Jorge Lorenzo dominates practice for Spanish MotoGP in Jerez
Jorge Lorenzo dominated practice for his home country Spanish MotoGP in Jerez on Friday.
Last Updated: 04/05/13 3:09pm
The Spanish ace, who shares the MotoGP World Championship lead with Honda rookie Marc Marquez, topped both of Friday's sessions, recording a time of 1 minute 39.562 seconds as Yamaha returned to form after a difficult weekend in Texas last time out.
Honda were not too far adrift as Dani Pedrosa slotted himself into second place overall, but it was Britain's Cal Crutchlow who once again played a starring role.
Despite only having customer machinery available to him, the Tech 3 Yamaha rider was second in the afternoon running, less than two-tenths of a second down on Lorenzo, to take third in the combined times from the two sessions.
Crutchlow has taken a fifth and a fourth place from the opening two rounds of the season, and his Friday form suggests he will again be challenging for a podium finish.
Valentino Rossi was fourth-fastest on the second of the factory Yamahas while Marquez, fresh from his debut win in America, was fifth.
Alvaro Bautista was sixth on the Gresini Honda with Andrea Iannone an impressive seventh aboard his Pramac Ducati.
Nicky Hayden, on the first factory Ducati, Hector Barbera and Aleix Espargaro, the quickest of the CRT machines, rounded out the top 10.