Team Suzuki Ecstar’s Maverick Vinales heads into this afternoon’s qualifying session as the man to beat after topping the all-important third free practice session at the Sepang International Circuit.
We’ve seen this season that the Suzuki has tended to struggle in hot conditions with rear grip, and there was a worry from Vinales ahead of this weekend that this issue could appear again at the sweltering Sepang. However, the Spaniard’s 1m59.947s lap towards the end of FP3 has quashed those fears and he has put himself as firm favourite for pole later today should it remain dry.
Marc Marquez missed FP2 yesterday due to a bad bout of gastroenteritis, but was back in action this morning despite not feeling 100 per cent. The Spaniard put in a brave performance to go second fastest, though just one hundredth of a second quicker than Yamaha’s Jorge Lorenzo in third.
Valentino Rossi safely navigated his way into QP2 with a 2m00.107s on the second of the factory Yamahas, whilst Hector Barbera put in an impressive lap of 2m00.384s to go fifth fastest on the Avintia Ducati. Interestingly, the new track surface mixed with Michelin’s harder compound tyres brought to Sepang are really aiding the notoriously difficult -to-turn GP14.2.
Ducati’s Andrea Iannone left it late but still managed to make the top 10 ahead of his first qualifying session since the British Grand Prix, the Italian ending FP3 sixth fastest ahead of Suzuki’s Aleix Espargaro. Andrea Dovizioso, Pol Espargaro and Alvaro Bautitsa completed the top 10.
Pramac’s Scott Redding and Danilo Petrucci will be left frustrated at missing out on a QP2 spot by just a tenth of a second, though not as upset as Cal Crutchlow will be. The British rider crashed at Turn 7 on his final flying lap, leaving him stuck down in 13th place. Not the ideal way to start his 31st birthday celebrations, but he can take solace in the fact that he qualified second and went on to win the Australian Grand Prix having had to contest QP1 last weekend.
Bradley Smith was just a fraction slower than the LCR rider in 14th, with compatriot Eugene Laverty completing the top 15 on his Aspar Ducati. Stefan Bradl, Jack Miller, Yonny Hernandez, Tito Rabat, Loris Baz and Hiroshi Aoyama bring up the rear of the field.
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