until Abu Dhabi Autonomous Racing League
Yamaha factory rider Maverick Vinales topped testing at Jerez as MotoGP returned to live action ahead of this weekend’s new season opener at the same circuit.
With track temperatures hitting a high of 57 degrees celsius and air temperatures in the low forties, it made for very different conditions from the May date for Jerez’ races. However, it didn’t slow down Vinales as he ended the day only a second from the circuit lap record.
He set his time towards the end of the day, demoting six-time and reigning champion Marc Marquez from the top spot Marquez had enjoyed for the majority of the day’s three hours of action aboard the factory Honda.
Petronas Yamaha SRT rider Fabio Quartararo – who will partner Vinales at the works team in 2021 – also jumped Marquez late on to take second only 0.118s adrift, Marquez settling for the third-fastest time.
Quartararo will be docked 20 minutes in Friday’s first practice session as a consequence of his testing rule breach during the extended off-season – although the Petronas rider has appealed the decision.
Alex Rins and Joan Mir were fourth and fifth for Suzuki, showing that they’re keen to pick up where they left off with a strong pre-season testing program back in March before the coronavirus delayed this year’s action.
Francesco ‘Pecco’ Bagnaia was a surprise sixth place and the leading Ducati for satellite team Pramac, putting on a good showing as the highest factory rider was 12th.
However, that was Andrea Dovizioso, who broke his collarbone in a motocross accident just two and a half weeks ago and has received permission to test and race this weekend. He was the last rider within a second of Vinales’ benchmark.
Behind Bagnaia, Johann Zarco on the 2019-spec Avintia Ducati was seventh, ahead of the impressive Aleix Espargaro
Espargaro spent much of the day inside the top three for Aprilia, although the second of the day’s two 90-minute sessions was stopped for almost an hour after a technical problem for Espargaro led to oil spilled from his Aprilia at the fast Turn 11.
Both Alex Marquez and Danilo Petrucci fell, with Petrucci needing a medical centre visit for cranial trauma but passed fit to continue. He ended the day last in the order, over two seconds off the best time.
Aleix’s brother Pol was ninth, making it six manufacturers inside the top 10 on the KTM, while Franco Morbidelli rounded out the top 10 on the second satellite Petronas Yamaha.
Valentino Rossi finished a distant 16th in the second session, but after a strong third-place showing in the morning’s session, he won’t be too disconsolate about his return to action.
Free practice is the next on-track session and gets underway at Jerez on Friday in preparation for Sunday’s Spanish Grand Prix.
