MotoGP Motegi Warm Up: Marquez dominates under the downpour, Yamaha crisis

GP Japan MotoGP Warm Up – Weather still protagonist in Motegi, with the rain never leaving the Japanese track, this has been the case since the first session on Friday. Like the Moto2 warm up, the MotoGP warm up was also shortened to 15 minutes due to the time lost after Andrea Migno's KTM had lost oil on the track in Moto3.

The Yamahas of Valentino Rossi and Maverick Vinales used an extra-soft rear tire, which with a lot of water on the track performs better and warms up first on the left side. Michelin then removed the soft front compound, the one used in practice by Ducati, because it had deterioration problems, a choice that forced Andrea Dovizioso and Jorge Lorenzo to use a medium front tire in this session.

The fastest of this Warm Up was Marc Marquez, who lapped in 1:56.719. The championship leader preceded the Aprilia of a great Aleix Espargarò by 0.406s, who we remember will start from the second row.

Excellent warm up by Alex Rins, third with the Suzuki and ahead of the Ducatis of Jorge Lorenzo, Danilo Petrucci and Andrea Dovizioso. Closing out the Top Ten are Cal Crutchlow with Honda, Andrea Iannone with Suzuki, Kohta Nozane with Yamaha and Pol Espargarò with KTM.

Yamaha Movistar crisis, with Valentino Rossi twelfth at 1.645s and Maverick Vinales fifteenth at 1.732s. A warm up that confirmed the crisis of the official 1 M2017, for a race that promises to be entirely uphill.

Photos: Alex Farinelli