Dovizioso dominates Buri Ram practice
Ducati teammate Lorenzo survives crash at Turn 3, declared fit to race in Thailand Grand Prix
>> BURI RAM: Andrea Dovizioso sped to the fastest lap in practice for the inaugural PTT Thailand Grand Prix yesterday as his Ducati teammate Jorge Lorenzo was passed fit for the weekend despite a heavy crash.
Dovizioso led the second session with a lap of one minute and 31.090 seconds, 0.031 ahead of Movistar Yamaha rider Maverick Vinales who had topped the morning timesheets at Chang International Circuit in this northeastern province.
Repsol Honda’s Marc Marquez, who leads Dovizioso by 72 points as he closes in on a fifth MotoGP world title, was fourth quickest in the afternoon session.
“There are 10 riders that are very close,” said Italian Dovizioso.
But much attention focused on the nasty spill by Lorenzo, who was already dealing with a foot injury sustained in Aragon last month.
The Spaniard, who has been limping, was cleared to race on Thursday but told reporters yesterday he was still in pain.
About halfway through yesterday’s second practice Lorenzo crashed, tumbling across the track as his bike broke into pieces, temporarily stopping the session.
MotoGP tweeted afterwards that Lorenzo was undergoing further medical examinations but “has been declared fit” to race following his accident.
Disaster struck for Lorenzo heading into Turn 3 with just over 10 minutes of the session remaining. As the Spaniard entered the corner, his GP18’s engine seemed to have an issue, causing Lorenzo to be launched over the top of the bike, landing heavily on his already injured right foot as the Ducati machine suffered severe damage.
He was carried off on a stretcher and headed to the medical centre for a check-up, before heading to the hospital for further examinations.
“Thankfully, t he Ducati man was declared fit,” MotoGP said on its website.
Thailand is hosting its first MotoGP. The Buri Ram event is the 15th of 19 races of the season.
The country has struck a deal to stage MotoGP for three years.
Thai officials believe the inaugural Thailand Grand Prix will be a success.
“The event is expected to generate billions of baht,” Tourism and Sports Minister Weerasak Kowsurat said recently. “This is an important step for Thailand to show it can host a world-class sporting event.”
Meanwhile, the top riders in MotoGP have paid tribute to the victims of Indonesia’s devastating earthquake and tsunami ahead of the sport’s maiden race in Thailand.
Marquez, Dovizioso and Yamaha’s Valentino Rossi were among the riders who posed with a sign reading “Indonesia in our hearts” in Buri Ram.
The gesture comes after more than 1,500 died when the city of Palu was rocked by the one-two punch of a 7.5 magnitude quake and a powerful cascade of water last Friday. International aid is just starting to arrive and about 200,000 people are in need of assistance, according to the UN.
Southeast Asia is seen as a growth region for MotoGP and the sport has a significant following in Indonesia, one of the world’s most populous countries.
After practice sessions yesterday, a group of fans from Indonesia waited outside Marquez’s trailer, hoping to catch a glimpse of the star or get an autograph.
“A lot of people love MotoGP back home,” said Cindy, who like many Indonesians goes by one name.
She travelled to the race and bought a 2,000-baht side stand pass. She likes Marquez because of how hard he works to win.
“He tries his best to be the champion,” she said.