Marc Marquez ends FP1 on top of the timesheets ahead of Jorge Lorenzo and Michele Pirro.


Repsol Honda’s Marc Marquez was the quickest out of the blocks in Free Practice 1 at the Gran Premio TIM di San Marino e della Riviera di Rimini as he set a 1.33.328. The Spaniard’s time was just four-tenths off his own pole record from 2013 (1’32.915). The reigning MotoGP World Champion made use of the extra grip available from the resurfaced track in ideal conditions (Track temp. 28?C) to top the session by 0.094s from Movistar Yamaha’s Lorenzo.

Lorenzo was riding the new surface at the circuit for the first time in anger after his team are one of the few to have not tested at Misano this year. Ducati Team’s test rider Michele Pirro (+0.469s) finished the session in third as the leading Ducati. The Italian who is riding as a wildcard finished ahead of the Dani Pedrosa (+0.602s) on the second Repsol Honda RC213V.

Pirro’s teammate Andrea Dovizioso (+0.687s) finished the session fifth fastest, ahead of the man leading the World Championship standings Valentino Rossi (+0.758s).

Pol Espargaro (Monster Yamaha Tech 3), his teammate Bradley Smith, Cal Crutchlow (LCR Honda) and Andrea Iannone (Ducati Team) completed the top ten.

EG 0,0 Marc VDS’s Scott Redding finished in 11th ahead of the leading Open class rider Hector Barbera on the Avintia Racing Ducati in 12th. Eugene Laverty (Aspar MotoGP Team) ended the session in 15th, with Jack Miller (LCR Honda) and Nicky Hayden (Aspar MotoGP Team) in 21st and 22nd respectively.

Forward Racing’s Claudio Corti had a nasty looking crash at turn 9 with less than ten minutes left to go in the session, but luckily walked away unhurt and finished in 26th. FP2 starts at 14:05 local time in Misano.

MotoGP.com Press Release