Movistar Yamaha’s Jorge Lorenzo went under lap record pace during the second MotoGP free practice session in Motegi, and remained top of the timesheets after an impressive 1’44.731.
The double-champion is recovering from a shoulder injury after hurting the left side in a ‘training incident’ last weekend, but it didn’t appear to affect him that much during the FP sessions, and in the end was only two tenths shy of the out-right lap record.
Repsol Honda’s Marc Marquez is still nursing a hand injury and is recovering from surgery, after breaking a bone in his left hand in a recent mountain bike crash. The reigning champ did look like he might be struggling slightly as he only managed a 1’45.492 lap, that placed him P7.
Current championship leader, Movistar Yamaha’s Valentino Rossi ended FP2 in P8, and was over half a second off the best time of his team-mate with his best lap of a 1’45.554.
But the rider who got closest to matching the best time set by Lorenzo was Dani Pedrosa. The Spaniard was 0.1s slower than his fellow countryman after a 1’44.859. Both Repsol riders, Lorenzo and Rossi set their fastest times on the medium front and soft rear tyre compounds.
In a repeat of the opening session it was Lorenzo who set the pace after ten minutes out on track with a 1’45.535, only to improve by one tenth of a second and going faster than his FP1 best lap. The two Ducati’s of Iannone and Dovizioso ended the second timed session in third and fourth respectively, with Iannone posting a 1’45.043.
Monster Yamaha’s Bradley Smith was not giving up on the fight for the quickest rider accolade and with five minute left on the clock soared to the top of the timesheets with a 1’45.250, but the Brit’s reign at the top was not to last as Lorenzo, Pedrosa, Iannone and Dovizioso went faster.
At the flag LCR Honda’s Cal Crutchlow just missed out on a place inside the top ten and had to settle for eleventh on the timing-screens. But he did edge ahead of fellow compatriot, Scott Redding who ended the day in twelfth, with Aspar’s Eugene Laverty out-pacing team-mate Nicky Hayden in nineteenth.
