Austin MotoGP: Marquez leads Vinales in warm-up
Marc Marquez convincingly led the way in morning warm-up for MotoGP's Grand Prix of the Americas at Austin, six tenths of a second ahead of polesitter Maverick Vinales.
Photo by: Gold and Goose / Motorsport Images
Marquez, who was demoted from pole to fourth on the grid for blocking Maverick Vinales in qualifying, took the top spot in the opening part of the 20-minute session, and held it throughout barring a brief interlude when Andrea Iannone nudged 0.150s ahead.
The reigning champion responded to Iannone's effort of 2m05.830s with a 2m05.665s, before pulling well clear of his rivals with a 2m04.988s.
Cal Crutchlow made a late move up to second on the LCR Honda, but fell short of works counterpart Marquez by 0.709s, and was then pipped to the runner-up spot by Vinales as the works Yamaha man set a time 0.616s off the pace.
Iannone ended the session fourth on the best of the Suzukis, while Aleix Espargaro put a dismal qualifying session for Aprilia behind him with the fifth-fastest time, just under a second off the pace.
Andrea Dovizioso led the Ducati charge in sixth ahead of Alex Rins (Suzuki), Pramac Ducati pair Jack Miller and Danilo Petrucci and the second factory Ducati of Jorge Lorenzo.
Valentino Rossi was a low-key 11th, 1.779s off the pace and more than a second slower than Vinales, while front-row starter Johann Zarco was only 13th on the best of the Tech 3 Yamahas.
Zarco's teammate Hafizh Syahrin was taken to the medical centre after a highside crash at Turn 19 on his out-lap.
Warm-up results:
Pos. | # | Rider | Bike | Time | Gap |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
1 | 93 | Marc Marquez | Honda | 2'04.988 | |
2 | 25 | Maverick Viñales | Yamaha | 2'05.604 | 0.616 |
3 | 35 | Cal Crutchlow | Honda | 2'05.697 | 0.709 |
4 | 29 | Andrea Iannone | Suzuki | 2'05.817 | 0.829 |
5 | 41 | Aleix Espargaro | Aprilia | 2'05.980 | 0.992 |
6 | 4 | Andrea Dovizioso | Ducati | 2'06.052 | 1.064 |
7 | 42 | Alex Rins | Suzuki | 2'06.266 | 1.278 |
8 | 43 | Jack Miller | Ducati | 2'06.489 | 1.501 |
9 | 9 | Danilo Petrucci | Ducati | 2'06.616 | 1.628 |
10 | 99 | Jorge Lorenzo | Ducati | 2'06.753 | 1.765 |
11 | 46 | Valentino Rossi | Yamaha | 2'06.767 | 1.779 |
12 | 53 | Tito Rabat | Ducati | 2'06.824 | 1.836 |
13 | 5 | Johann Zarco | Yamaha | 2'06.826 | 1.838 |
14 | 45 | Scott Redding | Aprilia | 2'07.216 | 2.228 |
15 | 30 | Takaaki Nakagami | Honda | 2'07.313 | 2.325 |
16 | 44 | Pol Espargaro | KTM | 2'07.360 | 2.372 |
17 | 38 | Bradley Smith | KTM | 2'07.461 | 2.473 |
18 | 10 | Xavier Simeon | Ducati | 2'07.730 | 2.742 |
19 | 26 | Dani Pedrosa | Honda | 2'07.778 | 2.790 |
20 | 19 | Alvaro Bautista | Ducati | 2'07.860 | 2.872 |
21 | 21 | Franco Morbidelli | Honda | 2'07.932 | 2.944 |
22 | 12 | Thomas Luthi | Honda | 2'08.013 | 3.025 |
23 | 17 | Karel Abraham | Ducati | 2'11.413 | 6.425 |
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