Marquez dominates MotoGP practice

AUSTIN, Texas (AFP) –

Repsol Honda MotoGP rider Marc Marquez of Spain drives during a free practice in Doha on April 5, 2013. Marquez dominated both of Friday’s free practice sessions for Sunday’s Grand Prix of Americas race which marks the second event of the 2013 MotoGP season.

Spain’s Marc Marquez dominated both free practice sessions Friday ahead of this weekend’s Grand Prix of Americas race, the second event of the 2013 MotoGP season.

The 20-year-old Marquez, who rides for Repsol Honda, had the fastest time in both sessions on the brand new Texas track, finishing more than half a second ahead of fellow Spaniard Dani Pedrosa ahead of Sunday’s race.

Germany’s Stefan Bradl, Spaniard Jorge Lorenzo, who is the reigning world champion and winner of the first Qatar Grand Prix of the season, and Italy’s Valentino Rossi rounded out the top five.

Marquez posted the best lap time in his second practice run.

“In the morning, we were competitive compared to our rivals, but this afternoon when the track improved they had a better feeling and a better confidence to improve much more than us,” Lorenzo said.

In early April, he took third place in the Qatar race, finishing behind Lorenzo and Rossi.

Yamaha teammates Lorenzo and Rossi practiced one day after receiving a scare, when a fire broke out early Thursday in a building next to their main garage.

The fire resulted in the MotoGP machines and the team’s equipment being heavily doused in water and fire retardant materials from the sprinkler system. The bikes had to be taken apart, cleaned and dried out, and then re-assembled.

Circuit of the Americas now becomes the third US venue on the MotoGP calendar, along with Laguna Seca and Indianapolis. Laguna Seca is scheduled for July while Indianapolis takes place in August.