The two Ducati Team riders both had an excellent start to their Motegi weekend today in the GP of Japan. After the first day of free practice, which was held in the pouring rain and with an air temperature of 15° C, Andrea Dovizioso set the quickest time in 1’54.877 at the start of the second session, while his team-mate Jorge Lorenzo was classified fourth with a lap of 1’55.234.

This morning the Spanish rider was the victim of a spectacular crash, luckily without suffering any serious harm, when he was hit violently by the bike of Cal Crutchlow, who had crashed a couple of seconds earlier while braking for Turn 9.


Andrea Dovizioso (Ducati Team #04) – 1’54.877 (1st)

“I’m very pleased with my Friday performance here at Motegi because we started off really quick. We were in some doubts about the grip, but I already found a good feeling this morning, while this afternoon I confirmed my speed, and even more importantly, I did my best time immediately at the start of the session. We have got off to a really good start and we’ve already got a good base setting: now we have to work on the details because the rear tyre wear is quite substantial, even though we used the hardest tyre available.”

Jorge Lorenzo (Ducati Team #99) – 1’55.234 (4th)

“Today it was raining a lot and the track was in a very difficult condition, but I’m quite satisfied because I’m up at the front, together with the quickest riders, and starting off as well as this on Friday is always a good sign. In the afternoon we improved the bike and I lapped with a good pace. This morning I was quite lucky because when Crutchlow’s bike hit me and I crashed, I could have been badly hurt. Luckily in the end, apart from a bang on the hand, it was nothing serious. As for tomorrow, if the weather is still the same, my aim will be to go in the same direction as today.”