MOTOGP: Crutchlow tops post-race Barcelona test

LCR Honda rider Cal Crutchlow led the way in MotoGP's post-Catalunya Grand Prix test at Barcelona, the second in-season session of the year.

Crutchlow recorded his best finish of the season on Sunday with sixth, following a torrid start to 2016, and ensured he left Spain on a positive note. The Briton set his time of 1m43.963s with three minutes of the day remaining. It was the second-fastest lap of the weekend after Marc Marquez's pole lap on Saturday.

It put Crutchlow 0.239 seconds ahead of Yamaha's Jorge Lorenzo, who led the standings for the bulk of the day, while Sunday's race winner Valentino Rossi made a typically late start to testing and wound up 11th in the order.

"Obviously we are happy to be quickest overall, it's nice to be back on top of the time sheet, even though it's a Monday and it doesn't mean anything, really," Crutchlow said. "We will take some positives from the day though, and we have worked so well together as a team which means we will go to Assen optimistic."

During the day, riders also sampled a range of extra tires for Michelin, including a new front tire used at Jerez, and three rears of the same compound but different constructions, aimed at improving traction.

"We tried the new Michelin front in the morning when it was cooler, and it was positive in some areas and not so good in others, but this is the information they require," Crutchlow added. "Then we tried two new rears towards the end of the day. As you can see from the lap time, they were good.

"We also tried the 'over-the-top' wing for Honda to give them some information. I think maybe it's a little better."

Maverick Vinales did not end up using Suzuki's B chassis during the race weekend, but tried it on Monday.

Vinales set his best lap early and led the way well into the afternoon, before he was displaced by Lorenzo and then Crutchlow, finishing the session third. His Suzuki team-mate Aleix Espargaro was fifth, the pair split by factory Ducati rider Andrea Iannone.

Hector Barbera was sixth on the sole Avintia Ducati in action – with the Aspar team not running at all – ahead of Iannone's teammate Andrea Dovizioso, Marc Marquez, Scott Redding and Dani Pedrosa.

Marquez and Pedrosa tested a range of new items for Honda, including a new frame raced by Pedrosa, in what it viewed as a crunch test.

Marc VDS pair Jack Miller (below) and Tito Rabat finished at the foot of the times, running an alternate livery they were set to race with on Sunday, before Luis Salom's fatal accident in Moto2 on Friday.

TEST RESULTS

Originally on Autosport.com