MotoGP Thailand, Buriram - Friday Practice Results

Friday practice results from the Thai MotoGP at Buriram, round 17 of 20 in the 2023 world championship.
Jorge
Jorge
2023 MotoGP Thailand, Buriram - Practice (2) Results
PosRiderNatTeamTime/DiffLapMax
1Jorge MartinSPAPramac Ducati (GP23)1'29.826s22/22335k
2Maverick ViñalesSPAAprilia Racing (RS-GP23)+0.098s21/25336k
3Aleix EspargaroSPAAprilia Racing (RS-GP23)+0.160s24/26336k
4Johann ZarcoFRAPramac Ducati (GP23)+0.180s20/22334k
5Luca MariniITAMooney VR46 Ducati (GP22)+0.199s26/27333k
6Marco BezzecchiITAMooney VR46 Ducati (GP22)+0.208s21/26335k
7Francesco BagnaiaITADucati Lenovo (GP23)+0.243s22/23334k
8Fabio QuartararoFRAMonster Yamaha (YZR-M1)+0.248s25/26333k
9Brad BinderRSARed Bull KTM (RC16)+0.295s18/23335k
10Augusto FernandezSPATech3 GASGAS (RC16)*+0.304s22/24333k
11Marc MarquezSPARepsol Honda (RC213V)+0.369s24/26335k
12Franco MorbidelliITAMonster Yamaha (YZR-M1)+0.391s19/24334k
13Jack MillerAUSRed Bull KTM (RC16)+0.398s23/27334k
14Fabio Di GiannantonioITAGresini Ducati (GP22)+0.436s24/26333k
15Pol EspargaroSPATech3 GASGAS (RC16)+0.442s20/21336k
16Joan MirSPARepsol Honda (RC213V)+0.469s21/23333k
17Raul FernandezSPARNF Aprilia (RS-GP22)+0.517s18/23332k
18Alex MarquezSPAGresini Ducati (GP22)+0.541s18/20332k
19Enea BastianiniITADucati Lenovo (GP23)+1.089s22/24334k
20Takaaki NakagamiJPNLCR Honda (RC213V)+1.164s17/27331k
21Miguel OliveiraPORRNF Aprilia (RS-GP22)+1.278s18/23334k

* Rookie

Official Buriram MotoGP records
Best lap: Marco Bezzecchi 1m 29.671s (2022)
Fastest race lap: Marc Marquez 1m 30.904s (2019)

MotoGP title contender Jorge Martin completed a Friday practice double at the Thai Grand Prix, ahead of the factory Aprilias, but finished the session on the back of a scooter after sliding off at Turn 3.

Maverick Vinales had been fastest from Fabio di Giannantonio, Alex Marquez, Brad Binder, Aleix Espargaro and Fabio Quartararo when the time attacks began with 15 minutes remaining, with the top ten covered by just 0.382s and the whole field by 0.924s!

Binder and Vinales then featured on top with new medium rear tyres (the softest option this weekend) before Martin delivered a 1m 29.826s on his 22nd lap. 

Title leader Bagnaia, 14th before fitting new rubber, broke into the top ten on his penultimate run and avoided a repeat of his recent high pressure Q1 appearances by confirming direct Q2 access.

Marc Marquez was hit on the shoulder by what looked like a piece of carbon fibre aero, which broke off Martin's bike (just ahead of Marquez) as the Pramac rider cut the kerb while pulling off track and into pit lane, at the midway stage.

Marquez was again following Martin in the closing stages when he briefly broke into the top ten. But the Repsol Honda rider was down in 13th and again looking over his shoulder as he went out for his final run. 

This time Marquez chased the Gresini Ducati of Fabio di Giannantonio, now hotly tipped to swap places with the #93 and ride for Repsol Honda next season. But it was Tech3 rookie Augusto Fernandez, behind both of them, who enjoyed the biggest tow and secured the final top ten place, just ahead of Marquez.

With Fabio Quartararo eighth for Yamaha, Honda was the only manufacturer without a rider in the top ten.

2023 MotoGP Thailand, Buriram - Practice (1) Results
PosRiderNatTeamTime/DiffLapMax
1Jorge MartinSPAPramac Ducati (GP23)1'30.520s18/22334k
2Maverick ViñalesSPAAprilia Racing (RS-GP23)+0.238s18/20333k
3Pol EspargaroSPATech3 GASGAS (RC16)+0.492s18/18333k
4Aleix EspargaroSPAAprilia Racing (RS-GP23)+0.651s16/19333k
5Franco MorbidelliITAMonster Yamaha (YZR-M1)+0.750s18/22332k
6Augusto FernandezSPATech3 GASGAS (RC16)*+0.823s21/21330k
7Fabio Di GiannantonioITAGresini Ducati (GP22)+0.962s18/19330k
8Raul FernandezSPARNF Aprilia (RS-GP22)+0.962s20/20330k
9Alex MarquezSPAGresini Ducati (GP22)+0.966s6/19331k
10Francesco BagnaiaITADucati Lenovo (GP23)+0.987s19/21334k
11Takaaki NakagamiJPNLCR Honda (RC213V)+1.079s16/22328k
12Fabio QuartararoFRAMonster Yamaha (YZR-M1)+1.130s19/20332k
13Jack MillerAUSRed Bull KTM (RC16)+1.162s18/20332k
14Brad BinderRSARed Bull KTM (RC16)+1.235s17/21332k
15Luca MariniITAMooney VR46 Ducati (GP22)+1.269s19/22332k
16Marco BezzecchiITAMooney VR46 Ducati (GP22)+1.304s13/19332k
17Enea BastianiniITADucati Lenovo (GP23)+1.333s19/20332k
18Marc MarquezSPARepsol Honda (RC213V)+1.337s8/21332k
19Johann ZarcoFRAPramac Ducati (GP23)+1.393s7/20333k
20Joan MirSPARepsol Honda (RC213V)+1.477s21/21331k
21Miguel OliveiraPORRNF Aprilia (RS-GP22)+1.601s6/18333k

*Rookie.

Official Buriram MotoGP records
Best lap: Marco Bezzecchi 1m 29.671s (2022)
Fastest race lap: Marc Marquez 1m 30.904s (2019)

Jorge Martin fits new medium tyres to top opening practice for the 2023 Thai MotoGP at Buriram ahead of Maverick Vinales, Pol Espargaro (new mediums) and Aleix Espargaro.

Franco Morbidelli was a promising fifth for Yamaha, with Takaaki Nakagami the top Honda in 11th and Jack Miller the lead KTM in 13th.

Martin's title rival and world championship leader Francesco Bagnaia, like most riders, remained on old rubber at the end and finished in tenth place.

At one stage, before some riders fitted new tyres, the entire 21-rider was covered by just 0.7s.

Reigning champion Francesco Bagnaia holds a 27-point lead over Jorge Martin heading into the Thai MotoGP, after the Pramac Ducati rider’s costly soft tyre gamble backfired on the final lap at Phillip Island.

Miguel Oliveira took his final victory for KTM in last year’s wet Buriram race, ahead of Ducati team-mates Jack Miller and Bagnaia, with Martin just ninth. But it had been VR46 rookie Marco Bezzecchi who took pole position from Martin and Bagnaia in the dry.

Wet weather is again a threat for all three days of this year’s grand prix weekend.

Alex Rins, who withdrew from Phillip Island due to ongoing pain from his Mugello leg fractures, will miss Thailand after undergoing further surgery.
 

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