Estrella Galicia 0,0 Marc VDS Honda’s Jack Miller topped the second free practice session at Sepang this afternoon, though ends the day 16th overall after a later crash in FP1.
FP2 was run under mixed conditions, with the track transitioning from damp to dry slowly over the course of the 45-minute session. The Australian is something of a master in these types of conditions and timed his final run on slick tyres at the end of the session to perfection, shooting to the top of the time sheets by four tenths of a second with a lap of 2m08.872s.
However, Miller still potentially faces QP1 tomorrow afternoon should the wet weather return for FP3 after botching his final flying lap in FP1. The first session was a voyage of discovery for the entire field as they got to grips with the new tarmac and the newly re-profiled corners. Miller pushed too hard into the now off-camber Turn 15 and tucked the front-end of his Honda, ending the session picking gravel from his crash helmet.
The crash left him down in 16th on a 2m02.600s lap, six tenths of a second away from tenth-placed Jorge Lorenzo. Despite the tumble, the Dutch TT winner says that he felt comfortable in the dry conditions and definitely reckons his pace is far better than his current lowly 16th shows.
The riders have been casting a critical eye over the circuit’s numerous changes, with the verdict largely divided on them. Miller commented on the new asphalt and praised the job done by circuit designer’s Dromo for the smoothness of the track, though noted that that circuit doesn’t dry as quickly as it used to.
“This afternoon was all about timing because I was fortunate to put on the slick tyres just at the right time when the track was in its best condition. You still have to go out there and get the job done, so I’m happy to see my name at the top of the time sheets,” he said.
“It was also tricky in FP2 to pick out where the track was wet and dry because of the new surface, so you had to be pretty careful. This new surface doesn’t seem to dry as quickly as the old one but they’ve done a great job taking a lot of the bumps out because it feels really nice and smooth. I felt pretty comfortable in the dry this morning but I got caught out on my last flying lap at the revised final corner. It is quite a big change compared to the previous turn 15 and the off-camber caught me out. It’s a shame because I’m sure my potential was better than 16th this morning.”
Comments.
Loading comments…