The 12 best MotoGP riders shared less than a second, with Marc Marquez finishing second on the first day of practice and Jorge Lorenzo 16th.
Marc Marquez’s love affair with the Circuit of the Americas continued when the six-time winner led free practice 1 from his first fast lap. The pattern continued in Free Practice 2 when Marquez improved his lap time on his second flying lap. With 41 ° C on the track and clear skies above him, Marquez produced a 2’03.901 and ended the day as the second fastest driver in Austin after the tense last five minutes on the track.
On Friday, Jorge Lorenzo spent adjusting his Honda to the unique layout and challenges of the Texas track. An improvement of over two seconds between Free Practice 1 and 2 left the five-time world champion happy with progress and ready to tackle Saturday’s qualifying. Just 1.312 seconds behind first place, Lorenzo has a chance to advance to Q2 in Free Practice 3 tomorrow if the weather holds up.
It was also on that day that 2006 MotoGP World Champion’s # 69 Nicky Hayden retired from the premier class as the paddock gathered to commemorate the life and accomplishments of the Kentucky Kid. Hayden’s family was joined by Dorna CEO Carmelo Ezpeleta and FIM President Jorge Viegas, and Nicky Hayden’s father, Earl, a 69.
The drivers will be back on the track for Free Practice 3 on Saturday, April 13th at 09:55 local time. Qualifying begins at 2:10 p.m. local time to decide who will start from pole position for the 2019 Americas GP.