News 4 May 2019

Ducati's Petrucci sets Friday MotoGP benchmark at Jerez

Miller completes top 10 as countryman Gardner takes fifth in Moto2.

Image: Supplied.

Mission Winnow Ducati’s Danilo Petrucci went fastest on Friday in the Red Bull Spanish Grand Prix, less than a tenth of a second quicker than world champion Marc Marquez (Repsol Honda Team).

MotoGP championship leader Andrea Dovizioso (Mission Winnow Ducati) was third, with Jerez specialist Jorge Lorenzo (Repsol Honda Team) next up as he made major improvements on return to Europe.

Cal Crutchlow (LCR Honda Castrol), meanwhile, was fifth to make it less than two tenths covering the top five in a Ducati vs Honda duel for supremacy at the top of the time-sheets.

In FP1 Repsol Honda took a 1-2 and Marquez sat behind Dovizioso for a couple of laps, before in FP2 the numbers 93 and 99 spent some time circulating in tandem as Lorenzo got straight back into the mix near the front at one of his most successful venues and Marquez followed him around.

Sixth overall was Maverick Vinales (Monster Energy Yamaha MotoGP), ahead of Takaaki Nakagami (LCR Honda Idemitsu), top rookie Fabio Quartararo (Petronas Yamaha SRT), Honda test rider Stefan Bradl (HRC Team) and Australian Jack Miller (Pramac Racing).

HDR Heidrun Speed Up’s Jorge Navarro is Friday’s fastest rider in the Moto2 class, his 1m41.819s set in FP1, with the Spaniard leading Red Bull KTM Ajo teammates Brad Binder and rookie Jorge Martin. Texas winner Tom Luthi (Dynavolt Intact GP) was P4 ahead of Remy Gardner (ONEXOX TKKR SAG Team) in fifth.

Niccolo Antonelli (SIC58 Squadra Corse) took Friday honours in the Moto3 class, posting a 1m46.795s in FP2 to edge teammate Tatsuki Suzuki and reigning Moto3 Junior world champion Raul Fernandez (Sama Qatar Angel Nieto Team), just half a tenth in further arrears.

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