Espargaró the fastest

On the first day of free practice at the bwin Grand Prix České republiky in Brno it was Pons 40 HP Tuenti’s Pol Espargaró who set the fastest time ahead of Interwetten-Paddock’s Tom Lüthi and NGM Mobile Forward Racing’s Alex de Angelis. Espargaró set his quickest lap late in the morning session, when track conditions proved their most ideal. Lüthi on the other hand, who had been on the pace throughout the day, was on his best form in the afternoon until he crashed his bike 20 minutes before the end. And despite not being able to get back out on track, his time of 2.03’103 put him just a fraction behind the Spaniard. Third quickest was NGM Mobile Forward Racing’s Alex de Angelis, finishing just ahead of Marc VDS Racing Team’s Scott Redding. The Brit had looked on record pace in the afternoon session, yet his best lap was scrapped, due to him cutting the track at turn two. Came IodaRacing Project’s Simone Corsi put in a terrific performance for fifth, ahead of Team CatalunyaCaixa Repsol’s Marc Márquez, who was less than two tenths down on the Italian. Speed Master’s Andrea Iannone clocked the seventh fastest time of the afternoon, as he looks to fight for the win once more like he did last year. Redding’s teammate Mika Kallio, Mapfre Aspar Team Moto2’s Nico Terol and Italtrans Racing Team’s Claudio Corti, a crasher in the morning practice, completed the top ten. As well as Lüthi, other fallers included Desguaces La Torre SAG’s Marcel Schrötter, Corti’s teammate Takaaki Nakagami, Kiefer Racing’s Max Neukirchner and Espargaró’s teammate Axel Pons. Neukirchner’s fall resulted in a fracture of the third metacarpus in his right hand.