L’Italien a bouclé la seconde séance d’essais du Grand Prix TIM d’Italie à une demi-seconde de la concurrence.
Sur une piste sèche et sous le soleil après avoir dû rouler sur piste mouillée vendredi matin au Mugello, Andrea Iannone (Ducati Team) a conclu la seconde séance d’essais sur un impressionnant chrono de 1’47.696 qui lui conférait 0.461s d’avance sur Jorge Lorenzo (Movistar Yamaha MotoGP).
Le Champion du Monde en titre et vainqueur de l’édition 2015 du GP TIM d’Italie avait occupé la première position à plusieurs reprises au long de la séance mais a finalement été clairement battu pour l’Italien, seul pilote à être passé sous la barre des 1’48 et auteur de la pole position au Mugello en 2015.
Inscrit en wildcard après avoir déjà disputé trois Grands Prix cette saison, Michele Pirro (Ducati Team) s’est classé troisième, à près d’un dixième de seconde de Lorenzo, qu’il suivait sur son meilleur tour, et confirmait son potentiel sur une piste où il roule régulièrement en tant que pilote d’essais de Ducati.
Aleix Espargaró (Team Suzuki Ecstar), Marc Márquez (Repsol Honda Team) et Valentino Rossi (Movistar Yamaha MotoGP) figuraient eux aussi dans le Top 10, devant Maverick Viñales (Team Suzuki Ecstar), Scott Redding (Octo Pramac Yakhnich), qui a brièvement occupé la tête du classement, et Cal Crutchlow (LCR Honda).
Dixième, Pol Espargaró (Monster Yamaha Tech3) était le dernier pilote à moins d’une seconde (+0,774s) du temps de référence, en étant à moins de deux dixièmes du Top 5.
Dani Pedrosa (Repsol Honda Team), Danilo Petrucci (Octo Pramac Yakhnich) et Andrea Dovizioso (Ducati Team) ont respectivement fini aux onzième, douzième et treizième places et tenteront de faire mieux samedi matin afin s’assurer une place dans le Top 10, synonyme de qualification directe en Q2.
Contraint à s’arrêter en bord de piste en début de séance, Loris Baz (Avintia Racing) a perdu un temps précieux et a terminé en dernière position.
Eugene Laverty (Aspar Team MotoGP) a pour sa part subi une grosse chute et terminé dix-neuvième, devant les deux pilotes de l’Aprilia Racing Team Gresini, Álvaro Bautista et Stefan Bradl, et Baz.
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Times improve by over five seconds as Mugello dries, Iannone, Lorenzo and Pirro ending Friday as the three quickest riders.
With only 14 riders having set times in Free Practice 1, the second session of the day was actually the first time on track at Mugello for several riders. The start of the Gran Premio d'Italia TIM had been hit by rain, but there were no such issues in Free Practice 2. Yonny Hernandez (Aspar Team MotoGP) had been the fastest rider in FP1 but his 1’54.199 was quickly demolished.
All the MotoGP™ World Championship riders were able to improve their times considerably in the session. Quickest of them all was Andrea Iannone (Ducati Team) who set a 1’47.696 to end 0.461s ahead of second place. He might be off to Team Suzuki Ecstar in 2017, but Ducati and Iannone still have business to finish in 2016. Mugello in 2015 was the scene of Iannone’s first MotoGP™ World Championship pole position and he could easily achieve a second premier class pole if his form continues.
Jorge Lorenzo (Movistar Yamaha MotoGP) was immediately up to speed after sitting out Free Practice 1. He set a 1’48.157 to edge within half a second of Iannone. Lorenzo once again tried a new version of his helmet with an extended rear section.
Wildcard Michele Pirro (Ducati Team) was again up towards the sharp end, ending as the third fastest rider of the day. A slipstream behind Lorenzo assisted his time, but Pirro often produces his best results in front of the hoards of Italians who fill the hills of Mugello.
Aleix Espargaro (Team Suzuki Ecstar) concluded Friday as the fourth fastest rider, just over a tenth off Jorge Lorenzo. Marc Marquez (Repsol Honda Team) was the leading Honda in fifth. Starting somewhat down the order is not unusual for Marquez who has often struggled at the circuit, having won just once in the premier class.
The distance from second to sixth was nail bitingly close, never more than a tenth of a second splitting two riders. 0.644s off Iannone’s time, but only two tenths from second, Valentino Rossi () started his home round well and is already up to speed with his rivals.
Maverick Viñales (Team Suzuki Ecstar), Scott Redding (Octo Pramac Yakhnich), Cal Crutchlow (LCR Honda) and Pol Espargaro (Monster Yamaha Tech 3) were all inside the top ten. Despite Iannone’s considerable lead, they all managed to end within a second of his time.
Having just announced his contract extension with Honda, Dani Pedrosa’s (Repsol Honda Team) weekend got off to a less than ideal start as he finished 11th. The Italian GP is also Pedrosa's 250th Grand Prix start, the Spaniard aiming to celebrate the achievement with a bang. Andrea Dovizioso (Ducati Team) also had a rough start to the weekend with the 13th fastest time. Fortunately conditions are looking good for Saturday and Sunday, giving both a chance to improve.
Eugene Laverty (Aspar Team MotoGP) fell at Turn 1 with a little over 17 minutes of the session remaining. He was unharmed.
Mugello will again be filled with the terrific sound of the 1000cc MotoGP™ bikes at 09:55 Local Time when Free Practice 3 begins.
Times and results from the second session of the day can be seen here.
