Marquez fastest on Friday at Silverstone as Quartararo exceeds limits
Marc Marquez tops the timesheets in British MotoGP free practice at Silverstone as track limits deny a new lap record for Fabio Quartararo.
FP1 British MotoGP, Silverstone - RESULTS
FP2 British MotoGP, Silverstone - RESULTS
Marc Marquez set the pace on the first day of British MotoGP action as he topped second free practice on a record-breaking Friday at Silverstone, even if track limits ultimately played their part in shaking up the order.
The first MotoGP event to use Silverstone’s latest new track surface - its second in as many years – the ambient temperatures combined with the grippy surface saw lap records tumble across all classes.
Fabio Quartararo led the way in FP1 and would have likely done the same in FP2 when he posted a 1m 59.2s lap, only to see it cancelled due to a very slight track limits infraction. Valentino Rossi was also caught out to deny him a probable top five position, instead leaving him 11th.
Instead, a lucky Marquez’s emerged top with a 1m 59.476s, a comfortable three tenths clear of Maverick Vinales, who flew the flag on a day Yamaha – track limits notwithstanding – can be encouraged by. Cal Crutchlow was third quickest as the only other rider into the 1m 59s.
The most recent British MotoGP winner in 2017 – and victor last time out in Austria – Andrea Dovizioso was fourth quickest in FP2, ahead of Quartararo’s team-mate Fabio Morbidelli and the increasingly impressive Miguel Oliveira, the Portuguese rider again doing his chances of assuming Johann Zarco’s soon-to-be-vacant factory KTM ride by going sixth fastest on the satellite Tech 3 machine.
Slow and steady return for Jorge Lorenzo
Jack Miller, Danilo Petrucci, Aprilia’s Aleix Espargaro and Pol Espargaro round out the FP2 top ten, though the latter remains outside the provisional Q2 cut off as Quartararo’s FP1 benchmark places him up to third on the combined timesheets.
Jorge Lorenzo made his first MotoGP outing for two months on the Repsol Honda and could only post modest lap times, gravitating around the back all day to end Friday second from bottom ahead of Karel Abraham who crashed twice.
Elsewhere, Suzuki endured a tough day with Alex Rins down in 13th and Sylvain Guintoli 18th in FP2, while LCR Honda’s Takaaki Nakagami – a regular Q2 qualifier this year, was down in 14th.
