2014 Circuit of the Americas MotoGP FP1
Repsol Honda’s Marc Marquez continues to impress. The 21-year-old Spaniard won the opening round of 2014 MotoGP at Qatar six weeks after breaking his leg, and continued this performance Friday into round 2 at Austin’s Circuit of the America.
The reigning MotoGP Champion was quickest during the first free practice Friday, posting a 2:04.704 around 3.426-mile circuit containing 20 corners.
This is no surprise for Marquez, who took his first premier-class win last year during COTA’s debut MotoGP race. En route, he also took the pole and set the fastest lap of 2:03.21.
Marquez finished FP1 0.887 of a second ahead of Open-option rider Aleix Espargaro aboard the NGM Forward Racing Yamaha. The next closest rider, and final one to post within a second of Marquez, was his factory teammate Dani Pedrosa, who was 0.972 of a second behind.
The three Spaniards were followed by two Italians -Movistar Yamaha MotoGP’s Valentino Rossi and Ducati Team’s Andrea Dovizioso, respectively. Rossi trailed by 1.268 of a second, and Dovi by 1.575.
Finishing sixth was Monster Yamaha Tech3’s Bradley Smith, who was 1.632 of a second off the top time.
Though Ducati Team’s Cal Crutchlow suffered some technical issues aboard his GP14, which runs under the Open option, he finished seventh
LCR Honda’s Stefan Bradl, Pramac Racing Ducati’s Andrea Iannone, and GO&FUN Honda Gresini’s Alvaro Bautista rounded out the top 10. Like Crutchlow, Bautista also suffer some technical issues, and would later return on his second RC213V prototype.
As for two-time MotoGP Champion Jorge Lorenzo, the Movistar Yamaha MotoGP rider’s YZR-M1 was more than two seconds off the top time as he continues to struggle with edge grip.
American Nicky Hayden (Drive M7 Aspar Honda) was 2.746 seconds off the top time, followed by his compatriot, the retiring Colin Edwards (NGM Forward Racing Yamaha), who was 2.940 seconds behind Marquez.
The riders will return to COTA for the second and final free practice of Friday.
2014 Austin MotoGP Free Practice 1 Results – Circuit of the Americas:
| 1 | 93 | Marc MARQUEZ | SPA | Repsol Honda Team | Honda | 333.6 | 2’04.704 | |
| 2 | 41 | Aleix ESPARGARO | SPA | NGM Forward Racing | Forward Yamaha | 317.6 | 2’05.591 | 0.887 / 0.887 |
| 3 | 26 | Dani PEDROSA | SPA | Repsol Honda Team | Honda | 334.2 | 2’05.676 | 0.972 / 0.085 |
| 4 | 46 | Valentino ROSSI | ITA | Movistar Yamaha MotoGP | Yamaha | 330.9 | 2’05.972 | 1.268 / 0.296 |
| 5 | 4 | Andrea DOVIZIOSO | ITA | Ducati Team | Ducati | 336.1 | 2’06.279 | 1.575 / 0.307 |
| 6 | 38 | Bradley SMITH | GBR | Monster Yamaha Tech 3 | Yamaha | 324.9 | 2’06.336 | 1.632 / 0.057 |
| 7 | 35 | Cal CRUTCHLOW | GBR | Ducati Team | Ducati | 334.1 | 2’06.433 | 1.729 / 0.097 |
| 8 | 6 | Stefan BRADL | GER | LCR Honda MotoGP | Honda | 334.8 | 2’06.537 | 1.833 / 0.104 |
| 9 | 29 | Andrea IANNONE | ITA | Pramac Racing | Ducati | 331.7 | 2’06.602 | 1.898 / 0.065 |
| 10 | 19 | Alvaro BAUTISTA | SPA | GO&FUN Honda Gresini | Honda | 334.0 | 2’06.633 | 1.929 / 0.031 |
| 11 | 44 | Pol ESPARGARO | SPA | Monster Yamaha Tech 3 | Yamaha | 327.6 | 2’06.680 | 1.976 / 0.047 |
| 12 | 99 | Jorge LORENZO | SPA | Movistar Yamaha MotoGP | Yamaha | 329.8 | 2’06.771 | 2.067 / 0.091 |
| 13 | 69 | Nicky HAYDEN | USA | Drive M7 Aspar | Honda | 314.6 | 2’07.450 | 2.746 / 0.679 |
| 14 | 5 | Colin EDWARDS | USA | NGM Forward Racing | Forward Yamaha | 317.4 | 2’07.644 | 2.940 / 0.194 |
| 15 | 68 | Yonny HERNANDEZ | COL | Energy T.I. Pramac Racing | Ducati | 325.6 | 2’07.689 | 2.985 / 0.045 |
| 16 | 17 | Karel ABRAHAM | CZE | Cardion AB Motoracing | Honda | 314.6 | 2’07.702 | 2.998 / 0.013 |
| 17 | 8 | Hector BARBERA | SPA | Avintia Racing | Avintia | 315.3 | 2’08.150 | 3.446 / 0.448 |
| 18 | 7 | Hiroshi AOYAMA | JPN | Drive M7 Aspar | Honda | 319.7 | 2’08.455 | 3.751 / 0.305 |
| 19 | 45 | Scott REDDING | GBR | GO&FUN Honda Gresini | Honda | 311.8 | 2’08.588 | 3.884 / 0.133 |
| 20 | 9 | Danilo PETRUCCI | ITA | IodaRacing Project | ART | 314.5 | 2’09.646 | 4.942 / 1.058 |
| 21 | 70 | Michael LAVERTY | GBR | Paul Bird Motorsport | PBM | 311.4 | 2’10.206 | 5.502 / 0.560 |
| 22 | 23 | Broc PARKES | AUS | Paul Bird Motorsport | PBM | 305.3 | 2’10.493 | 5.789 / 0.287 |
| 23 | 63 | Mike DI MEGLIO | FRA | Avintia Racing | Avintia | 314.1 | 2’11.100 | 6.396 / 0.607 |
