MotoGP’s summer break is over and for the moment Yamaha’s Valentino Rossi is the new lap record holder on the reconfigured Indianapolis Motor Speedway MotoGP road course. Rossi clocked a 1:34.535 to outpace Bradley Smith’s 1:34.569 during the first session in Indianapolis.
The changes to the circuit have made lap times at least three seconds faster (probably more), even though the track length is only about 50 meters shorter overall. The record on the old configuration was held by Marc Marquez at 1:37.958.
Turns 3, 4, 7, 15 and 16 have been reconfigured and the entire infield section of the circuit has been repaved. Many feel the biggest change is the much fast transition from the last turn onto the front straightaway, which should make for faster top speeds.
The changes were made to make the track more flowing, open new passing opportunities and to improve safety.
Friday morning opened with rain, but the track was mostly dry by the time the MotoGP came out for their first practice.
Rossi’s and Smith’s leading times were set on the final lap of the 45-minute session.
The top five riders in FP1 were into the 1:34 bracket, with Andrea Iannone, Pol Espargaro and Marc Marquez rounding out the top five.
It was a positive start for Rossi, who won the inaugural Red Bull Indianapolis GP in 2008, but since then his best result at the circuit has been a pair of fourth-place finishes.
Perhaps the only surprise of the first practice session was the fact that Marquez and Lorenzo were down in fifth and six and defending winner Dani Pedrosa was all the way back in 16th with a 1:36.419, almost two seconds off Rossi’s pace.
American Colin Edwards (1:35.743) opened his final MotoGP race in America in 11th-place on his NGM Forward Racing Yamaha.
Leon Camier, in his MotoGP debut as a replacement for the injured Nicky Hayden, was 23rd in the session with a 1:39.962.
Riders reported good grip with the newly paved circuit in spite of the track being a little green after the morning rains.
MotoGP Free Practice 1 from Indianapolis – Aug. 8, 2014
1 46 Valentino ROSSI ITA Movistar Yamaha MotoGP Yamaha 339.4 1’34.535
2 38 Bradley SMITH GBR Monster Yamaha Tech 3 Yamaha 337.8 1’34.569 0.034 / 0.034
3 29 Andrea IANNONE ITA Pramac Racing Ducati 340.7 1’34.579 0.044 / 0.010
4 44 Pol ESPARGARO SPA Monster Yamaha Tech 3 Yamaha 336.7 1’34.678 0.143 / 0.099
5 93 Marc MARQUEZ SPA Repsol Honda Team Honda 340.0 1’34.885 0.350 / 0.207
6 99 Jorge LORENZO SPA Movistar Yamaha MotoGP Yamaha 337.1 1’35.084 0.549 / 0.199 |
7 45 Scott REDDING GBR GO&FUN Honda Gresini Honda 325.6 1’35.122 0.587 / 0.038
8 41 Aleix ESPARGARO SPA NGM Forward Racing Forward Yamaha 333.0 1’35.283 0.748 / 0.161
9 4 Andrea DOVIZIOSO ITA Ducati Team Ducati 339.0 1’35.445 0.910 / 0.162
10 68 Yonny HERNANDEZ COL Energy T.I. Pramac Racing Ducati 334.4 1’35.501 0.966 / 0.056
11 5 Colin EDWARDS USA NGM Forward Racing Forward Yamaha 337.4 1’35.743 1.208 / 0.242
12 35 Cal CRUTCHLOW GBR Ducati Team Ducati 333.7 1’35.935 1.400 / 0.192
13 7 Hiroshi AOYAMA JPN Drive M7 Aspar Honda 324.1 1’35.953 1.418 / 0.018
14 6 Stefan BRADL GER LCR Honda MotoGP Honda 337.0 1’35.972 1.437 / 0.019
15 17 Karel ABRAHAM CZE Cardion AB Motoracing Honda 322.6 1’35.995 1.460 / 0.023
16 26 Dani PEDROSA SPA Repsol Honda Team Honda 333.4 1’36.419 1.884 / 0.424
17 19 Alvaro BAUTISTA SPA GO&FUN Honda Gresini Honda 340.9 1’36.436 1.901 / 0.017
18 8 Hector BARBERA SPA Avintia Racing Avintia 321.9 1’36.444 1.909 / 0.008
19 23 Broc PARKES AUS Paul Bird Motorsport PBM 313.7 1’36.445 1.910 / 0.001
20 9 Danilo PETRUCCI ITA Octo IodaRacing Team ART 316.0 1’36.837 2.302 / 0.392
21 70 Michael LAVERTY GBR Paul Bird Motorsport PBM 320.9 1’38.399 3.864 / 1.562
22 63 Mike DI MEGLIO FRA Avintia Racing Avintia 318.8 1’38.405 3.870 / 0.006
23 2 Leon CAMIER GBR Drive M7 Aspar Honda 316.9 1’39.962 5.427 / 1.557
