With the afternoons free practice session being disrupted by rain,
it was Repsol Honda’s Marc Marquez’s FP1 time that was the fastest overall with a time of 1.48.004. With Yamaha’s Valentino Rossi in a close second. Pramac Racings Andrea Iannone and Ducati’s Andrea Dovizioso took fourth and fifth respectively. Jorge Lorenzo took fifth place on his factory Yamaha.
NGM Forward Racings Aleix Espargaro set the sixth fastest time with LCR Honda’s Stefan Bradl just behind, Ducati’s Cal Crutchlow will be hoping for a good show at his teams home track. in eighth GO&FUN Honda Gresini rider Alvaro Bautista, Bradley Smith and Monster Tech3 Yamaha team-mate Pol Espargaro who after escaping from crash completed the top ten.
Marco Simoncelli was today inducted into the Hall of Fame as a MotoGP legend, the Italian rider sadly lost his life on the 23rd October 2011, following a crash at the Sepang circuit. With his father present Marco joins the likes of Giacomo Agostini and Casey Stoner in the Hall of Fame. By Laura Turner