MotoGP

Marquez Makes Early Running At The Brickyard

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Marc Marquez began his quest for a tenth Grand Prix victory in succession in fine style by topping the Friday practice times at Indianapolis. The world champion carried a 77 point cushion into the summer break over teammate Dani Pedrosa and enjoyed a comfortable lead in FP2, lapping two tenths quicker than Andrea Iannone and half a second up on Yamaha’s Jorge Lorenzo.

The Indianapolis Motor Speedway has seen a number of alterations since last year’s Grand Prix with a number of corners reprofiled, providing a faster layout. The changes were expected to play into the hands of Yamaha and first practice seemed to support that theory with Valentino Rossi going quickest ahead of Bradley Smith but the afternoon saw the normal order restored from Honda’s point of view.

Jorge Lorenzo was the early frontrunner in FP2 on a 1:34.117 but Marquez soon broke into the 1:33s to pull four tenths clear of the opposition. Valentino Rossi briefly restored Yamaha’s superiority but Marquez responded by becoming the first rider to crack the 1:32s, moving him ahead of the impressive Iannone who had taken over from Rossi.

Andrea Dovizioso was another rider to have a spell at the top in the latter stages but he was later bumped to fourth by Lorenzo while Dani Pedrosa and Stefan Bradl completed the top six on their respective Honda RC213Vs. Yonny Hernandez shone all day on the Pramac Ducati, finishing the day in seventh, while Aleix Espargaro edged out morning pacesetters Rossi and Smith for eighth spot.

Scott Redding was another rider to turn heads with another outstanding display. The British rookie rose to third at one stage of the first session before outpacing Cal Crutchlow and his Gresini teammate Alvaro Bautista to take twelfth in the afternoon. Michael Laverty was nineteenth on the leading PBM machine while Leon Camier made a solid start to his debut weekend, lapping 3.5s shy of the ultimate pace.

 

 2014 RED BULL INDIANAPOLIS GRAND PRIX – COMBINED FREE PRACTICE CLASSIFICATION
POS RIDER MOTORCYCLE TEAM TIME 
1  93. MARC MARQUEZ HONDA REPSOL HONDA TEAM 1:32.882 FP2
2  29. ANDREA IANNONE DUCATI PRAMAC RACING 1:33.104 FP2
3  99. JORGE LORENZO YAMAHA MOVISTAR YAMAHA MOTOGP 1:33.424 FP2
4  4. ANDREA DOVIZIOSO DUCATI DUCATI TEAM 1:33.432 FP2
5  26. DANI PEDROSA HONDA REPSOL HONDA TEAM 1:33.493 FP2
6  6. STEFAN BRADL HONDA LCR HONDA MOTOGP 1:33.513 FP2
7  68. YONNY HERNANDEZ DUCATI PRAMAC RACING 1:33.531 FP2
8  41. ALEIX ESPARGARO FORWARD YAMAHA NGM FORWARD RACING 1:33.587 FP2
9  46. VALENTINO ROSSI YAMAHA MOVISTAR YAMAHA MOTOGP 1:33.598 FP2
10  38. BRADLEY SMITH YAMAHA MONSTER YAMAHA TECH 3 1:33.621 FP2
11  44. POL ESPARGARO YAMAHA MONSTER YAMAHA TECH 3 1:33.690 FP2
12  45. SCOTT REDDING HONDA GO&FUN HONDA GRESINI 1:33.971 FP2
13  35. CAL CRUTCHLOW DUCATI DUCATI TEAM 1:33.996 FP2
14  19. ALVARO BAUTISTA HONDA GO&FUN HONDA GRESINI 1:34.054 FP2
15  17. KAREL ABRAHAM HONDA CARDION AB MOTORACING 1:34.912 FP2
16  5. COLIN EDWARDS FORWARD YAHAMA NGM FORWARD RACING 1:34.994 FP2
17  7. HIROSHI AOYAMA HONDA DRIVE M7 ASPAR 1:35.106 FP2
18  8. HECTOR BARBERA AVINTIA AVINTIA RACING 1:35.231 FP2
19  70. MICHAEL LAVERTY PBM PAUL BIRD MOTORSPORT 1:35.472 FP2
20  9. DANILO PETRUCCI ART OCTO IODARACING TEAM 1:35.721 FP2
21  63. MIKE DI MEGLIO AVINTIA AVINTIA RACING 1:35.749 FP2
22  23. BROC PARKES PBM PAUL BIRD MOTORSPORT 1:35.941 FP2
23  2. LEON CAMIER HONDA DRIVE M7 ASPAR 1:36.394 FP2

 

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