Eight-time world champion Marc Marquez finished a consistent first day in Japan as the third fastest driver while Jorge Lorenzo took a step forward.
Cool conditions on Friday at the Twin Ring Motegi Circuit could not deter the local fans, who flocked to the track early in the morning. A track temperature of 21 ° C kept the drivers a little short of the all-time lap record in Japan, but potential rain on Saturday meant they still had to fight hard for a Q2 spot in the final moments of Free Practice 2.
After being crowned 2019 MotoGP World Champion, Marc Marquez showed no sign of giving up his terrifying work ethic. After the 24-lap race on Sunday, Marquez finished fourth in Free Practice 1 and improved his time by just under a second to third on the combined timesheet. The world champion is not resting on his laurels and wants to find more speed under all conditions on Saturday.
Jorge Lorenzo enjoyed a positive day aboard the Repsol Honda Team RC213V in Japan, spending most of it in the top 15 and reducing the gap to the top ten to just a few tenths. At the end of the day in 17th place, the five-time world champion could not fully use the fresh tires in the conditions of the afternoon. Closing the gap forwards remains Lorenzo’s goal for the weekend after the positive start on Friday.
The campaign is set to continue on Saturday at 10:50 a.m. local time with Free Practice 3, which will take place later than usual due to Japan’s unique schedule.