda) and factory Ducati rider Andrea Dovizioso, who had been on top for much of the session.
His team-mate Jorge Lorenzo, winner of the last two races, was seventh, better than a tenth clear of Marquez. Alex Rins (Suzuki) and Johann Zarco (Yamaha) completed the top ten.
Both Lorenzo and Zarco crashed at the same De Bult corner; Pol Espargaro (KTM) also fell; while Marquez executed several of his famous front-wheel saves.
Iannone, Dutch MotoGP 2018
Moto2
Moto2 championship leader Pecco Bagnaia (SKY VR46 Kalex) led both morning and the generally faster afternoon sessions, with a time more than 1.5 seconds slower than the class pole record, but only a tenth quicker than superfast class rookie Joan Mir (EG-VDS Kalex).
Times were close across the board, with 20 riders inside the same second, and a few minor surprises in the overall order.
Second SKY-VR46 rider Luca Marini was third; last week’s winner Fabio Quartararo (Speed Up) fourth, ahead of race winner Lorenzo Baldassarri (Pons HP40 Kalex) and Mattia Patinik (Italtrans Kalex).
Alex Marquez (EG-VDS Kalex) echoed his older brother’s day-one eighth place, more than a tenth down on Andrea Locatelli (Italtrans Kalex). Marquez had emerged unhurt from a crash in the morning.
Alex Marquez, Moto2, Dutch MotoGP2018
With Schrotter and Fenati (both Kalex) completing the top ten, the best KTM was Red Bull’s Brad Binder in 11th. He was one place ahead of team-mate Miguel Oliveira, whose win two weeks ago brought him to within one point of title leader Bagnaia.
Returned injury victim Remy Gardner (Tech 3) was 21st. Joe Roberts (NTS), the only American on the grid, placed 28th.
Moto3
Spaniard Aron Canet (EG Honda) topped the Moto3 time-sheets after an afternoon session where the drama concerned the only top-ten rider not to improve on his morning time.
Instead the luckless Jorge Martin, whose morning time put him second overall, had a heavy crash at the end of the session, and the Del Conca Honda rider was stretchered away as a pack of KTM’s clustered behind, the top ten inside one second. Fortunately, he had escaped serious injury and was passed fit to ride tomorrow.
The attack on the once dominant Hondas was led by Gabriel Rodrigo, narrowly ahead of John McPhee, Jerez winner Philipp Oettl, Nico Bulega, points leader Marco Bezzecchi and Jakub Kornfiel.
Only then, the next Honda – ridden by Japan’s Kaito Toba.
With hot conditions prevailing, the top time was more than 1.3 seconds off the existing pole record.
By Michael Scott