News 21 Apr 2018

Iannone leads the MotoGP way on Friday in Texas

P14 so far for Miller as Oliveira leads Moto2 and Martin in Moto3.

Image: Supplied.

Andrea Iannone (Team Suzuki Ecstar) left his best till last at the Red Bull Grand Prix of the Americas, as the ‘Maniac’ slammed in a 2m04.599s to depose the King of COTA Marc Marquez (Repsol Honda Team) from the top on Friday.

The gap between the two was just 0.056s and Marquez also suffered a crash on Friday. Behind the number 93, Movistar Yamaha duo of Maverick Vinales and Valentino Rossi completed the top four.

With weather looking set to change on Saturday in Austin, the end of FP2 saw a mad dash to get into the top 10 and secure provisional entry to Q2 qualifying. In that rush, Iannone was the last to strike big – and win – but there was another big headline too as Johann Zarco (Monster Yamaha Tech 3) ended the day in P13 overall.

It was championship leader Cal Crutchlow (LCR Honda Castrol) locking out the top five as he aims to hold onto that advantage heading back from the US. One of the men fighting him for the win last time out, Alex Rins (Team Suzuki Ecstar), was on his tail in P6, keeping Jorge Lorenzo (Ducati Team) just behind him by a mere three hundredths.

Andrea Dovizioso (Ducati Team) was eighth, moving up late on in the day and securing a safe move through to Q2 if the skies changes on Saturday, with an impressive performance from Aleix Espargaro (Aprilia Racing Team Gresini) seeing the Spaniard take ninth, just under a tenth off the 2017 championship runner up.

Dani Pedrosa (Repsol Honda Team), meanwhile, completed the top 10. He found FP1 tough going as he rides just over a week after surgery on a broken wrist, but was back at it in FP2. Australia’s Jack Miller rode his Pramac Racing to P14 on day one.

As the Moto2 times tumbled from FP1, Miguel Oliveira continued his perfect start to the Red Bull Grand Prix of the Americas as the Portuguese rider consolidated his place at the top of the standings in FP2 with a 2m11.104s to go fastest overall.

Sam Lowes (Swiss Innovative Investors) put in his best lap at the end of the session to finish the day in P2 and just, 0.021s was the gap splitting the two KTM riders at the front. Alex Marquez (EG 0,0 Marc VDS) was a close third on the combined times, with Remy Gardner (Tech3 Racing) 23rd.

In Moto3, Jorge Martin (Del Conca Gresini Moto3) went fastest on Friday, but leaving it late in the day to strike on his final lap in FP2. Aron Canet (Estrella Galicia 0,0), the championship leader, was second and Fabio Di Giannantonio (Del Conca Gresini Moto3) completing the top three, only 0.004s down on Canet.

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