Lorenzo clocked 1min 45.151sec followed by Ducati’s Andrea Dovizioso, who lapped 0.053sec slower with rising Suzuki star Maverick Vinales third. PHOTO: AFP
Championship leader Marc Marquez was fourth quickest for Honda but much of the focus was on Pedrosa, who decided to fly back to Spain for surgery after a heavy fall in yesterday’s afternoon session that broke his collarbone into four pieces.
Yamaha’s Lorenzo clocked 1min 45.151sec in cool and dry conditions at Motegi, followed by Ducati’s Andrea Dovizioso, who lapped 0.053sec slower with rising Suzuki star Maverick Vinales third.
Marquez takes giant leap towards title
“The bike is working quite well and I’m in good shape, so I’m very motivated to make it a good race,” said Lorenzo.
Marquez suffered a minor fall in the afternoon as he tested the limit of the hard front tyre at the hairpin but was still good enough for fourth, while his closest championship rival Valentino Rossi was seventh.
“We are very close,” said Spain’s double world champion. “At the moment Lorenzo is the fastest guy. But me, Vinales, Valentino and Dovizioso; we more or less have the same pace.”
Crash no barrier as Marquez claims pole
The hard tyre also caused troubles for Rossi, as temperature quickly dropped in the afternoon in mountainous Motegi, sending several riders to crash.
“It was a mixed day. This afternoon it was difficult practice because we tried the hard tyre,” said the Italian.
Marquez, meanwhile, can mathematically claim his third MotoGP title in Japan tomorrow.
With four races to go, Rossi is battling to close a 52-point gap against Marquez, who has never won at the Motegi circuit but his second-place finish in 2014 secured that season’s championship.
Published in The Express Tribune, October 15th, 2016.
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