Jorge Lorenzo of the Yamaha Factory Racing team in action during the free practice session of the British Motorcycling Grand Prix at Silverstone race track in Northamptonshire, Britain, on Friday.
LONDON: Defending champion Jorge Lorenzo turned up the heat on his rivals as he produced the quickest time in the second free practice session on Friday ahead of the British MotoGP at Silverstone this weekend.
The Yamaha rider was almost a quarter of a second faster than second-placed Marc Marquez after clocking a lap of 2:02.734.
Current world championship leader Marquez, riding for Honda and having won the last four races, had beaten Lorenzo in the morning session with the two Spaniards then trading places later in the day.
Lorenzo’s fastest effort came with his first flying lap of second free practice and, although Marquez closed on the time throughout the session, he could not get within two-tenths of a second of his compatriot.
Rain had fallen during practice sessions for the supporting Moto3 race but the skies cleared before the MotoGP riders took to the track.
It was a good day for MotoGP’s Spanish contingent as Marquez’s team-mate Dani Pedrosa and compatriot Alvaro Bautista completed the top four.
Six-time MotoGP champion Valentino Rossi was the best of the rest as he took fifth place on his Yamaha with Britain’s Cal Crutchlow sixth.
Crutchlow’s team-mate and fellow Brit Bradley Smith was eighth with the Ducati of Andrea Dovizioso separating the crowd favourites.
Meanwhile, Crutchlow has revealed he is determined to mark the 10th anniversary of the death of Barry Sheene by standing on the top step of the MotoGP podium for the first time in his career at Silverstone.
Crutchlow has never finished higher than second in MotoGP but achieving a win on Sunday would be a fitting way to conclude celebrations of the life of Britain’s most famous motorcycle racer.
Sheene, who died a decade ago from cancer, won the 500cc world title in 1976 and 1977 and will be remembered during a parade of his old race bikes at the Northamptonshire circuit on Sunday.
Crutchlow and his rivals for the MotoGP world title – today’s equivalent of the championship Sheene won – will then take to the track to battle for the race win.
British fans who have had little to cheer about since the end of Sheene’s career, which made him a household name, still flock in their tens of thousands to the British GP every year and Crutchlow knows what it would mean for them to see a home rider take the race win.
“I am really excited for Silverstone and I know the support from the British fans will be incredible, so hopefully I can give them something to cheer about,” he said. — AFP
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