MotoGP™ FP2 at Phillip Island saw Jorge Lorenzo set the pace on the first day of the Tissot Australian Grand Prix despite a crash in a session which saw several front end spills. Aleix Espargaro and Marc Marquez joined Lorenzo at towards the head of the combined timesheet.
Movistar Yamaha MotoGP’s Lorenzo is the form rider in the premier class at present and he ended the day on top by 0.147s from his compatriot Espargaro despite a crash after losing the front end late in FP2.
The morning’s fastest Espargaro (NGM Forward Racing) ended the day second overall courtesy of his FP1 best.
The pressure is off Marquez this weekend after he secured the 2014 title on Sunday at Motegi but the Repsol Honda star was the rider to get closest to Lorenzo in FP2, though he was behind Espargaro on combined times in third overall.
Iannone (Pramac Racing) was 0.2s down on Lorenzo in fourth, but he too suffered a late crash in the afternoon.
Andrea Dovizioso (Ducati Team) and Valentino Rossi (Movistar Yamaha MotoGP) both finished the day inside the top six.
Cal Crutchlow (Ducati Team), Pol Espargaro (Monster Yamaha Tech3), Yonny Hernandez (Energy T.I. Pramac Racing) and Dani Pedrosa (Repsol Honda Team) completed the day’s top ten.
Dovizioso (Ducati Team) fell at Turn 1 early in FP2, he was frustrated but otherwise OK. Hiroshi Aoyama (Drive M7 Aspar) and Pol Espargaro also both fell in similar incidents, losing the front.