The first day of free practice in Jerez ended with the two Aprilias in the lead, but Dani Pedrosa teaches everyone a sound lesson.
Dani Pedrosa was fastest in FP1 and finished third in the combined standings on Friday in Jerez. The Spanish driver goes beyond expectations and gains direct access to Q2.
The Aprilias snatch the lead from Dani Pedrosa
Aprilia closed Friday practice for the Spanish Grand Prix in the lead, bringing its two riders to the top of the combined standings. Aleix Espargarò he is the fastest on the Jerez circuit, signing the best lap in the last minutes of a FP2 which took place with asphalt temperatures around 50°C, conditions that prevented many riders from improving their morning time. Successful feat for the driver from Granollers who stops the clock at 1’36″708, followed by his teammate Maverick Vinales detached by just two thousandths.
The big surprise of the day is Dani Pedrosa, back on the KTM RC16 as a wildcard, the second personal appearance after his farewell to MotoGP in 2018. The 37-year-old from Sabadell finished in third place in the combined, after being the fastest on Sunday. He made all the fans dream, especially the more nostalgic ones, who will surely have dusted off the challenges with Valentino Rossi, Jorge Lorenzo and Marc Marquez in their drawer of memories.
A champion performance
The tester of the KTM he showed that talent has no age and that he had prepared well for this appointment, because the objective was not that of a mere appearance. “I heard all the people very happy to see me on the track, I feel the love of the public so much“.
Where many have struggled with extreme temperatures, Dani Pedrosa he threw all his baggage of experience out of his suitcase, harmonizing it with a bike that proves it can compete on par with its direct rivals. “I’m happy, it went much better than we expected this morning, the afternoon was more difficult in windy and hot conditions – explained the Catalan to Sky Sport MotoGP -. Some riders managed to improve the time even though it was more difficult“.
His primary objective is to contribute to the development of the bike, a task he has been carrying out for five years now. “Everything is focused on being faster in the lap, let’s see how the bike responds to each improvement. This year we have taken an important step forward with the engine, we are working a lot on aerodynamics, we need to improve the chassis a little with the suspension and the chassis to make a less sharp combination“.
