Lorenzo leads the way in sizzling Friday MotoGP practice at Jerez: A Bridgestone report

Round 4: Spanish MotoGP™ – Free Practice One & Two

Circuito de Jerez, Friday 1 May 2015

Weather:   FP1 – Dry. Ambient 19-21°C; Track 26-29°C (Bridgestone measurement)

                 FP2 – Dry. Ambient 29-30°C; Track 50-53°C (Bridgestone measurement)

Bridgestone slick compounds available: Front: Soft, Medium & Hard; Rear: Soft, Medium & Hard (Asymmetric)

Bridgestone wet tyre compounds available: Hard (Main), Soft (Alternative – front), Extra-hard (Alternative – rear)

Movistar Yamaha MotoGP’s Jorge Lorenzo was quickest in both sessions on the opening day of the Spanish Grand Prix at Jerez, the two-time MotoGP™ champion going quicker than his own Circuit Record Lap time in the process.

In the morning Free Practice 1 session, Lorenzo stopped the clocks with a 1’39.174, a time that is almost four-tenths quicker than the race record he set during the 2013 Spanish Grand Prix and was the quickest time set all day. Second quickest overall was Team SUZUKI ECSTAR rider Aleix Espargaro whose best time of 1’39.223 was also set in the morning session. Third quickest today was Repsol Honda’s Marc Marquez, who despite nursing a broken finger was able to set his personal best time of 1’39.428 in the warmer afternoon FP2 session.

The opening day of practice at Jerez took place in warm and sunny conditions and although track temperatures in FP1 peaked at 29°C, the continuous sunshine saw temperatures spike in the afternoon, reaching a sizzling 53°C at the end of FP2. As is typical for the Jerez circuit, as track temperatures increased the grip level offered by the tarmac was reduced, yet some riders were still able lap at race record pace in the hot conditions of FP2.

With mild temperatures present right from the start of FP1, most riders went straight to using the medium compound front slick, with only a few riders opting for the soft compound front to assess the grip level of the track in the first session. Rear tyre choice saw a general preference for softer rear slick options in FP1, but the hotter temperatures in FP2 saw many riders evaluate their harder rear slick option; hard compound for the factory Honda and Yamaha riders, and medium for the rest of the field in FP2.

At this stage of the race weekend all three rear slick options, and the two main front slick options – medium and hard –  are viable race choices depending on the particular riding style and bike setting of each of the entrants. More evaluation will be undertaken during tomorrow’s practice sessions to help each rider decide their best race tyre combination, with the next opportunity to do so being Free Practice 3 at 0955 local time (GMT +2) tomorrow.

“We had a good mix of cool and hot conditions today which enabled the riders to assess many different tyre combinations, and as is usually the case at Jerez, as track temperatures increased in the afternoon the tarmac became quite greasy. The flowing nature of this circuit requires optimal bike balance, so the way the front and rear tyre work together in braking and cornering is critical to achieving good performance. Our compound selection for Jerez, which we have changed slightly for this year, performed well in this regard. All of our slick tyre options were used today and riders were able to lap quicker than race record pace in both sessions, so I am happy that no matter what the conditions are for the race that our tyres will provide good performance to all the riders. There is no clear preference on race tyre choice at this stage, this should become clearer tomorrow as the riders continue to assess the different options available.”