Movistar Yamaha’s Valentino Rossi in action during the first free practice session of the Commercial Bank Grand Prix of Qatar, at the Losail International Circuit yesterday. Picture: Noushad Thekkayil
By Sports Reporter/Doha
Two Spaniards led 2014 MotoGP season’s first free practice sessions. And they were not the usual suspects of defending champion Marc Marquez, or the 2013 runner-up Jorge Lorenzo, nor Dani Pedrosa.
Aleix Espargaro of NGM Forward Racing, riding an ‘Open’ Yamaha, raced to the top of the time sheets at yesterday’s first free practice session ahead of Sunday’s Commercial Bank Grand Prix of Qatar at the Losail International Circuit.
Espargaro, continuing from his impressive pre-season testing performances, at 1:55.201, was a little more than four-tenths of a second faster than compatriot Alvaro Bautista of Go&Fun Honda Gresini. Bradley Smith of Monster Yamaha Tech 3 was third fastest at 1:55.816 ahead of Pramac Racing’s Ducati being driven by Andrea Iannone.
The 2013 Moto2 champion Pol Espargaro, who made the switch to MotoGP this year with Monster Yamaha Tech 3, was fifth with a lap time of 1:56.020. Pol, Aleix’s younger brother, had suffered a collarbone injury earlier this month in the pre-season testing at the same venue.
The top ‘Factory’ riders were Repsol Honda’s Dani Pedrosa and Movistar Yamaha’s Valentino Rossi at sixth and seventh respectively.
Aleix’s teammate Colin Edwards was eighth fastest, ahead of the 2013 Commercial Bank Grand Prix of Qatar winner and Rossi’s team-mate Jorge Lorenzo. American Nicky Hayden, riding for Drive M7 Aspar, rounded off the top ten ahead of Marquez.
World champion Marquez was 11th as he tested his fitness after breaking his right leg in preseason, whilst Yonny Hernandez (Energy TI Pramac Racing) finished 15th and went for a scan after walking away from a turn 16 crash which caused a brief red crash due to track debris.
Free Practice 1 times (top 10)
1. Aleix Espargaro (NGM Forward Racing) 1:55.201
2. Alvaro Bautista (Go&Fun Honda Gresini) 1:55.667
3. Bradley Smith (Monster Yamaha Tech 3) 1:55.816
4. Andrea Iannone (Pramac Racing) 1:55.996
5. Pol Espargaro (Monster Yamaha Tech 3) 1:56.020
6. Dani Pedrosa (Repsol Honda)........ 1:56.332
7. Valentino Rossi (Movistar Yamaha) 1:56.542
8. Colin Edwards (NGM Forward Racing) 1:56.626
9. Jorge Lorenzo (Movistar Yamaha) 1:56.668
10. Nicky Hayden (Drive M7 Aspar) 1:56.670