Crutchlow fastest Friday at Silverstone

Cal Crutchlow
Cal Crutchlow

Cal Crutchlow (LCR Honda) topped the timesheets on Day 1 of the Octo British Grand Prix, two tenths ahead of the first of the Movistar Yamaha MotoGP duo – with nine-time World Champion Valentino Rossi heading teammate Maverick Vinales, last year’s winner.

Fourth fastest on combined timesheets was an impressive showing from Aleix Espargaro (Aprilia Racing Team Gresini) riding through the pain barrier, ahead of reigning Champion Marc Marquez (Repsol Honda Team). Marquez had two crashes in the afternoon, but got back on track – rider ok.

Jorge Lorenzo (Ducati Team) was the fastest Borgo Panigale machine on Day 1 in P6 overall. The Majorcan is also the man with the most premier class victories at the track – and got back to pitlane at the end of FP2 with a little help from Bradley Smith (Red Bull KTM Factory Racing).

FP2 was also marked on Friday by a trial run of a new flag-to-flag bike swap procedure at the end of the session, with teams given a new angle for the bikes and a lollipop man in place to ensure safe releases. The Safety Commission will now discuss the trial.

Red Bull KTM Factory Racing rider Pol Espargaro put in a rockstar performance on Friday, running third for some time in FP2 before ending the day in seventh. He headed rookie Johann Zarco (Monster Yamaha Tech 3), who was eighth fastest as he attempts to keep his momentum from Austria.

Andrea Dovizioso (Ducati Team) was P9 at the end of action on Day 1, but the Championship challenger was only 0.008 off eighth in the incredibly tight top ten – which was completed by Scott Redding (Octo Pramac Racing) on home turf.

Andrea Iannone and Alex Rins (Team Suzuki Ecstar) were P11 and P12 respectively at the track where the GSX-RR won last year, with the fastest fifteen on Friday completed by Alvaro Bautista (Pull&Bear Aspar Team), teammate Karel Abraham and Loris Baz (Reale Avintia Racing)

Two big names further down the timesheets were Dani Pedrosa (Repsol Honda Team) in P17 and Jonas Folger (Monster Yamaha Tech 3) in P19 – both looking for improvements tomorrow.

Friday Results

Pos.

Rider

Num

Nation

Team

Constructor

Time/Gap

1

Crutchlow Cal

35

GBR

LCR Honda

Honda

2'00.897

2

Rossi Valentino

46

ITA

Movistar Yamaha MotoGP

Yamaha

0.241

3

Vinales Maverick

25

SPA

Movistar Yamaha MotoGP

Yamaha

0.271

4

Espargaro Aleix

41

SPA

Aprilia Racing Team Gresini

Aprilia

0.695

5

Marquez Marc

93

SPA

Repsol Honda Team

Honda

0.714

6

Lorenzo Jorge

99

SPA

Ducati Team

Ducati

0.758

7

Espargaro Pol

44

SPA

Red Bull KTM Factory Racing

KTM

0.935

8

Zarco Johann

5

FRA

Monster Yamaha Tech 3

Yamaha

0.988

9

Dovizioso Andrea

4

ITA

Ducati Team

Ducati

0.996

10

Redding Scott

45

GBR

Octo Pramac Racing

Ducati

1.036

11

Iannone Andrea

29

ITA

Team Suzuki Ecstar

Suzuki

1.077

12

Rins Alex

42

SPA

Team Suzuki Ecstar

Suzuki

1.175

13

Bautista Alvaro

19

SPA

Pull&Bear Aspar Team

Ducati

1.200

14

Abraham Karel

17

CZE

Pull&Bear Aspar Team

Ducati

1.201

15

Baz Loris

76

FRA

Reale Avintia Racing

Ducati

1.305

16

Petrucci Danilo

9

ITA

Octo Pramac Racing

Ducati

1.353

17

Pedrosa Dani

26

SPA

Repsol Honda Team

Honda

1.511

18

Miller Jack

43

AUS

Team EG 0,0 Marc VDS

Honda

1.610

19

Folger Jonas

94

GER

Monster Yamaha Tech 3

Yamaha

1.683

20

Barbera Hector

8

SPA

Reale Avintia Racing

Ducati

1.838

21

Rabat Tito

53

SPA

Team EG 0,0 Marc VDS

Honda

1.963

22

Lowes Sam

22

GBR

Aprilia Racing Team Gresini

Aprilia

2.578

23

Smith Bradley

38

GBR

Red Bull KTM Factory Racing

KTM

3.517