Source: MotoGP.

Repsol Honda’s Dani Pedrosa sets the fastest ever lap MotoGP lap around the TT Circuit Assen to top the opening day combined timesheets.

Pedrosa outshone his rivals to end the first day of Free Practice at the Motul TT Assen on top after setting a blistering record lap of 1m33.450s during FP2, beating his teammate Marc Marquez’s 2014 best of 1m33.462s in the process.

Today’s practice sessions took part in surprisingly warm and sunny conditions at the TT Circuit Assen, the only track that has been ever-present in the world Cchampionship calendar since it began in 1949.

Track temperatures peaked at 40 degrees Celsius in FP2 and with the forecast for Friday showing a chance of rain, today’s Free Practice sessions took on extra emphasis as riders tried to secure automatic qualification through to Q2. With this in mind, as the clocked ticked down towards the end of FP2, riders headed out on fresh tyres to try and set a flying lap.

Repsol Honda made it a 1-2 on the combined timesheets, as Marquez, who had earlier crashed on his out-lap in FP1, set the second fastest time of the day, just 0.139s behind Pedrosa.

Movistar Yamaha’s Valentino Rossi (+0.202s), using a new frame which his team debuted last week at a private test at Motorland Aragon, ended the day in third after he had earlier topped FP1 for the first time since Indianapolis last year.

Ducati Team’s Andrea Iannone (+0.249s) was fourth, with Cal Crutchlow (+0.284s) on the CWM LCR Honda the leading Satellite rider in fifth. The man who has won the last four races in a row, Jorge Lorenzo (+0.291s), was in sixth ahead of the second Ducati Team GP15 of Andrea Dovizioso (+0.394s) who ended the day in seventh.

Aleix Espargaro (Team Suzuki Ecstar) made use of the softer option tyre available to him to finish in eighth, ahead of Danilo Petrucci (Octo Pramac Racing) and the second GSX-RR of Maverick Viñales who completed the top 11.

Monster Yamaha Tech 3’s Bradley Smith found himself outside of the top 10 in 13th, along with Scott Redding (14th) on the Factory spec EG Marc VDS Honda. Stefan Bradl was the leading Open class rider in 15th, while the Aspar Team MotoGP Honda’s of Eugene Laverty, who was using a new swingarm today, and Nicky Hayden finished in 17th and 18th respectively.

Australian Jack Miller (CWM LCR Honda) was a stunning 11th fastest in the first practice of the weekend, before dropping down the order to 19th at the conclusion of FP2, unable to better his morning time.

Ajo Motorsport’s Zarco, who leads reigning world champion Tito Rabat by a commanding 40-points in the standings, set a 1m37.670s to end the first day of Moto2 Free Practice on top.

That put the Frenchman, who has won twice in 2015 in Argentina and Barcelona, 0.196s ahead of Simone Corsi (Athina Forward Racing Kalex) and Speed Up Racing’s Sam Lowes, who had topped FP1 earlier. Anthony West finished Thursday in 22nd.

Leopard Racing’s Danny Kent set a new Moto3 lap record at the TT Circuit Assen to end the first day of practice on top with a 1m41.860s, followed by Sky Racing Team VR46’s Romano Fenati in second and Jorge Navarro (Estrella Galicia 0,0 Honda). Aussie rookie Remy Gardner was 26th overall.

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