IN
THE
WIND
P50
VINALES TOPS POST-JEREZ GP TEST
M
averick Vinales
jumped back to
the top of the lists at
Jerez on Monday, May
8, at post-race tests—
though it mattered for
little more than brag-
ging rights for Movis-
tar Yamaha, after hot
conditions and failing
grip spoiled his and
Valentino Rossi's race
performance.
More significantly,
Michelin produced the
harder-construction
front tire many riders
have been calling for,
on a day when lap
times were better than
on race day, but not
as fast as qualifying on
Saturday.
The tests were run
in blazing heat and with windy
conditions later in the afternoon.
Vinales' leading time of
1:38.635 gave him the nar-
rowest of margins over Repsol
Honda's Marc Marquez, slower
by just 0.002 of a second,
with race winner Dani Pedrosa
moving past Aprilia rider Aleix
Espargaro into third in the clos-
ing stages, at 1:38.716.
The Ducatis of Andrea
Dovizioso and podium star
Jorge Lorenzo were next, then
Cal Crutchlow (Honda), Hec-
tor Barbera (Ducati), Johann
Zarco (Yamaha), Scott Red-
ding (Ducati) and Jack Miller
(Honda).
A disconsolate Valentino
Rossi languished in 21st, at
1:40.463, despite being one of
several riders (especially from
Yamaha and Honda) to praise
the performance of Michelin's
harder front tire.
This stronger construction
was raced in the final round of
2016, and was brought back
in response to complaints from
some riders that the 2017 front
lacked the stiffness required by
the Yamahas, and (for example)
the hard-braking Marquez.
The riders will decide whether
it will return to be raced, said
Michelin. If enough vote in favor
it would be brought into the al-
location from the Italian GP (in
four weeks).
Cal Crutchlow, one of the
fans, was concerned that some
riders might vote against it,
"because it will favor Honda and
Yamaha."
Michael Scott
Maverick Vinales' race may not
have gone to plan but he topped
the single-day Jerez test for
Movistar Yamaha.
